Collected Musings of a Hill Wanderer

For various reasons and a variety of journeys, I have happened on Oban on a good number of my trips to Scotland. Unlike either Fort William or Kinlochleven, it is not immediately surrounded by hill country and so might seem a surprising destination for a hill wanderer. However, its plentiful supply of accommodation and decent transport connections very much work in its favour as a base for exploring Lorn and any nearby islands.

Casting my mind back over the numerous trips that had me frequenting the place, the thing that strikes me is how I made something of the opportunities that basing myself there given that they aren’t exactly on its doorstep. Of course, the internet helps with planning but it is hardly a substitute for going somewhere in person and just skimming the surface to get a feel for what might be there. After all, I have often found that ideas for future visits come from trips that I have been making. For example, my most recent outing to the Lake District bore that out when I came home with more walking ideas than I would have had if I never went walking from Borrowdale into Great Langdale. It’s great that you can hardly ever run out of places to see and explore, even on an island the size of Great Britain.

When I first wandered into Oban on a day trip from Edinburgh in June of 1999, I was very much in skimming the surface mode. That day, I was heading off on a day excursion to Mull of my own making and saw enough that I liked to nearly make visits to Lorn and Mull an annual occurrence since then. There been years where my attention lay elsewhere (2000, 2006 & 2007) but I always seem to be able to make a return to sample more of what the area has to offer.

There were actually two trips in ‘99 with the second one being made with my brother. In both cases and also for a trip in ‘01, Oban acted as a staging post for Mull and Iona, something that it does very well. An inclement weekend in November ‘02 saw me walking on the island of Kerrera and by Loch Etive with friends from Edinburgh. In July ‘03, I managed to avoid the rain and even catch some sun on walks that took from Oban to Taynuilt via Glen Lonan and then from Taynuilt up the shore of Loch Etive to Glen Kinglass and back again. I snatched a drier interlude in July of ‘04 to hike from Oban to Taynuilt (again via Glen Lonan) and then up the shore of Loch Etive in showery weather that allowed the hills to show their dramatic side. Deeper incursions into hill country occupied me on a wonderful weekend in June of ‘05 with Mull and Loch Etive behaving as muses yet again. The quality of the walking was such that, if I did it now, there might have been two trip reports on this blog afterwards. Summing up the trekking in a few lines just doesn’t seem to do a great amount of justice so a retrospective posting might be the way to go. As it happens, it surprises me that my hillwalking attention drifted to other parts after that but it did and it was May of this year before I found myself back in Oban again. You may already have seen my telling of the first part of that adventure and the second part has spawned this piece, delaying its appearance in the process.

In that quick potted history, Mull turns up more than once. My initial visit to the island saw me perambulating along roads and tracks on its eastern side. I ended up walking from Craignure to Duart Point and back. Along the way, I crossed both Duart Castle and Torosay Castle. the day started off cloudy and, like so many Scottish days, got better and better as it wore on. The result was memorable views up Loch Linnhe from Duart Point and the castle looked splendid too. In August of the same year, I returned with my brother on an organised day excursion to Iona. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came away with a wrong impression of the islands because neither Mull nor Iona were looking far from their best in the murk and rain. Two years later, I had better luck with the weather when I dropped in on Tobermory. Cloud may have rolled in as the day went on, but I got enough sun on the ferry ride and when I first reached the said town to satisfy me. I did a spot of road ambling that day rather than proper hill wandering. That was left until a trip nearly four years later when I crossed the island from Salen and picked up a hill track that took me past Loch Ba and into Glen Camel. The right of way continued on for Glen More but I had a ferry to catch and so retraced my steps.

Loch Etive is another name that crops up a fair bit when I think of my explorations of north Argyll. That first visit under grumpy skies in November ‘02 exposed me to the sight of the hills lining both its shores and Glen Etive. In fact, you could say that you are seeing all the way up towards Glen Coe. That first stroll took us from Taynuilt to Glen Noe by way of Bonawe Furnace and Inverawe Country Park with a scary bridge crossing over the River Awe that I have made a number of times since. The outing was enough to whet my appetite and I returned the next summer and got up beyond Glen Kinglass before turning back, catching another side of the Ben Cruachan massif along the away. The route that I had taken was identical to that followed in November; I just continued on further and without any navigational blunders. Speaking of blunders, I did make one: I left Oban thinking that I had more camera film than I did only to end up rationing it later. My next encounter with the sea loch was on a lengthy tramp from Loch Awe station to Taynuilt. My route took me up Glen Strae, over Lairig Dhoireann, down Glen Kinglass and along Loch Etive again. I started it later than I should have done so a taxi was needed to get me back to Oban afterwards. Nevertheless, what started out showery in Glen Strae, turned glorious in Glen Kinglass and memorable along Loch Etive. Speaking of memorable exploits, a two day hike from Taynuilt to Kingshouse at the head of Glen Coe beckons. For now, that’s for the future and will need me to abandon my usual overnighting habits to use a bothy at the end of Glen Etive. I could what seems on paper to be an epic walk from Oban if I wanted, following the quiet road through Glen Lonan that I have done on a number of occasions. It’s good to have possibilities in mind.

