Читать книгу Walking Loch Lomond and the Trossachs - Ronald Turnbull - Страница 11
ОглавлениеPART ONE TROSSACHS
Ben Venue and Trossachs woodland (Routes 1–2) seen from Ben A'an (Route 3)
The mountains of this book arrange themselves in a great three-quarter circle whose centre is blocked by Loch Lomond. The book could have started at Ben Lomond and gone clockwise, but the opposite direction makes sense, historically at least. For the Trossachs are where it all begins. The twisty oak trees and small but incomparably rugged hills around them, along with the eight lochs, meant that those who had already learned to like the Lake District were going to just love this side of Loch Lomond. Sir Walter Scott was the first landscape guide. The Wordsworths visited the Trossachs twice on their Scottish expedition of 1803. Behind them came the crowds.
And the crowds are still here, ferried up and down Loch Katrine, and treading the busy peaks of Ben A'an and Ben Ledi. They are quite right to come. The hills look out over the misted Lowlands. With spruce plantations gradually being removed, the flourishing oakwoods at the ‘true Trossachs’, the patch at the foot of Loch Katrine, are gradually recolonising the wider area between Lomond and Loch Lubnaig. And the fairies still lurk in the green darkness below the branches of Aberfoyle.
ROUTE 1
Ben Venue (shorter)
| Start/Finish | Ben Venue car park, Loch Achray NN 505 067 |
| Distance | 11.5km/7 miles |
| Total Ascent | 700m/2300ft |
| Time | 4½hr |
| Terrain | Smooth paths to forest top, then pathless hill and rough path |
| Max Altitude | Ben Venue 729m |
| Maps | LR 57; Expl 365; Harvey Ben Venue |
Ben Venue is from Gaelic A' Bheinn Mheanbh, meaning 'tiny mountain'.(Meanbh is also Gaelic for midge, as 'very tiny fly' meanbh-chuileag.) The name fits. Venue is small but surprisingly rocky, and is the second most popular hillwalk in this area (personally I prefer it to Ben Lomond, the area's Number One). The straightforward up and down by Gleann Riabhach is good in itself. The upper glen is spectacular, so that if you use the South Ridge ascent, and the Gleann Riabhach path just for the descent, you do miss out a little.
However, Ben Venue does call for a detailed exploration, so an unfrequented ridgeline is here offered for the ascent. Route 2 gives the wider Ben Venue some more of the attention it deserves.
The former start for Ben Venue was along the road to Loch Achray Hotel and up forest tracks behind it. But the Forestry Commission has created a tarmac-free and much nicer route. The twists and turns of this are complicated, but are marked with big wooden signposts.
From the back of the car park, start by the left-hand path for 400 metres to a junction where you turn left. Or else follow the right-hand path and then turn right.
The path, with a blue/green marker, heads downhill towards Ben Venue and crosses duckboard to a road junction. Take the lane to the left (‘Private Road’) for 600 metres, when a path on the left leads across a charming footbridge and up to a forest track. Turn right (signposted for Ben Venue) and after 200 metres turn left up a wide path.
The path rises between tall trees, to the top end of a forest track. Turn up right here, on a well-built path, running up to join another forest road. Turn left, and in 300 metres, as the track bends left towards a bridge, turn up right, again on good path. It emerges to a clear-felled area and a final forest road.
Cross the forest road and continue ahead on the good path, through second growth woodland of self-sown spruce and birch. After 500 metres the path passes into a recently clear felled area; it crosses a small track, which could be taken down left to join the 'final forest road' not far below – a last chance to switch into Route 2.
A tall fence now runs above the well-made path. As the path rounds the spur and turns north into the upper corrie, the fence turns away uphill. Continue by the main path (and eventual descent route) ahead, or else by the untrodden ridge up on your right.
Crianlarich hills and Loch Katrine, from the summit ridge of Ben Venue
Gleann Riabhach path
The path, handsomely reconstructed in 2017, runs up the corrie ahead to a sprawling cairn in a col at 580m. Here turn right on a path that's initially steep and loose but then gets nicer. Just as the path dips into a small col, look out for a side-path turning left, for only this takes you to the actual summit. It winds up among the rocks of the crest to the summit cairn at 729m (NN 474 062). In the next col, the bypass path rejoins, and climbs steeply with a crag above it to the trig point at 727m (NN 477 061). The trig point is in ruins, probably struck by lightning – however it's an even better viewpoint than the true summit.
