Never mind the Trossochs
I set my alarm for 5am on the Monday and was out the door by 5:30. The sun had already been up for over an hour and it was a clear blue sky above. I’d heard that Loch Lomond was not far from the city and wanted to find a good trail. It only took half an hour to escape the confines of the metropolis and I was soon winding along the banks of the River Clyde towards The Trossachs National Park. A thick mist had settled on the surrounding Munros and it was chilly in the sunshine as I got out the car.
The car park was in Ballach, a small village bordering the Kilpatrick Hills. It is on the southern shore of Lock Lomond and has a harbour full of boats and small cruisers. I didn’t have a route mapped out but hoped to follow the shore. I’d given myself two hours so would see how far I could get in an hour before turning back.
The trail began as a rough stone footpath winding through woodland with views across the water to Inchmurrin, the largest of 30 islands scattered over the surface. Loch Lomond is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area and lies on the Highland Boundary Fault which divides the Lowlands from the Highlands. The surrounding woods are home to old oaks and sprightly birches, their rich canopies spreading out to cast the woodland floor in shadow.
After a short while the path revealed some rougher dirt trails heading into the undergrowth. Intrigued I followed one of these and began to ascend alongside a fast-flowing stream. Up and up it went but I was so caught up in the beauty of the views around me that I scarcely noticed the climb. I entered Whinny Hill Wood.
My feet flew over the ground, skipping over tangled roots and dodging tumbling stones. The bushes that bordered the trail were replete with bright pink flowers on which bees hovered and drank sweet nectar. The Loch was now out of sight as I headed inland but a new vista appeared through the grand tree trunks – the Kilpatrick hills with the southern most Munro Ben Lomond towering 3000 feet high. I vaulted a barbed wire fence into a field to get a photo but as I was framing the image, I noticed an irate bull eyeing me and beginning to move my way. Needless to say, I sprinted in the opposite direction and back over the now welcome fence.
At this point I crossed a field thick with dew covered grass which cooled my feet. Suddenly I heard a rustle in the undergrowth and a red deer leapt from hiding and bounded ahead of me, it’s white tail flicking up as it’s back legs jumped clear of the long grass. I huge smile spread across my face and I began to laugh with joy. It soon disappeared into the shadows.
From here the trail began to descend back towards the water and I was almost half-way through my time. Unfortunately I had only covered five miles as I kept stopping to take photographs.
By the time I had reached bottom I was back on an established footpath which led inland around the bottom of the hill but out of sight of the Loch. I really wanted to hug the shore and so hurdled another fence in the direction of the water. This winding dirt road was surrounded by thick woodland and at one point a large bird of prey leapt from a stump and soared above me. I then spotted a ladder tied to the branches of a tree. Above it was a platform with a chair on it.
My curiosity peaked I ascended the ladder and tested the platform. It was sturdy enough but I held on tightly to the tree before sitting in the plastic office chair. There was no particular view before me other than the verdant foliage, but it would have been a good spot for an ornithologist. Noting the time, I carefully made my way to the floor 15 feet below and continued.
Before too long I was at the water’s edge but there was no path, I had fought my way through a particularly boggy and wild area just to get there. I decided to return the way I had come and was soon back on the established route and making up some time. Another deer ran across my path and a number of them burst from bushes alongside me skipping into the cover of the boscage.
I was soon back on the original trail that took me up the hill and followed it back to the car park stopping briefly to admire Balloch Castle which overlooks the Loch. I would love to return and run into the hills, maybe climb Ben Lomond but for that day I was more than happy with the experience.
See my route here: RELIVE
