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For as long as I can remember I have passed Ben Lomond on the way to Islay and always wanted to go up there. Our daughter also had a similar ambition. the Ben McTumshie came from the Beano I believe, which she had been reading not long after she learned to read. some character had been out with the 'keeper chasing Haggis on Ben McTumshie, and she asked us as we drove up the shores of Loch Lomond "is that Ben McTumshie?" - so it's been a family joke ever since.
anyway we chose the day of the Royal Wedding for the attempt. Many thanks to Wills and Kate for choosing such a suitable date to get married and giving us a long enough weekend to make a munro-bagging trip from Yorkshire. We left Yorkshire at 8pm on Thursday and camped out overnight at the Travelodge in Dunbarton - thought it might be easier than pitching the tent at that time of night.
We managed a good early start as we were aiming for the six o'clock Islay ferry.
We took the usual route up the big path and down by the Tarmachan Ridge. There were many, many men on the mountain and a few dads with sons, but we never met a single female (apart from us) until we reached the Tarmachan Ridge. Wonder why that might have been?
Some of my work friends were horrified that I'd been on a hill instead of watching the wedding.
It was a very windy and slightly hazy day but good enough to get some smashing views and have a great day all round. and we made it to the ferry with time to spare, dropping daughter off to go to Granny's and then we repaired to the Real Food Cafe for tea on the way to Glen Etive with most of the population of Scotland that night!