Even with all my visits, North Argyll still has more to offer my love of hill wandering and Oban may even see me again. Now that I have got the history shared between us out of the way, it’s about time that part two of that report on my most recent stay in the area made its appearance here. I’ll need to get on with it, then…

For one reason or another, this past June has involved me pondering hill wandering treks rather than doing very many of them. That still means ideas for the blog but having them is one thing but making something out of them is yet another. In fact, an idea can transform into something very different on its execution. For instance, I still have do another part of my Argyll trip report for May and that has spawned thoughts of walking that I have done while on excursions based in Oban, an idea for another post. Then, there are thoughts of places where I haven’t visited for a while and those that I have yet to reach. Among the latter are the Western Isles (otherwise known as the Outer Hebrides or Na hEileanan an Iar) and the prospect of spending some time there this summer has prompted another idea for a posting on here. It’s amazing what can come from meandering through the countryside in the mind whilst comfortably seated in one’s armchair. Even so, I really need to get out in the countryside for real rather than using the virtual reality opportunities of the theatre of the skull. Hopefully, July will offer some chances.

It’s been a while coming so here’s the first installment of the description of my trip to Scotland over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. The outing itself turned out to be planned at the last minute because the overall tenor of the weather forecast hadn’t been the most promising. As it happened, I gleaned that heading north was best so that’s why I tried Scotland. I was far from wrong: the weather in Scotland couldn’t have been better and I ended up kicking myself that I hadn’t taken a day off from work to spend a little more time up there.

Of course, I had gone for a spot of walking among hills and my first day, the main subject of this post, was spent making my way along a hill track from Inverarnan to Dalmally. The idea originally came to mind a while back when pondering improvements to the route of the West Highland Way. The route that I took was encapsulated by road walking, first along the A82 from The Drovers Inn to Glen Falloch farm and latterly on the A85 until I reached Dalmally. In between, progress was over good tracks and pathless moor in open country, albeit with a line of pylons stalking their way through glen and over bealach. Navigation was non too taxing for the most part, even if a spot of forestry track building need rather more thought than would have been desired.

The route came from Scotways’ Scottish Hill Tracks, a good source of ideas even if caution is needed when following them on the ground. Don’t expect nice clear tracks because they may not exist and I followed enough of them to know.In fact, anyone following Mick and Gayle’s LEJOG might know that their following another of those hill tracks involved negotiating loads of fallen trees; it almost reminds of my WHW hike along the shores of Loch Lomond last year. There’s a certain caveat emptor to the whole business so it’s best to be prepared, as the old scout mantra goes.

Anyway, to the day itself. It began under cloudy skies with the sun struggling to make its way through as I made my way up the A82; some blue sky made its appearance a little later only to disappear again. As I know well from my WHW tramp from Inverarnan to Crianlarich last August, this is a busy road that creates an unpleasant amount of noise. At 08:00 in the morning, it was quieter but there was no pleasure in plying along its margin watching out for traffic and keeping in from approaching vehicles. I was happy to be rid of it when I picked up a clear track that took me up the slopes around Troisgeach Bheag. I crossed a bridge over the West Highland railway just as a rail tour passed beneath me and took in views over Loch Lomond on the ascent.

All the while, the hubub grew all the weaker. It wasn’t intrusive like that day last August but I like my wild country without that racket. I also rather it without pylons but that was not to be as I flew along the track up Gleann nan Caorann. Though cloud filled the sky, the sun managed to light up the summits of Ben Oss, Ben Lui and Ben a’ Chleibh, at least when I first glimpsed them. It didn’t stay that way for long and the sun continued to fight a losing battle with the clouds until I crested the bealach between Ben a’ Chleibh and Meall nan Tighearn. The track stayed with me for most of the journey into a landscape that was boggy and crossed by a myriad of watercourses. Losing the track as it reached its terminus, a shieling, meant I was in for a plod through and over what was a watershed. I followed whatever vague track took me where I wanted to go for a lot of the time but some freestyle wandering was needed too and that line of pylons served as an excellent handrail. As I continued on a lung and leg busting ascent, a good view of the many lines etched into terrain across it opened up.

Other views opened on making the crest of the bealach and the sun came out to enliven them too; it was to remain thus for the rest of the day. I could see now beyond the glens occupied by the Orchy and Lochy rivers towards Ben Cruachan and such like. Such an arresting vista demanded a stop for its appreciation and I took the opportunity to have some food too. After that, my nigh on pathless course continued as I started on my descent, confident that I was to reach Oban where I was going to be staying on this visit.