South ridge
Having emerged from the woodland and clear fell, once past the constraining fence turn back up right onto the ridgeline above. Thus you bypass the very bottom of the ridge, which is a vertical outcrop. Head up the ridgeline: a short rise on steep grass and then hummocky. There's a path for the final rise to the ruined trig point at 727m.
Descent by Gleann Riabhach path
From Ben Venue's ruined trig point (727m), take the worn path that runs down below a crag to the first col. Now keep up right for the true summit (729m) or take the bypass path contouring round to the left. Follow the rejoined path down into a col (580m) with a sprawling cairn. The path continuing up ahead goes to Kinlochard, so turn down left into the corrie, on the well-built new path. It runs down the rocky little valley and through clear fell into the woodland.
All the descent turnings apart from the second one are clearly signposted – after crossing a first forest road and turning left on a lower one, it's the path down right, between two boulders, that lacks a marker.
Having descended to the forest road top, you could instead of turning left (signed 'car park') continue directly downhill past Loch Achray Hotel: slightly shorter, and an easier finish by starlight. Otherwise, follow the signposts to return via the charming footbridge. At the final path junction, take whichever path you didn't use on the outward walk for the last 400 metres to the car park. For those with two cars or a chauffeur, from Achray to Kinlochard via Ben Venue is a popular crossing.
Path repair team descending the hill path to Ben Venue
ROUTE 2
Ben Venue (Achray Horseshoe)
| Start/Finish | Ben Venue car park, Loch Achray NN 505 067 |
| Distance | 15km/9½ miles |
| Total Ascent | 900m/3000ft |
| Time | 6hr |
| Terrain | Grassy hill, tracks and a very rugged descent |
| Max Altitude | Ben Venue 729m |
| Maps | LR 57; Expl 365; Harvey Ben Venue |
This wide horseshoe of Gleann Riabhach turns Ben Venue into a richly varied adventure. There's a peaty ridgeline, with wide views in the moments when you're not stumbling over a tussock, but which suddenly gives way to a surprising high-altitude track and a peculiar building complete with ricketty balcony. After that comes the rocky ascent of Ben Venue itself.
But the real interest is reserved for the descent. From various points on the upper hill you look down on Loch Achray. Attempting to follow your eyeline down towards it from any of them will get you onto very nasty ground with hidden crags. Don't attempt this in mist unless your navigation is very confident. The route-finding would be easier taken uphill – as you can see the crags – but the ruggedness of the heather makes this option unpleasant.
Start along Route 1 to where the signposted path crosses the final forest road (NN 491055). Turn left along the forest road up-valley. It crosses a large stream, and in another 300 metres ends at a turning area. A much rougher path continues ahead, slanting up to a conspicuous little outcrop, where it turns uphill to just below the top of the felled plantation. At a junction, turn back right to reach the very top of the tree stump zone (NN 486 045).
Head steeply up a rocky knoll just above, then up the slope to the minor top Meall Carraidh (NN 485042). Cross rough ground southwest to the derelict fence that marks the ridgeline. Follow this westwards over Beinn an Fhogharaidh, with a few peat hags to work through. ‘Foghar’ is harvesting; the hill is ‘Ogharray’. When a small pool is on the right-hand (north) side of the fence, cross through the fence to find a grassy track just below. This runs easily along the ridgeline. Before Stob an Lochain, it forks: head up right to the cairned summit, and the strange small building on its southern side, a disused fire-watchers' hut.
Beware of the track leaving Stob an Lochain as it spirals, so that you may find yourself returning along your path of arrival. Instead keep north, following a few fence posts over two very minor summits. At the second one, Creag a' Bhealaich, turn down northeast for a rugged ridgeline towards Ben Venue. In the 580m col, you reach a sprawling cairn.
On Ben Venue: looking back up the descent route above Loch Katrine. The route goes up to right of the stream cave, then leftward up the grassy dip to the col on the summit ridge.
Keep ahead on the well-worn Ben Venue path. It's initially steep and loose but then gets nicer. Where the path dips into a small col, look out for a side-path turning left, for only this takes you to Ben Venue's summit. It winds up among the rocks of the crest to the cairn at 729m (NN 474 063). In the next col, the bypass path rejoins, and climbs steeply with a crag above it to Ben Venue's trig point at 727m (NN 477 061). The ruined trig point is an even better viewpoint than the true summit.
