Autumn

Last week we went a walk from Kilmahog to the base of Ben Ledi following cycle pathways and forestry roads. On the drive there we took the "scenic" route from Aberfoyle to Callander and had to stop at the side of the road, the views were just amazing! I thought I'd share just a snapshot of these. I love this time of year, everything is so crisp and the colours are so alive. Hope you're having a good Autumn!

Ben Ledi

There is a point in the Scottish summer where you give up waiting for a "nice day" and decide to go a proper walk whatever the weather. The day had come and we decided we were up for the challenge of Ben Ledi. We even brought waterproof trousers...

Just past Callander the start of the walk can be found off the A84. We pulled in at the sign for Strathyre Forest Cabins and parked in the carpark to the left when over the bridge. There is a rough map and information board in the car park about Ben Ledi. The walk starts along the path you've just driven, next to the bridge. Then head upwards through what was once woodland but is now felled apocalyptic type land. The path is very clear for most of the walk and involves some steep steps and strenuous climbing.

We regularly passed other walkers (well, other walkers regularly overtook us...) which helped make the path clear. From the start of the walk beautiful views of Loch Lubnaig and across Callander are clear. You quickly gain height on this climb and soon we were inside a cloud. Luckily the weather wasn't too bad for us and there was only some drizzly rain with some strong winds, but the fog was very thick the further up the hill you ascend. At this point it was difficult to judge how high we were or how far we had to walk, this possibly being a good thing. There are a number of false summits but the path continued to be clear. We continued on and finally noticed the cross, a memorial which is very close to the summit. Spotting the cross through the fog was an eerie moment and something I can imagine featuring in a Gothic Victorian novel. Keep going a very short distance and you will come to the cairn and trig point which mark the mountain's peak. Here we had a brief stop and took a picture. Unfortunately, at this point we had no view, but from photos and other people's descriptions I believe that on a clear day the view is stunning with vistas including Ben Lomond, the Arrochar Alps and all the way to the Wallace Monument and Stirling.

Heading back we retraced our steps down the hill. It was a relief to get out of the strong winds and fog of the summit and emerge to the views of the loch below. Altogether this is one of the most challenging hills we have walked and probably the highest (at 879m according to google). Although a very popular and accessible mountain many people we passed had sticks and proper walking equipment. Even if the weather seems nice I think things could quickly change on Ben Ledi and I'd recommend taking some extra water, snacks and possibly some waterproof trousers. After this climb my legs ached for a good 2 days but it was worth it.

 The Facts on Ben Ledi:

• We started from the car park just to the left of the bridge at the Strathyre Forest Cabins turn off (just outside of Callander).
• There weren't any toilets in the carpark but there are free ones in Callander. 
• Walking at a steady pace this walk altogether took us around 5 hours.
• According to my pedometer (ooo technical!) I done around 20,000 steps/ 14.5km.
• Difficult points: Throughout the walk there are steep sections and on the hill side we walked up a small burn which had a lot of loose stones. Walking back down I slipped once due to wet slab stones. The walk is also quite long.
• Wear: Weather appropriate clothing. Hill walking boots, jackets, possibly sticks if you use them.
• Perfect for someone wanting a challenge and, on a good day, a beautiful view. There were also a number of mountain bikers up the hill when we were there. 

For further information on Ben Ledi I'd recommend this page.

Bracklinn Falls: Waterfalls, General Falls and Getting Lost

Not all walks go to plan and todays post is about one of them. This is what happens when you don't follow the map... Enjoy.

We started with the intention of going to Bracklinn Falls, just outside of Callander. The walk is meant to start from a forestry commision car park which is accessed from the East end of Callander. We parked in the main car park, near the toilets and coach stop in Callander so with the help of a local woman got to the Forestry car park after a 15min walk. From here there is a gentle uphill walk to the Falls. This is a simple route that was very busy the day we went with families and dog walkers. We followed the path and shortly got to the beautiful Bracklinn Falls. A bridge has recently been build over the bottom of the waterfall which gives a great vantage point of the river below. There are also large rocks that you can climb on to get closer to the water. Just make sure your shoes are tied tight- we spotted a lost shoe on one of the far out rocks!

From here we crossed the bridge and continued a rough path that followed the curve of the river. The path was close to the edge of the cliff with a lot of plants and tree trunks crossing the route. Then, we got to a dead end. The route leads to a large fence with a farmers field on the other side. We did consider climbing the fence but there was also barbed wire so decided (as we didn't really know where the field would lead, or what it contained) to retrace our steps.

Back on the right side of the waterfall we walked back up the hill and again left the path. This time we took a wild turn into the forest on the left. We wandered through a forest path a while and noticed the route had been recently cleared, and partly changed by a large truck. This is where my memory of the route gets a little fuzzy but at some point we ended up walking through some tress and coming out on the edge of a large ditch. A LARGE ditch. We had come this far so why not try to get down the very steep, very large ditch? Lets just say I got some very muddy trousers...

 

From here we continued the path until we passed a caravan park, some houses, some sheep then back on a straight footpath back into Callander past some newly built houses, and back to the carpark.

We managed to create a circular walk (the sign of any good walk) but there were a few ad-libbed moments, but we enjoyed it and got a good 4 hours of walking done! The weather was also beautiful and we rewarded ourselves with a chippy on the side of the river in Callander. An eventful and amusing Sunday walk!

The Facts on this Walk (around Bracklinn Falls, Callander and some forest):

• Starting point can be wherever you want... we started in the main car park in Callander which you need to pay for. For Bracklinn Falls you can park in the Forestry Commission car park.
• Nearest toilets are in Callander car park which are free.
• Walk is however long you are willing to walk for! I think we done around 6 miles (but it could be a lot more...)
• Time is also variable. We walked for 4 hours.
• Difficult points: deciding what point of the route you want to artistically change to add some excitement.
• Wear: I recommend trousers if you decide to dive some ditches. Maybe something you can tie round your waste to hide the mud marks on your trousers.
• Perfect for anyone with a sense of adventure!