Fame at Last in Glen Trool

[mountain thyme]

Famous at last in Glen Trool

Saturday night I drove to Glen Trool campsite arriving there for 945pm (lovely campsite £5.50 pp including car). The wardens were very welcoming considering the time

Campsite

Drove to Glen Trool and started the walk at 930am from Bruces Stone, following the path which is well signposted and headed towards Culsharg Bothy. The bothy has a new roof, new windows and a new door but doesn’t look the best inside to put your head down. Don’t know if there are any plans for renovations inside too

Starting point

We followed the path at the left of the bothy up to the track, taking a right as the path meets the track. Crossed the small bridge and left at the Merrick Hill sign through the forest.

It’s a steady steep climb through the forest and after the forest a good path leads all the way to Benyellary. The mist appeared half way up the path and the cloud level was at 550m.

From Benyellary we headed northeast, following the great path through the Nieve of Spit all the way to the Merrick. No views from Benyellary to the Merrick on the way up.

We sat at the summit of the Merrick chatting to guys from Kilmarnock. We took a bearing and as we did so the cloud lifted. We headed north down the Little Spear and onto some boggy ground where we met a guy who said he recognised me. I was wondering what was coming next (no Dooters it wasn’t from the Sun!)
It was Gavin99 who had recognised me from here. He was doing the 2 corbetts the opposite way. It was nice to meet you Gavin.

Headed up north towards Kirriereoach Hill and down towards the small Lochans and then northwest up to Tarfessock. We headed north, down again and then northwest up towards Shalloch on Minnoch, where we joined the Kilmarnock Ramblers for the last ascent. Theres a faint path all the way from the Merrick to the Shalloch on Minnoch.

Quick bite to eat again and decision time. What way back.. if we go low towards Loch Enoch etc.. it will be boggy... I was keen to head down towards the road and hitch a lift back to Glen Trool but mgmt! wanted to go back the way we came... he knows hes not too good at hitching a lift when out walking so we decided to go back the exact same way we came up. This time with great views all the way back.

Refuelled back at the Merrick and back down to the car park and a wee nosey at Bruces Stone before the 2 hour drive back to Glasgow

path beside the river

well signposted

tea break

bothy

bothy

left after the bridge

looking back down the forest

keep out

low cloud at benyellary

summit of the Merrick

cloud lifting

the merrick

lochan

grenade!

views from tarfessock

quick bite to eat for me and quick shave of his beard for michael

summit of Shalloch on Minnoch

back to the merrick...Sweaty Betty

lovely ridge from merrick to benyellary

bruces stone

bruces stone

back to the start.. loch trool

[Tinto63]

Nice report and lovely hills. You are selling yourself a bit short as both Kirriereoch and Tarfessock are also Donalds and Benyellary is a New Donald if you are interested in ticking!

[mgmt!]

well done mountain thmye, another report on walkhighlands. im really enjoying reading your version of the walk WE did on sunday, the humour you add to these reports makes me roar with laughter , almost like ive heard it myself somewere else

i thought id better let you drive this time, as my last car has packed up it done that many miles on our munro escapades , i should have taken a photo of you when we got back to the merrick summit, you were absolutely burst, a sure winner for the trail magazine knackered award, as for the sun pin up pics, one of us has appeared in the sun as a pinn up

[Gavin99]

Hi MT, nice to meet yourself and MGMT , what a fine afternoon it turned out to be . As Tinto says , don't forget to tick off your Donalds , you'll need them when you finish your Corbetts and Grahams

[mountain thyme]

Very enjoyable report and photos. That's a long walk from Glen Trool to Shalloch and then back the same way. Its steep getting up and down Kirriereoch on the Tarfessock side.

Thanks RTC. I know its a very long walk and i must admit i didnt fancy going back that way
When we met the ramblers i was telling them to hint to mgmt! that it would be better to go down to the road so we didnt have to go back that way

Nice report and lovely hills. You are selling yourself a bit short as both Kirriereoch and Tarfessock are also Donalds and Benyellary is a New Donald if you are interested in ticking!