See Route 1 for the simpler descent route. Descent Return down the steep crag-base path for just 100 metres, to the col before Ben Venue's true summit (NN 4762 0617). Now a little valley leads down to the right, just west of north, towards Loch Katrine. Soon slabby rocks are passed on your right, but when the slope opens out, keep on down the stream to the top of its little gorge (NN 4763 0661). Here head down to left (west) of the gorge, to cross the stream below its cave waterfall (NN 4762 0672). See picture above.
Now bear away to the right, north, to cross a second stream beside a rowan tree (NN 4765 0694). A small path starts here. Keep the same direction to a wide, wet col just around the corner (NN 4775 0705). Turn down right, into the top of a steep stream notch leading down towards two islands at the head of Loch Katrine. Your navigation problems are now over, although those of some very steep ground are about to start.
Traces of path lead straight down the notch, aiming directly for a fenceline far below. Where a stream starts to form, the path keeps on slopes 50 metres to right of it, marked by one or two small iron posts. Eventually you reach a fence corner at the foot of the steep ground.
Go through a fence gap, to find a clear path running to the right below the side-fence. It leads down into and through a little grassy valley. In another 100 metres, take a ladder stile on the left, and turn right, downhill, on a path that bends round left to the dam of Loch Katrine.
Cross the dam, and take the tarred lane ahead near Achray Water; it becomes the one used at the start of the outward walk. Just before it joins a road, turn right on the boardwalk path with waymarks. Where it divides, both branches lead quickly to the car park.
ROUTE 3
Ben A'an to Loch Katrine
| Start/Finish | Ben A'an car park, Loch Achray NN 509 070 |
| Distance | 6.5km/4 miles |
| Total Ascent | 450m/1500ft |
| Time | 3hr |
| Terrain | Good but steep path up; rough small path down |
| Max Altitude | Ben A'an 454m |
| Maps | LR 57; Expl 365; Harvey Ben Ledi |
Some might suppose that Ben A'an, with only a few metres of drop separating it from the higher Meall Gainmheich, isn't a hill at all. They would be wrong! Seen across Loch Achray, Ben A'an is a miniature mountain, and from the path by Allt Inneil it may well remind you of the Matterhorn. Below the crags the path is steep, but well repaired. The summit is, quite simply, one of the scenic spots of Scotland; the view is across to Ben Venue, downward onto oakwoods, and all the way along Loch Katrine.
Many will be content to return down the well-built path. The alternative descent route gives further views along Katrine, but is small, rough and quite steep, followed by a pleasant ramble back alongside the water.
Start across the A821 on an uphill track that quickly becomes a well-built path. It is rugged and ascends steeply, to cross Allt Inneil by a footbridge. Soon above this it levels in a clear felled area where natural regeneration is taking place, and gives an intimidating view of Ben A'an directly ahead.
The path crosses a forest track, then steepens under birch trees. It crosses a patch of level grass with boulders for sitting on. Here it bends right and ascends steeply beside a stream. It splits into vague branches to cross the stream, then runs up and to right of Ben A'an's rocky cone. At the stream top, ignore eroded short-cuts up left. The good path circles round to the col joining Ben A'an with the main slope behind, and turns left to the rocky summit of Ben A'an.
Descent You may prefer to return by the same steep but well-repaired path. For the rougher descent, return along the ridge north, on a path just to left of the main one. As the main path turns down right, the side path heads down left. It is small and not very clear as it runs down a dip, with the length of Loch Katrine ahead. It heads northwest, across a stream, to a stile (NN 4993 0842).
Path up Ben A'an; the clear-felled plantation here will soon be native birchwood
If you cross the stile you'll just have to reclimb the fence below. So head down to left of the fence to the top corner of a plantation. The path continues to left of the tall plantation fence, recrossing the stream, into oak woods. It is steep and rough, and in places wet and peaty. It drops onto the tarred track alongside Loch Katrine, arriving beside a cattle grid.
Turn left alongside the loch – the track was blasted out with gunpowder, but in Walter Scott's time this was a path suspended from the crags with heather ropes. Pass through the car park at the ferry pier Nice café with balcony here; also toilets. Expensive parking. onto the entrance road. After 800 metres, where a tarred lane turns off right, turn half-right onto a duckboard path. This runs east through open woodlands. Where it divides, the right-hand branch has better views up to Ben A'an but both reach the car park for Ben Venue. Turn left along A821 to a junction, and right for 250 metres to Ben A'an's car park.
