I know @coccinella - those ones are just over an hour away, depending on traffic etc, and mostly a half day, so good for winter too. I can manage about 3 hours travelling for a longer day with a couple of hills, but that's about my limit. The Easains, beyond Fort Bill, took about 7 or 8 hours, so that was about as long as I can do nowadays. 3 hours gets me to the Cairngorms, or some of the western hills further north [trickier roads] but it all depends on the length of the route too.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl, so good to see you back in the hills, great weather too 👍. I smile to myself when I try to pronounce the hill names, then I go to my guidebooks and see what a Sassenach I am 🤣. Lovely pictures and look forward to seeing more.
Went out on Friday, to one of my favourite hills -Beinn an Lochain, but only got around to sorting pix yesterday. This a view of it from the hill on the opposite side of the road, taken a few years ago in early winter. The route is basically from right to left, pretty much along that top line .
Tuesday's hill [Ben Donich] just appearing from the cloud which had suddenly come down earlier, from Loch Lomond onwards, down to about 2,000 feet and obscuring everything above that, but all clearing nicely, and turning into nice fluffy white clouds by the time I got there.
Ben Lomond still with a wee bit of light cloud on it. Loch Restil in the foreground [the little loch in the first pic]
First views of the final approach to the summit
There's a little traverse back and forth through the craggy outcrops to get to the first part of the summit
I always love this nicely balanced rock
View from the top across to the Arrochar hills
Looking back to the summit cairn from the secondary top, just 10/20 feet lower. Return by the same route, although you can skirt round the summit by dropping down to the right instead, and rejoining the path further on. Another enjoyable half day.
Some little extras en route -orchids appearing, bit later than usual
One of the many little alpines tucked among rocks on hills. This was at just shy of 2,600 feet
A wee hitchhiker
Back down nearer the road - the bluebells still looking great
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks folks - yes, great to get the legs going again @punkdoc, and the thighs weren't even protesting on the following days, which is always a bonus! It depends on the hill and time of year @coccinella. I like it quiet though - it's the whole point of being out Those tend to be less popular than the more well known ones farther along at Arrochar, but there was a few folk out on Friday. A chap I met just as I was setting off was going bouldering along the front of B.an L. Rather him than me is all I can say, but we had a nice little chat as he was also a keen walker. Met a lovely young couple later on too, and he had just got an allotment on the south side of Glasgow, and was enjoying sorting that out, so we had some gardening/weather chat too - as you do
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I got out again on Friday [16th June] to a favourite hill -An Caisteal at Crianlarich. Roasting, even though I left the car at half seven. I put most of the pix on the camera thread here: https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1070198/camera-talk-2023#latest but here's a few for this thread as it's for walks only.
Steep approach to the col where there was a welcome breeze, which had been missing up until that point, and you get a good view across to the Tyndrum and Dalmally hills. Then you head the opposite way along the aptly named Twistin' Hill - a great high level walk to the summit
but you scramble over [or go round the side of] the turret of the 'castle' before reaching the summit plateau a few minutes further on
Early view of Ben More and Stob Binnein across Glen Falloch. Cruach Ardrain in the foreground - one of the other pair of Munros in this area
Summit view of Beinn a Chroin [the eastern end of it anyway] -which is linked to Caisteal via the ridge to the right, with a nice scramble up the front. I thought about carrying on to it but the walk back along the entire glen in that heat was never going to be worth it - not for me anyway. It's great on a cool day though!
Summit view of Ben Lomond [left] and the Arrochar hills on the right
The most recent walk- Stùchd an Lochain, in Glen Lyon, last Thursday [22nd June] was another great day, but thankfully a bit cooler! [more on that camera thread, link earlier in post]
Once you're up beyond the shoulder and on the approach to the summit 'cone', you get the views of the little lochan at it's foot
Some nice wildlife on the road through the glen, and also on the hill itself, not least the ring ouzel just beside the summit
Summit view across to the Lawers hills
and on the way back
Not a big walk, as there's a decent start height, but always a lovely day out
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If you carry on to the Corbett (can't remember the name) just after Stuchd an Lochain you get tremendous views over to the Glen Coe hills in the distance. I walked that way on a weeks wander through the hills many years ago.
Posts
Luxembourg
I can manage about 3 hours travelling for a longer day with a couple of hills, but that's about my limit. The Easains, beyond Fort Bill, took about 7 or 8 hours, so that was about as long as I can do nowadays.
3 hours gets me to the Cairngorms, or some of the western hills further north [trickier roads] but it all depends on the length of the route too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Lovely pictures and look forward to seeing more.
Tuesday's hill [Ben Donich] just appearing from the cloud which had suddenly come down earlier, from Loch Lomond onwards, down to about 2,000 feet and obscuring everything above that, but all clearing nicely, and turning into nice fluffy white clouds by the time I got there.
Ben Lomond still with a wee bit of light cloud on it. Loch Restil in the foreground [the little loch in the first pic]
First views of the final approach to the summit
There's a little traverse back and forth through the craggy outcrops to get to the first part of the summit
I always love this nicely balanced rock
View from the top across to the Arrochar hills
Looking back to the summit cairn from the secondary top, just 10/20 feet lower.
Return by the same route, although you can skirt round the summit by dropping down to the right instead, and rejoining the path further on. Another enjoyable half day.
Some little extras en route -orchids appearing, bit later than usual
One of the many little alpines tucked among rocks on hills. This was at just shy of 2,600 feet
A wee hitchhiker
Back down nearer the road - the bluebells still looking great
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Do you meet people on your walks?
Luxembourg
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
It depends on the hill and time of year @coccinella. I like it quiet though - it's the whole point of being out
Those tend to be less popular than the more well known ones farther along at Arrochar, but there was a few folk out on Friday. A chap I met just as I was setting off was going bouldering along the front of B.an L. Rather him than me is all I can say, but we had a nice little chat as he was also a keen walker. Met a lovely young couple later on too, and he had just got an allotment on the south side of Glasgow, and was enjoying sorting that out, so we had some gardening/weather chat too - as you do
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I put most of the pix on the camera thread here: https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1070198/camera-talk-2023#latest
but here's a few for this thread as it's for walks only.
Steep approach to the col where there was a welcome breeze, which had been missing up until that point, and you get a good view across to the Tyndrum and Dalmally hills.
Then you head the opposite way along the aptly named Twistin' Hill - a great high level walk to the summit
but you scramble over [or go round the side of] the turret of the 'castle' before reaching the summit plateau a few minutes further on
Early view of Ben More and Stob Binnein across Glen Falloch. Cruach Ardrain in the foreground - one of the other pair of Munros in this area
Summit view of Beinn a Chroin [the eastern end of it anyway] -which is linked to Caisteal via the ridge to the right, with a nice scramble up the front. I thought about carrying on to it but the walk back along the entire glen in that heat was never going to be worth it - not for me anyway. It's great on a cool day though!
Summit view of Ben Lomond [left] and the Arrochar hills on the right
The most recent walk- Stùchd an Lochain, in Glen Lyon, last Thursday [22nd June] was another great day, but thankfully a bit cooler! [more on that camera thread, link earlier in post]
Once you're up beyond the shoulder and on the approach to the summit 'cone', you get the views of the little lochan at it's foot
Some nice wildlife on the road through the glen, and also on the hill itself, not least the ring ouzel just beside the summit
Summit view across to the Lawers hills
and on the way back
Not a big walk, as there's a decent start height, but always a lovely day out
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...