Pylons were being painted so a myriad of rough ATV tracks abounded and I picked my way down to the entrance to a the forestry that lay between me and the A85. That entrance wasn’t a welcoming one with its rickety wooden gate and the need to dodge water and mud to get in. In hindsight, it could have be seen as portent of what was to come. I made my way down the firebreak with no sign of the path shown on my map but a track to the left soon offered itself. That took onto another track, a well made affair that clearly had received recent attention and lorries were making their way along it. Navigating forestry tracks can be a confounding experience but all seemed well for now; new tracks can appear and the OS might not be able to keep up with a path turning into a track. However, I don’t whether I missed a left turn due to an episode of reverie or what happened but I started to feel that something was not quite right about where I was going. Trees had been cleared so I could see the A85 below me and I opted to use my right to roam for a more direct approach to reach it, even if it meant crossing the railway and the River Lochy, a perfectly traversable affair. It was not the most dignified route but I got to the A85 and turn left for the tarmac tramp to Dalmally.

Walking along a busy road like the A85 is hardly the best but it can cure all sense of navigational uncertainty. The road margin was generously proportioned but that did not not excise the need for being ever watchful of cars and other vehicles; it was a constant necessity. The day was by now glorious and hotter than I would have liked but I made Dalmally in good time. I wasn’t timely enough to make the 17:03 to Oban, the base for my visit, but the 19:08 was easily made and I got a good rest too. I suppose that I could have gone and walked about a bit but it had been a long day of walking and the heat made relaxation the better option. I was soon enough in Oban and, rather than me plotting out the next day’s wandering, the need for a good night’s rest took over. Sunday was another day…

Usually I write my trip reports in the order in which the trips took place but I am considering making an exception to that convention and writing up last weekend’s excursion to Cumbria before the previous weekend’s visit to Argyll. The day trek should be quicker to share and I can devote more time to telling of the various walks I did in Scotland, perhaps over a number of blog entries. All of that has had to wait because yesterday evening provided yet another distraction from sitting in front of a computer: a sunny end to a day with a wet start coaxed me out for a local trot that further broke in my Scarpas. The cornucopia of recent hikes are making the old Salomons look more and more worn so getting the new boots ready for longer outings is becoming more necessary by the day. In fact, the thought has crossed my mind that it might be sensible to get another pair of walking footwear, perhaps a pair of lightweight boots, for summer walking. However, that might be a luxury too far in the current economic climate…

Stagecoach isn’t exactly flavour of the month in the Scottish Highlands right now. Their association with Scottish Citylink has resulted in changes, some for the better. In the background, there’s a potential takeover of the Rapsons group in the offing and West Coast Motors no longer run Scottish Citylink services. So, some suspicions of Stagecoach using Citylink as a stalking horse for moving wholesale into an area where they haven’t been up to now are understandable. Quite what the likes of the Competition Commision and the Office of Fair Trading will make of all this remains to be seen. In the meantime, West Coast Motors have launched services competing with those run by Citylink.

I first heard the murmurings of discontent on a trip to Lochaber in April and there was good reason: time was when two coaches were known to depart on a Citylink working at the same time if the number of passengers required it and that’s no more. In fact, I have have two experiences with 11:00 (formerly 11:20) departure to Glasgow from Fort William that rather makes me think that I should avoid using that service in the future. The first of these was last April and I was lucky enough to get on the coach. The second time around, I wanted to get on it at Tyndrum and found that it was full. There is a flip side to this, of course. For the summer at least, Citylink are operating a next to two hourly service between the capital of Lochaber and Scotland’s biggest city and it is virtually hourly in the afternoons. So, if we could change people’s behaviour so that the load is better spread, then the experience of getting ditched by a full coach would become a thing of the past.

In April, the extra services weren’t running and that brings me to perennial problem with the Highlands: the reduction in services during winter time. That means next to no train service on Sundays and the corresponding strain on coach services in the off season. In reality, there is no off season in Scotland with wonderfulness available to all every time of year; it’s just that the visitors often all turn up at the same time. Having been in Fort William of quiet January weekend, I know how quiet things can become but I still wonder if it would better to starting ensure that an improved public transport service started to operate from March on. There is a more extreme example of the shortness of the summer service period: direct coaches between Oban and Fort William are twice daily most of the year but for the Scottish summer school holidays when the service level is doubled. To my mind, that’s daft but I think that it has been the way for a good few years now.

On the subject of connections between Oban and Fort William, this year seems to see an improvement so long as you are willing to change in Tyndrum and don’t meet a full coach. That very same improvement applies to getting to Glasgow too, as does the caveat. Nevertheless, getting to the likes of Tyndrum or Dalmally for a walk has probably never been easier and I hope that’s how it stays. In fact, I would like all of the extra services to stay because of the limited train timetable along single track railway lines but their limitations are another story in itself.