Over The Hill

Starting our walk today from Butterbridge at the head of Glen Kinglas we were drawn into discussing the narrow stone bridge - the first photo opposite - that spans Kinglas Water and forms part of the old military road between Glasgow and Inveraray. And as I sat down to write the report I decided to do a little research on the bridge, but, as is often the case, I was further distracted by various links on the internet and ended up reading the very interesting journal written by Dorothy Wordsworth of the tour, together with her brother William, she made of Scotland in 1803. So, I shall let the photos tell their own story of today's walk, and replace the usual written report with this extract from her journal of their late afternoon journey from Arrochar to Cairndow by "car", but not as we know it, the "car" she refers to in the text was in fact their two-wheeled single horse-drawn carriage.

Extract from - Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland 1803 - Dorothy Wordsworth

Monday, August 29th 1803.

The afternoon had been exceedingly pleasant after we had left the vale of Arrochar the sky was often threatening, but the rain blew off, and the evening was uncommonly fine. The sun had set a short time before we had dismounted from the car to walk up the steep hill at the end of the glen. Clouds were moving all over the sky - some of a brilliant yellow hue, which shed a light like bright moonlight upon the mountains. We could not have seen the head of the valley under more favourable circumstances.

The passing away of a storm is always a time of life and cheerfulness, especially in a mountainous country; but that afternoon and evening the sky was in an extraordinary degree vivid and beautiful. We often stopped in ascending the hill to look down the long reach of the glen. The road, following the course of the river as far as we could see, the farm and cottage hills, smooth towards the base and rocky higher up, were the sole objects before us. This part of Glen Croe reminded us of some of the dales of the north of England - Grisdale above Ulswater, for instance; but the length of it, and the broad highway, which is always to be seen at a great distance, a sort of centre of the vale, a point of reference, gives to the whole of the glen, and each division of it, a very different character.

At the top of the hill we came to a seat with the well-known inscription, 'Rest and be thankful.' On the same stone it was recorded that the road had been made by Col. Wade's regiment. The seat is placed so as to command a full view of the valley, and the long, long road, which, with the fact recorded, and the exhortation, makes it an affecting resting-place. We called to mind with pleasure a seat under the braes of Loch Lomond on which I had rested, where the traveller is informed by an inscription upon a stone that the road was made by Col. Lascelles' regiment. There, the spot had not been chosen merely as a resting-place, for there was no steep ascent in the highway, but it might be for the sake of a spring of water and a beautiful rock, or, more probably, because at that point the labour had been more than usually toilsome in hewing through the rock.

Soon after we had climbed the hill we began to descend into another glen, called Glen Kinglas. We now saw the western sky, which had hitherto been hidden from us by the hill - a glorious mass of clouds uprising from a sea of distant mountains, stretched out in length before us, towards the west - and close by us was a small lake or tarn. From the reflection of the crimson clouds the water appeared of a deep red, like melted rubies, yet with a mixture of a grey or blackish hue: the gorgeous light of the sky, with the singular colour of the lake, made the scene exceedingly romantic; yet it was more melancholy than cheerful. With all the power of light from the clouds, there was an overcasting of the gloom of evening, a twilight upon the hills.

We descended rapidly into the glen, which resembles the lower part of Glen Croe, though it seemed to be inferior in beauty; but before we had passed through one reach it was quite dark, and I only know that the steeps were high, and that we had the company of a foaming stream; and many a vagrant torrent crossed us, dashing down the hills. The road was bad, and, uncertain how we should fare, we were eager and somewhat uneasy to get forward; but when we were out of the close glen, and near to Cairndow, as a traveller had told us, the moon showed her clear face in the sky, revealing a spacious vale, with a broad loch and sloping corn fields; the hills not very high. This cheerful sight put us into spirits, and we thought it was at least no dismal place to sit up all night in, if they had no beds, and they could not refuse us a shelter. We were, however, well received, and sat down in a neat parlour with a good fire.

Extract ends - Note for the legal minded - As far as I can ascertain, there is no copyright attached to her journals, and therefore the text can be reproduced for non-commercial use. There are a number of sources where the full set of journals can be read, two of which I list below;

Undiscovered Scotland and Google Digital Books

Our day was equally as enjoyable as Dorothy's, and I hope you will forgive me the little whim in not doing the usual write up for today's walk - but our story is there in the photos..

A brilliant walk, wonderful company, thanks Idris.