Lunch on the 2019 TGO Challenge

Having solved yesterday's mystery and found a diary entry from 2003 that really needs a few more photos, I've left that photo search for the time being.

Today, whilst filing some emails, I found a link to 31 photos taken by Sabine, on the lovely day we had with her on 15 May 2019, walking from Bridge of Gaur to beyond Kinloch Rannoch. Some of those pictures are shown below, with thanks to Sabine, and the header picture is one that she submitted to the TGO magazine. I know she submitted it, because they printed it. It was of our leisurely lunch break in the woods.

Here's Sabine's portrayal of that day, finishing at the spot where she continued on up Schiehallion whilst Sue and I set up camp beside the track.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this makes up for not including some of these in the slide show I prepared earlier.

 

Thank you Sabine.

 

My blog entry for the day is here.

TGO Challenge 2019 - Summary and Index

 

Here's an index to my postings relating to last year's TGO Challenge. The picture above was taken on the morning of Day 2, before we struck camp beside the glassy Loch Etive.

 

You may prefer to start at Day 1.

 

TGO Challenge 2019 – A Route

 

TGO Challenge Food Parcels

 

TGO Challenge Parcel Service

 

Parcel Delivery Trip: Mission Accomplished

 

20 to 22 April 2019 – A Trip to Scotland

 

Wednesday 8 May 2019 - A Trip to Montrose

 

Thursday 9 May 2019 - A Train Ride to Oban

 

Day 1 - Oban to Loch Etive by Glennoe

 

Day 2 - Loch Etive by Glennoe to Allt Dhoireann

 

Day 3 - Allt Dhoireann to Bridge of Orchy

 

Day 4 - Bridge of Orchy to Coire Fhiuran

 

Day 5 - Coire Fhiuran to Bridge of Gaur

 

Day 6 - Bridge of Gaur to Tempar Burn More from Sabine

 

Day 7 - Tempar Burn to SE of Kenmore

 

Day 8 - SE of Kenmore to Strathtay

 

Day 9 - Strathtay to Ashintully

 

Day 10 - Ashintully to Glen Damff

 

Day 11 - Glen Damff to Clova

 

Day 12 - Clova to Tarfside

 

Day 13 - Tarfside to North Water Bridge

 

Day 14 - North Water Bridge to Kinnaber Sands

 

Ice Creams and a Foot Massage

 

Saturday 25 May 2019 - Montrose parkrun number 98

 

We took 499 photos, which I've culled into a slideshow of 145 images, which may be available here.

Saturday 25 May 2019 - Montrose parkrun number 98

 

 

 

 

Sue and I took part in the Montrose parkrun a year ago after spending a week on TGO Challenge Control. This year we were joined by Gayle, Mick having sensibly to spectate due to a damaged ankle.

There were 157 participants - about double compared with last year. (Meanwhile there was a record turnout of 439 for our 'home' run at Wythenshawe.)

The run director provided the TGO Challenge with a little publicity by introducing us and the event in which we had taken part. We thank him for that and for the friendliness of everyone we met.

With tired legs from walking nearly 200 miles across Scotland carrying backpacks, we all expected to be slower than usual. We were, but not by as much as we thought we would be. In fact, Sue and I were quickest in our respective age groups, and Gayle was well up in hers. 

Parkruns are, as many readers may be aware, 'an excuse to eat cake'. Today was no exception. We enjoyed cake supplied by a few 'landmark' runners taking part in their 50th or 100th events, at the end of the run. Then we revisited Charleton Strawberry Farm for more coffee and superb 'cake'.

Thanks go to Mick and Gayle for the treat that fuelled us for the 320 mile drive home, where we are now relaxing after our energetic holiday.

Today's pictures:

Sue speeds home just behind Gayle in about 27 minutes

The running TGO trio

Coffee and cake

Gayle's choice was the envy of all of us

Hopefully we will meet again next Saturday, but I doubt the cake will match today's standards.
 

Here are the full results.

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TGO Challenge 2019 - Ice Creams and a Foot Massage

 

We had a lazy day in Montrose before attending the Friday meal for about 80 people, which brought the 40th TGO Challenge to a conclusion.

The staff at the Park Hotel, from where the event has always been coordinated for the duration of the Challenge, even provided a birthday cake. That was after elder statesmen Hamish Brown and Roger Smith had given short speeches in appreciation of the Challenge and some of its legendary participants. 

We had a most sociable day, including a massage for Sue, ice creams all round, and a foot massage for John, who I collected from his St Cyrus finishing point in order to get him to the Park Hotel by the 5 pm deadline.

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TGO Challenge 2019 - Day 14

 

 

 

 

Date: Thursday 23 May 2019

Route: North Water Bridge to Montrose via Kinnaber Links.

Distance: 16 km (Cum: 303)

Ascent: 150 metres (Cum: 9550)

Time taken: 5 hrs including 1.5 hrs breaks

Weather: sunny periods, cool breeze

A lazy departure from the campsite saw us leaving nearly last at 9 am, together with the large (7 or 8 of them) self contained Danish contingent.

We were joined by Steph and John, the latter a former event coordinator, having walked only half the way with Steph.

After leaving the Danes to take a direct road route, we soon caught up with Carl, Sally and Laura. We were joined at Marymill by Andrew, who had spent the night with his team members Alan and Phil and had now rushed off to join his 'other' team.

