We were away relatively early for the forty mile drive to the the small carpark at Coilessan on Loch Long, our hill for the day being a Graham promoted to Corbett status in 2016.
Military activity was taking place. Dutch soldiers, in full camouflage and armed, were everywhere and our hearts sank as we anticipated being turned away. One might argue with a landowner but...
Fortunately no such problems were encountered and we were off up the utterly ghastly forestry road. The Brack (Corbett) was in view most of the way up this road and lifted our spirits among the devastation of felled trees and heavy machinery constructing yet more tracks. This is the Cowal Way and perhaps only Scotland could create a route with such an unpleasant passage through otherwise grand surroundings.
Cuckoos accompanied us all day and I cannot for the life of me understand why people find its call irritating. It is the sound of early spring and summer in the Highlands, here for a brief time only, and we both look forward to its arrival each year.
Much relief was felt when we took the small woodland path which deposited us on the open hillside. White posts marked the Cowal Way
and we followed them over boggy ground to reach the north ridge of our hill. Pathless to begin with, a faint line eventually appeared through the tussocks and led to the cairned top. Graham or Corbett it was a fine place to be. A hazy Jura, Loch Long, Gare Loch and the Firth of Clyde were all visible. To the NE, the Cobbler, Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime prominent, Ben Lomond a bit too distant to be of note.
Shelter in a hollow below the summit for a snack then back to the car along the busy Loch Lomond road, Glens Falloch and Dochart to Killin. Another satisfying day.
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4 comments:
The Cowal Way sounds a bit commercialised from the brief look I've had at its website. Have you done it or have you any opinions?
Don’t know about the Cowal Way Conrad but I imagine it to be pleasant enough route given the nature of the surrounding scenery. Have a look at the Walkhighlands site for a route description stage by stage.
I spent a bit of time last week looking at the Cowal Way and, having consulted a map to see where this hill sits, have fallen down another rabbit hole of map-staring. I see I have quite a few unbagged Marilyns (including this one) along it's route.
Whispering quietly: I'm one of those people who is not a fan of cuckoos. The only excuse I can muster is the recollection of weeks of hearing them, almost non-stop, night and day, during our Big Walks. Last year we visited the 'birth place of the cuckoo clock' in Germany and I can't think of a type of timepiece I would like less to own.
What? You heard cuckoos almost non-stop for weeks on end? Lucky you :-)
If you’ve got Marilyns to bag the Cowal Way may be OK, otherwise our Corbett looks like the best bit of it. But I could be wrong. I reckon with Munros, Corbetts and others I could now apply for The Hall of Fame or whatever it’s called, but I’m not going to,
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