On reflection

Loch Lubnaig
Originally uploaded by Lidwit.

Despite the aching muscles, sore knees and tired blistered feet I would have to say that yesterday's trek was well worth it. We were greeted with so many stunning views along the way that the miles seemed to disappear surprisingly quickly.

I must admit we were a bit concerned as we left Callander in the rain. This could easily turn into a nightmare. No sooner had we started walking than we had to divert to avoid a flood on the track. Ben Ledi had a good covering of snow and the going was pretty muddy. The forecast predicted showers and sunny spells so we remained hopeful that we wouldn't get too wet.



The route follows a disused railway line north past Kilmahog before narrowing to wind through the forest by the falls of Leny. Beyond this it widens to accommodate the minimal traffic to the forest lodges near the bottom end of Loch Lubnaig. The going was easy for some distance by the loch shore giving us the chance to enjoy the sunshine and the spectacular views. The loch is famed for it's glassy reflections in calm weather and with the rain receding we weren't to be disappointed.



Lubnaig is known as the loch with the bend and shortly after this we found we were climbing around the base of Arnandave where we ran into a swarm of ramblers coming in the other direction. It's at this point that the scenery really begins to change from the gentler slopes to the more rocky mountains capped in snow. Sadly a lot of this became obscured by the rain which made it's return and stayed on until the last mile through Strathyre.



Soaked and hungry we were delighted to finally reach our destination and even more delighted by our welcome at the Strathyre Inn. Within minutes the Guinness was served and our meal was on it's way. This is definitely somewhere we'd recommend and I'm sure we'll be back again at some point.

We set off again in the sunshine but it was at this point that Red took a call informing us that there had been a hailstorm back home and had it reached us... ulp! The rain was miserable enough but hail. With this in mind we set off at an exacting pace in the hope that we could be clear of the mountains before the worst of the weather swept in. As it turned out we reckon that Ben Ledi and Ben Vane bore the brunt of it before it reached us although we still had to cope with the rain again. For my part I was beginning to feel quite soggy even inside all my waterproofs. Fortunately it didn't last too long and by the time we reached Callander again we were aiming for the rainbow that seemed to have it's beginnings just where the car was.



Tired and triumphant, those last few steps were slow and tortured but we did it. And next week we'll do it all again. We just haven't decided where yet.