Over The Hill

Todays walk was programmed as Beinn Lochain, but I had a slight variation which Mike was happy to accommodate, so I was able to start off with the group, leave them for a few hours, and rejoin with the group on my chosen top, Cruach na Cioba. Heading off through the Carrick (shown as Corrow on OS mapping) Estate Offices car park, we took the well defined estate track to cross over the bridge spanning the Lettermay Burn, almost dry with hardly a trickle flowing down the rocky gorge, and gained height steadily as we paralleled the burn before reaching a higher bridge and re-crossing the burn once again. A sneakily hided faded path into the scrub and across a shaky and awkward step stile allowed us to transfer from one track to another just a few metres above but completely hidden from the lower track where we immediately reversed our direction and continued along the hillside, not gaining much height at this point as the track contoured the hillside for the next kilometre and a half.

Finally we turned off the main forest track and began to climb, this time more steeply, and on a single file narrow path initially tree lined until we turned a sharp bend where we then had the trees to our left and solid rock crags to our right, all giving the impression of a high mountain path with some wonderful views ahead of the waterfall on the Lettermay Burn and looking behind us, back over Lochgoilhead to Ben Donich. Above the waterfall, the path levels a little on the approach to Curra Lochain, where we immediately found ourselves an ideal spot for that first short stop of the day beside the blue waters of this fine stretch of water nestled between hillsides.

After a short break I took my leave of the group, and in doing so was joined by Fiona and Nobel who accompanied me along the path which forms part of the Cowal Way and headed to the western end of the lochain. In the meantime the group headed directly up the steep southern sides of Beinn Lochain to it’s crag lined summit. About 800 metres beyond the lochain, the Cowal Way swings south through the forest, it was here that I left Fiona and Nobel to make their return, while I headed just east of north up grassy slopes, at first through knee-high grass which gradually lessened to short grass and good conditions underfoot as I made a bee-line for the 540m knoll and the bealach between Beinn Lochain and Cruach na Cioba. A break for lunch at the bealach and I settled down to enjoy the views and keep and eye on the western slopes of Beinn Lochain looking for the approach of the group. I was beginning to think that I had missed them, although that would be very difficult on such an open hillside, so decided to move on to Cruach na Cioba and await them there as that was to be their second top of the day.

Once again I settled myself on a small rocky knoll and just enjoyed the solitude and the views, which, contrary to the weather forecast were beginning to fade as a low cloud drifted in, and just before it covered the high point of the groups descent route suddenly ant like figures appeared on the skyline, to distant to count, but a large group, and given that they were thirteen strong there was not doubt it must be them, you are lucky to see one other walker on these quiet hills, never mind another large group. I watched them make their descent, disappearing at times in the swirling low cloud until they dropped low enough to stay below its shadow until they joined me on Cruach na Cioba. Rather than return to the 540m bealach, we departed the summit of Cruach na Cioba on a direct bearing to rejoin the Cowel Way at the point at which I had left it for my ascent sometime earlier.

We made a brief stop once back at the eastern end of Curra Lochain before desending the fine narrow path back alongside the crags and trees until we regained the main forest track, but rather than pick up our outbound route, we crossed yet another bridge over the Lettermay Burn and took the looping high level track back to our start point at the estate car park.

A fine walk, I had the best of both worlds, good company, a bit of hillside solitude, fine weather and some wonderful views. Thanks everyone for you company, and to you Mike for a great walk.