Just a day after I finished my summer mountain leader training in the Cairngorms, I had to listen to Anna’s calling for a hike. We chose Ben Lui which is apparently the 38th highest mountain of the UK, and is stunning with a very Alpine feel.
We started off by a small car park in Lochawe. It was early morning on a reasonably wet day. We wondered up along a small road all the way to Cruachan Reservoir. By the time we reached the dam, we were decently soaked and just as we started to feel miserable, the sun creeped up. These ridiculous plays are happening all the time here and I feel my Scottish hiking reports consist mostly of talking about the weather.
Has it ever happen that you went for a hike on a beautiful sunny day with a heavy camera in your backpack and when you wanted to take the first shot, the camera said “No card inserted”? Welcome to my first Saturday in October when Anna and I were hiking the Glen Loin Loop in the Arrochar Alps. At least we took a few pictures on our phones.
Ben Lomond is a tall beauty with its grassy head reaching breathtaking heights above windy Loch Lomond. It’s not actually that big, but because Lake Lomond is so close, it gives you the feeling that the top is in heaven.
Moving to Scotland was a big decision for us. Neither of us had ever been before so it was completely new. Just a few days after our arrival, we decided to go for a hike. I can barely imagine a better way to connect with a new country!