Untitled
Lovely warm, for here, evening for a walk around the Loch Ardinning Nature Reserve.

The path that has been a swamp for the last few months is starting to dry out.
The Balck Linn burn still had a fair bit of water in it.

Untitled

Very quite evening, a roe was grazing in the reed near the loch, the smell of young bracken everywhere across the moor.
At the end of the walk beside the loch again there were a fair few young frogs leaving the pond and crossing the path.

Untitled

Walk round the glen Douglas ‘Trio’ today, Beinn Bhreah, Ben Rioch and Tullich Hill
Started cloudy with a bit of drizzle as I squelched up Beinn Bhreah. cheered up by a few groups of Red Deer and a Raven croaking overhead.

Red Deer
I’d forgotten my camera and an iPhone is not the best wildlife at a distance camera.
It began to clear up a bit after I got to the first top:

Untitled

Walked along to Rioch had some coffee and dipped down to climb up Tullich Hill.
One of the things I like about these hills is how quiet they are, I did not see another walker today, great view of the more glamorous Arrochar Alps too.

Untitled

Lunch at the top of Tullich while my phone made a wee timelaps video of the cobbler:

Although these are just about highland hills they are covered with rough grass rather than heather. Lots of Bedstraw and Tormentil along with some pink and blue jobs. Some orchids on the wetter parts of Tullich.

Untitled

Grass filled with vole tunnels too, I nearly stepped on a couple of the wee beasts scooting along the tunnels.
Back down to the road I noticed some new signage pointing to the hills. Selfish twinge that this might mean the walk is a bit busier in the future. Amazing that you can get so alone a short hour from glasgow.

View Larger Map

5 hours 20 minutes, 10 and a half km, 1012m of up.

First published on Fargo moved here 22 Jul 2019

Given the weather was drizzle and rain we waited until after 4 to start this walk. The forecast promised some sun in the evening. This didn’t quite materialise but the rain stayed off.

Plenty of fox gloves and other flora to peer at.

White foxglove #walknote #floraFoxglove

By the time we were heading back to the car it had brightened a wee bit and the clouds had cleared from Ben Ledi across the loch.

23643892

About 7 and a half km

View Larger Map

The weather promised to be rainy so I decided to rein in my plans and go on this closer to home walk.
14 deg C in the car when I set off rather late at about 9:30, cloudy and a we bit muggy.
Arrived at the distillery around 10, the weather stayed dry for the whole walk. Low cloud and a stiff breeze. Quite nice to walk in.

Untitled

Dumgoyne very green now. As usual provides a bit of aerobic exercise before a gentle walk to Earl’s Seat.
Lots of bog cotton bobbing across the moors. A couple of ravens in the distance and a few noisy larks at the trig point.

Untitled

Needed to put on a jacket after eating lunch at the trig point but in general warm enough.

Here is the kml file on google maps. About 10 and a half k in around 3 and a half hours.

View Larger Map

First published on Fargo moved here 22 Jul 2019

After working when most folk were on holiday today I took a quick walk round the Whangie this evening.
Dull overcast sky, but no wind and it has warmed to about 13 C

moor clouds on a dull day
Heard my first cuckoos of the year. A few grouse gobbling on the moor to the north of the Whangie, this has been planted with trees so I guess grouse will get scarcer over the next few years.
Whangie may 13 – Google Maps

Needed to get images and kml file from dropbox, google maps api changes since 2013, needs a fix 22 Jul 2019