The pics from the top: View from pine forests above Drymen; Doug in high winds atop Conich Hill; Bluebells by the Loch; View of Ben Lomond.
Day 39: Wed May 13th. Goodness, we are lucky when we need it! Another brilliantly clear sunny day and we are heading for Loch Lomond. We had breakfast at a big table with two retired ladies and a young couple attending Glasgow University: the boy German and the girl American. This mixture resulted in some lively conversation. John and I were driven back to the point where we were picked up last evening, and walked on to Drymen. This village is full of hotels and pubs being a main access point to the East side of Loch Lomond, but has plenty of character. Unfortunately the walkers shop which is right on The Way had closed down: it must be difficult to keep a business going with such a seasonal trade - the ironmonger shop in Milngavie that provided services for walkers and also was a greengrocer probably has the key to successful business - diversification.
The Way is very busy, particularly at this time of year as the weather tends to be good, the days long and there are no midges yet, so we encountered LOTS of people during the day. Having walked several long-distance routes on this journey, this is the first that has been anywhere near busy. We climbed up to a mature pine forest and the route rose steadily up towards Conic Hill, breaking out of the pines onto open fells and great views of Loch Lomond and the hills. Conic Hill is in line with a series of islands in the south end of Loch Lomond: this is the fault line that divides the Highlands from the southern lowlands of Scotland and is particularly obvious at this point. We walked to the sound of the cuckoo calling - there haven't been very many this year. The Hill is made of conglomerate and is steep on all sides with several tops, the highest of which is 361m (about 1,200 feet) high. There was a strong breeze blowing us along - much better than a head wind, and it actually helped you get up hill! The Way skirts the hill about 200 feet below the top, but I and two other LEJOGers climbed to the summit, and walked along the ridge, which was extremely windy, but fun.
The views today were fantastic because the air was so clear - we are VERY lucky. I have been to Loch Lomond many times and never seen the top of Ben Lomond! We then descended through forests to Balmaha, which is a major leisure facility and very popular on a day like this. There is an old community, including a pub where we had some lunch and chatted to fellow walkers. From Balmaha, the path follows Loch Lomond for its entire length - 23 miles - sometimes on the loch shore, and at others higher up. It is mostly oak and silver birch forest, with some coniferous, and at this time of year mostly carpeted with bluebells: it is an incredible sight. For the entire afternoon we were treated to this fabulous landscape of great beauty both within the woodland and across the loch to the mountains beyond: the pictures give you some idea of what we experienced. The path is well made and maintained, and follows the lake shore to start with, where some college students were having a beach party!! The loch was glinting in the sunshine and hills behind looked warm and reachable, unlike their normal shrouded state. Then it climbs into the woods, and you get a particular atmosphere from the silver birches and oak trees with young leaves on a descending carpet of deep blue: quite remarkable. When the view opens out, you get vistas that could grace any Scottish calendar of the loch, hills beyond, or Ben Lomond towering up into the blue.
The afternoon past quickly, and we arrived in great spirits at the Rowardennan Hotel, which was full but also being refurbished, which made it a bit confusing at times. HOwever, the bar was very efficient, and we sat and had dinner with Andrew and Dave, our fellow LEJOG walkers, who are raising money for THe Princes Trust. There was a big soccer match on TV which half the people were watching, but once that finished, I got the guitar out and played a set of songs, and most people joined in lustily at the choruses. It was quite hard work, but rewarding, and we picked up another £30 for the Cause.
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