ROUTE 4
Aberfoyle to Menteith Hills
| Start/Finish | Aberfoyle Riverside car park NN 521009 (or David Marshall Lodge NN 519015) |
| Distance | 16km/10 miles |
| Total Ascent | 700m/2300ft |
| Time | 6hr |
| Terrain | Two-thirds paths and tracks, one-third rough ground over the hills |
| Max Altitude | Craig of Monievreckie 400m |
| Maps | LR 57; Expl 365; Harvey Ben Venue |
The extreme northern edge of the Lowlands is formed of a layer of tough conglomerate (puddingstone) rocks, bent into an upright position by the movement of the Highland Boundary Fault. These rocks form the abrupt ridgeline of the Menteith Hills (as well as Conic Hill, four of the Loch Lomond islands and Callander Craigs). From its heathery, peaty vantage you look south across the Lake of Menteith to the Lowlands, and north across Loch Venachar to the Highlands.
You also look down on the woods and plantations of the Queen Elizabeth Park. The well-laid trails around David Marshall Lodge give relaxing walking under birch and oak and by small waterfalls. The junction of forest and hill here is also the joining point of Highland and Lowland, with a glimpse of the strange ocean-bottom rocks of the Highland Border Complex.
The start from the David Marshall Lodge makes the walk slightly shorter, but you'll have to pay for your parking. Skip straight to the second paragraph below.
Start from Aberfoyle up the A821 (Callander). Take steps up left past the Bowling Club to short-cut the road's big bend. At the top of the village, turn right up stone steps (not the bike path that turns up right 30 metres further along the road). In 50 metres, the green trail joins from the right: continue uphill, ahead. Cross the bike path and another one above, up to the David Marshall Lodge, 300 metres away on a hilltop. Pass to left of the lodge and head down to the small lake beyond. Bear right, around the foot of the lake, to its northeast corner.
A path turns away from the lake, southeast and slightly downhill. At the next junction, as one waymark indicates the fork up left, follow the other marker forking right over a small culvert bridge. The path drops to the foot of the Little Fawn Falls.
Cross the footbridge below the falls (signed as Bike Path 7) and turn left up a steep path (a gentler way takes the smooth track slanting up over on the right, then in 400 metres back left). It leads up to the splat point of the Go Ape death slide. The death slide (I bet they donu't call it that these days) could be a short-cut from the lodge to this point, saving 400 metres. Behind the crashdown point (the punters actually arrive at moderate walking pace) a path marked u'Site 2u' contours above the stream, with handrail, and up into more monkey stuff suspended in trees. Pass up through the dangle zone to a track above. Turn up left,to pass another small waterfall over on your left. In another 400 metres is a four-way track junction.
On Craig of Monievreckie, to Lake of Menteith
Turn sharp right, southwest and slightly downhill, with a red waymarker. The Forestry Commission's trail layouts and colours tend to change every decade or so – in 2008 this was a blue waymarker. The track levels for a while, then climbs to the top of the forest, where it ends. Immediately above is the former Lime Craig Quarry, cut into the very edge of the Lowlands. The back wall is reddish conglomerate, whose cobbles, where broken, show discoloured quartzite washed out of a now-non-existent mountain range. The lower rocks, to left and right, are quite different: reddish black where weathered, pale green when freshly broken. This is serpentinite, originally a fragment of ocean bed snatched up between the two moving continental blocks. See pictures of the quarry in Appendix A.
A steep path runs up to left of the quarry, then turns right, to a gateway gap above. A viewpoint overlooking the David Marshall Lodge is just ahead, but turn left alongside an old fence on a faint, wet, path northeast. The path soon edges up right to follow a small ridge just above. With a forest block visible ahead, turn right alongside two decayed fences side-by-side, towards the highest point of the hill. After 800 metres southeast, climb a heathery bank then turn left on a small path to the trig point (400m) on Craig of Monievreckie.
The decayed fence follows the ridgeline northeast. The path heads away to right of the fence to start with but soon rejoins it. Follow the ridgeline for 3km, with two sharp dips along the way. With plantations ahead, the fence ends at the top of low crags.
Slant down left, then back right along the foot of the crags, with an old wall hidden in bracken just below. Head downhill through patchy bracken, some of it unpleasantly thick, for 300 metres, to reach a well-used path. This runs back southwest, along the base of the ridgeline. After 1km it enters forest at a metal gate. In another 800 metres it reaches the beginning of a forest road and runs to its right, then joins it to go through a gate.