Thanks Tinto. Ill need to mark off the Donalds now. Can you tell im ticking ?

i should have taken a photo of you when we got back to the merrick summit, you were absolutely burst, a sure winner for the trail magazine knackered award, as for the sun pin up pics, one of us has appeared in the sun as a pinn up

Thanks! nothing wrong with admitting you are ''absolutely burst'' it was a long day. I wish you had posted it to trail... id have won a prize

Hi MT, nice to meet yourself and MGMT , what a fine afternoon it turned out to be . As Tinto says , don't forget to tick off your Donalds , you'll need them when you finish your Corbetts and Grahams

Thanks Gavin.How did you get on ?

[Gavin99]

Thanks Gavin.How did you get on ?

OK , but I like the sound of that nice path back down to Glen Trool , my route was pretty rough going with tussocks and bog , I was pretty glad to hit the forest road . I think it's a bit of a slog whichever way you go at these but lovely walking along the tops .
Cheers ,

[rockhopper]

You do get around a bit MT - haven't been down this way for years but looks a very nice area for a wander - cheers

[Johnny Corbett]

Finding this Corbett bagging tough going MT? Another one of your classic reports, so many things made me laugh. I liked all the "we" desicions that were made and good to see all the waymarked posts to keep you on the right track even though you had guide no.1 with you

[monty]

Nice report MT. Even though you were burst Looks like a nice trail. Were you picking magic mushrooms on the way Thats some size of beard Mgmt shaved off. He could have made him self a good toupe with that lot. You taking your own smoke with you to make your own clag

[ChrisW]

That's a fair old wander MT, think I'd have gone for the hitchhike back judging by that 'beard' I assume Michael doubles as santa in his spare time

[mgmt!]

That's a fair old wander MT, think I'd have gone for the hitchhike back judging by that 'beard' I assume Michael doubles as santa in his spare time

no chrisw, it was just the amount of time i spent waiting for mt to reach the top

i should have taken a photo of you when we got back to the merrick summit, you were absolutely burst, a sure winner for the trail magazine knackered award, as for the sun pin up pics, one of us has appeared in the sun as a pinn up

Thanks! nothing wrong with admitting you are ''absolutely burst'' it was a long day. I wish you had posted it to trail... id have won a prize

thats just it mt, i do all the work while you get all the rewards,typical

[mountain thyme]

Thanks Gavin.How did you get on ?

OK , but I like the sound of that nice path back down to Glen Trool , my route was pretty rough going with tussocks and bog , I was pretty glad to hit the forest road . I think it's a bit of a slog whichever way you go at these but lovely walking along the tops .
Cheers ,

It was a lovely walk once the cloud lifted

You do get around a bit MT - haven't been down this way for years but looks a very nice area for a wander - cheers

I try and get out most weekends rockhopper...its a lovely area. i was well impressed and looking forward to going back

Finding this Corbett bagging tough going MT? Another one of your classic reports, so many things made me laugh. I liked all the "we" desicions that were made and good to see all the waymarked posts to keep you on the right track even though you had guide no.1 with you

Hey johnny you could possibly do these two without me...i thought it would be a good route for you to do solo with all the signposts ....

Nice report MT. Even though you were burst Looks like a nice trail. Were you picking magic mushrooms on the way Thats some size of beard Mgmt shaved off. He could have made him self a good toupe with that lot. You taking your own smoke with you to make your own clag

Cheers Monty i WAS burst ...i think mgmt! did keep it for a toupe... 50 shades of white ..... there seems to be clag following me for the last 3 weekends

That's a fair old wander MT, think I'd have gone for the hitchhike back judging by that 'beard' I assume Michael doubles as santa in his spare time

Thanks Chris... i must admit i was keen for the hitchhike back... i was dreading the walk back...when you get to the summit of your last hill you think its all downhill from then on.. i wasnt looking forward to 4 more ascents ... mgmt is a sadist

thats just it mt, i do all the work while you get all the rewards,typical

All the work?!? Driving, pitching tents...planning,navigating, driving back after a 9 hour walk whilst someone sat with some beer..... Zzzzzzzzzzzz wakey wakey

[dooterbang]

Recognition at last...and just what you always wanted, well recognition on the hills...makes a change from holding up the bar at your favourite drinking hole, a la Fra....oh i promised not to mention that!

Thanks for sorting me out earlier

[mountain thyme]

Thanks for sorting me out earlier

no worries ..the Bill is in the post

[dooterbang]

Thanks for sorting me out earlier

no worries ..the Bill is in the post

Erm, you should be paying me