|
Callander, Scotland, August 16-20 |
|
Pictures and Words: Richard Bedford |
|
On August 17th, 5 members of Scarborough group arrived in the picturesque Scottish town of Callander, in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Our party consisted of Les and Margaret Atkinson, Pam and Dave Grimwood and Richard Bedford, who has local contacts and suggested the venture a couple of months ago. Our objective was to join the Callander Rambling Club in their ascent of Buachaille Etive Mor, a classic (some say iconic) 1022m Munro at the head of the Pass of Glencoe.We put part of Friday to good use with a 5 mile local walk which, in spite of the rainy and humid conditions, gave an interesting visit to the spectacular Bracklinn Falls which thunder through a deep gorge high above the town. It was here in 2004 that continual, torrential rain led to mudslides and the destruction of the original bridge over the falls by surging flood waters up to 30ft deep. A new, higher, stronger bridge has now restored access over the gorge. On Saturday, an early start and an hour's drive took us to Glencoe to begin the demanding climb up The Buachaille. We were made very welcome by the local group and our 17-strong party set off In good spirits. The mountain consists of three substantial, rocky peaks on a long, steep-sided ridge. Our contingent completed two of these over a 7 hour period. (Only 3 went on to climb the third) Although conditions were dry, low cloud above 2500ft hampered visibility, but occasional gaps afforded tantalising views over the surrounding area and allowed us to see just how precipitous the slopes on either side of us actually were. It was a good day with a strong sense of challenge and satisfaction. Even the descent was not without its hazards and scrambling down trackless areas of bare rock led to some bumps and bruises. Sunday brought a beautiful sunny morning's exploration around Callander and district, including the well-preserved Doune Castle, originally the seat of the Dukes of Albany, mediaeval Governors of Scotland. (also the location for a certain Monty Python film!) And it was there that one of our group purchased a delightful novelty hat which will make its debut before long on a ramble near you – but no more of that for the time being. |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
On a later walk, Richard demonstrates the anti-cow apparatus. |
|
|
|
|