This track runs ahead to Braeval car park, but for better views in 100 metres turn off right on a small path. This heads up steeply to a higher forest road, and follows it left (southwest) with views of the Lake of Menteith. After 1km, take a track down left then to the right just below. In 200 metres, a path down left (with waymarker) would lead to Braeval car park but stay on the main track ahead.
The track runs along the top of Aberfoyle golf course. A smaller track forking down left is signed for Aberfoyle but bear right on the track that re-enters woodland. Watch out for a small path forking left and running in the woods just below the track. It crosses a turning spur of the track, then contours to a footbridge. (A wider, waymarked path comes straight to this bridge from the track just above.) Cross and go up a short rise to meet a wide earth path.
For David Marshall Lodge Turn right, up to right of the stream. Soon join a gravelled bike path, up to the arched footbridge below Little Fawn Falls. Don't cross, but turn left on the path of the outward walk to the lake and car parks at the lodge.
For Aberfoyle urn left, heading down to right of the stream. Green-top posts mark the path that rambles back right into the woods. After a short rise on steps, the waymarked path turns down left, through a gateway in a high fence. At the junction just below, turn down left, leaving the waymarked trail. The path runs down into the main street of Aberfoyle.
ROUTE 5
Aberfoyle Fairy Knowe
| Start/Finish | Aberfoyle Riverside car park NN 521 009 |
| Distance | 7km/4½ miles |
| Total Ascent | 100m/300ft |
| Time | 2hr |
| Terrain | Waymarked paths |
| Max Altitude | Doon Hill 77m |
| Maps | LR 57; Expl 365; Harvey Ben Venue |
This hill, so regularly formed, so richly verdant, and garlanded with such a beautiful variety of ancient trees and thriving copsewood, was held by the neighbourhood to contain, within its unseen caverns, the palaces of the fairies: a race of airy beings, who formed an intermediate class between men and demons, and who, if not positively malignant to humanity, were yet to be avoided and feared, on account of their capricious, vindictive, and irritable disposition.
‘They ca’ them,' said Mr Jarvie, in a whisper, ‘Daoine Schie, whilk signifies, as I understand, men of peace – meaning thereby to make their gude-will.’
Walter Scott in Rob Roy (1817) was describing Doon Hill, his information coming from The Secret Commonwealth, the detailed account of fairy lore published by the Aberfoyle minister Robert Kirk in 1691. The Revd Kirk has an official gravestone in Kirkton graveyard, but actually was snatched away in 1692 while walking on the Doon.
Don't believe in fairies? Neither do I. This is still a great little walk of riverside and woodland, particularly fine in bluebell time.
From Aberfoyle's Riverside car park, start along the tarred Riverside Walk downstream, with the River Forth on your right. In 300 metres you can either cross the small stream ahead, or else follow the tarred path left to a tarmac cycle way, turn right over the stream, and at once right again on a community path, to rejoin the River Forth.
The grass path continues downstream for 500 metres, then joins the tarred cycle way. As the river bends away again, take an empty gateway on the right to follow a fisherman's path, again rejoining the tarred cycleway. In another 400 metres, just after a small bridge, turn right on a gravel path with green waymark post. Here and elsewhere the Forestry Commission's trail layouts and colours tend to change every decade or so. This crosses the River Forth to a forest track.
Turn left, past a green-top waymarker post. Turn off left onto a riverside path that leads to a small car park called Lemahamish (NS 529 991). There's a path map here.
Double back right on a forest road past a barrier, then in 50 metres turn up left on a good path to cross Fairy Knowe. The path drops to join a forest road. Keep ahead, downhill, to another junction. Again keep ahead, across a bridge. The track rises past some open ground with view of wooded Doon Hill. Just past the track's high point, turn right on the path whose signboard has a fairy toadstool. The path runs up onto Doon Hill. The summit is decorated with votive offerings, some apparently left by adults. Most of them dangle from the summit pine, inside which the spirit of Revd Robert Kirk is supposedly captive.
Slightly to right of the upward path, a red waymark shows the descending one. At the hill foot it meets a track where you turn left, then right on the continuation of the track you arrived on.
The track runs into Kirkton village. Keep ahead on a street, past the graveyard supposedly containing the earthly remains of The Revd Kirk, (his grave is just behind the reconstructed chapel and is marked by coins scattered to appease the fairies). The street leads to the bridge of the Forth at Aberfoyle.
Votive offerings at the summit of Doon Hill. The spirit of Revd Robert Kirk is imprisoned within this tree.