A pleasant footpath near the river, with verges of comfrey and avens, led to Logie, from where the four of us continued on country lanes to Hillside. Andrew's quartet found a different way.

The path to Kinnaber led past Charleton, where the strawberry farm has become a favourite with Challengers. Well over an hour was spent in there, with many others who were heading towards their finishing point.

Onwards along easy paths to reach the beach at Kinnaber Links. Another Challenge completed. Joy and tired legs all round.

A group of twelve of us made our way along the sands and across the golf course to sign in at 'Control' in the Kinnaird Room at the Park Hotel.
Sue and I were with Steph, John, Andrew, Carl, Sally, Laura, Nicole, 'Croydon', Matthew and Melanie for this final sunny stroll.

Still no sign of the dynamic trio - Roger and his cohorts, but I expect we will see them tonight after the celebratory dinner. Sue and I are giving that a miss - we will go to the Friday dinner - and are revisiting the excellent El Tajin Authentic Mexican Restaurant before adjourning to the Park Hotel. It could be a late return to Alison's nearby flat, which she has kindly let us borrow for a couple more nights.

Today's pictures:
The leafy lane to Logie
Finishers by the sea
A stroll along the sands
Signing in at the Park Hotel (after collecting this year's t-shirt)

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TGO Challenge 2019 - Day 13

 

 

 

 

Date: Wednesday 22 May 2019

Route: Tarfside to North Water Bridge campsite (NO 649 662)

Distance: 28 km (Cum: 287)

Ascent: 300 metres (Cum: 9400)

Time taken: 8.7 hrs including 2.1 hrs breaks

Weather: showery until mid morning, then sunny periods and warm

After a cool night that left frost on the tent, we enjoyed breakfast at St Drostans after queuing for a while. The Rt Hon Sir Mick of Croydon excelling himself as usual by attempting to jump the queue (and just about getting away with it! - "Don't you know I'm Royalty" he bleats on...)

Everyone gradually packs up and leaves, with North Water Bridge being the destination for most of us. The Retreat was closed for 'restructuring'. Hopefully it will have reopened by the time of the next Challenge. Two kilometres down the road from Tarfside, it's a good breakfast destination.

Vicky followed us up past cuckoos and woodpeckers to the Masonic tower that allows up to three people to sit out a storm. Vicky works as a deck hand on luxury sailing boats. She went off towards the Fetteresso Forest.

We then joined the disjointed trail of people wending their way to Edzell. We were disappointed to miss the riverside 'Blue Door' trail due to a landslip. Later we were even more disappointed when Sabine told us the route wasn't really blocked at all. Health and Safety gone mad. She had been tipped off that the broadcast blockage didn't really exist to any extent.

Lunch was at the Tuck Inn café in the company of Nicole and others. We had walked with Nicole earlier when she needed help to get through a cow zone. That was after we had found her mysteriously scrabbling around a tree trunk. It turned out that she was looking for a geocache.

We spent nearly two hours at the café - much needed as we had walked for over 20 km in the five hours before lunch, without much of a break. Our longest single stretch without a brew stop on the entire walk. The Tuck Inn has changed hands since our last visit and although some of us were well satisfied with our meals, others perceived a fall in standards.

Another two hours saw us arrive by a mistaken route, due to my lack of concentration on the map, at this friendly campsite. En route we were distracted by a muck spreader that started up in a field right next to us. Yeuch! I blame that for my mistake. Anyway, we enjoyed more of the beautiful long green tunnel of foliage leading to our destination. Albeit the drivers seem to regard it as a race track. A speed camera here could make a fortune.

A refurbishment of the toilet block ensured that we all got a hot shower. In previous years the hot water has run out, but they have made a big effort this year to meet our needs.

Socialising at the campsite, dinner courtesy of Sue, and resting have taken up the rest of the day. We heard that the terrible trio - Roger, Viv and Steve - have finished today, and that my old school mate, John, who we called in to see on our journey to Montrose two weeks ago, has bumped into veteran Challenger, Russ Manion. As John says - it's a small world!

Later we learnt of Alan's exploits as a seaman in the Falklands when he was a young man. He proudly showed us a gallery of photos from the 1980s that he has on his phone.

Today's pictures:
Camping at Tarfside
The Masonic Tower in Glen Esk
The suspension bridge at Edzell
First brew at North Water Bridge, with Alan and Brian, and our tent in the background

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TGO Challenge 2019 - Day 12

 

 

 

 

Date: Tuesday 21 May 2019

Route: Clova Hotel to camping ground at Tarfside (NO 493 796)

Distance: 22 km (Cum: 259)

Ascent: 1000 metres (Cum: 9100)

Time taken: 7.25 hrs including 50 mins breaks

Weather: mainly sunny and warm, apart from a light shower at lunchtime. Rain after we pitched the tent

Last night we were treated to stories of the success of an evening at Lochcallater Lodge, where Richard had helped by repairing the toilet, and many others had contributed to the party.

We learned that nearly thirty people have dropped out, one of them having had to be airlifted to hospital with pneumonia.

Captain Jayme and his team, denied accommodation at Clova as the hotel was full, joined the residents for a while before heading down the road to their discreet camping spot that involved climbing three fences.

After a good sleep whilst it poured with rain outside, as evidenced by the increasing sound from the nearby torrent, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast that included scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. There were at least twenty Challengers at breakfast.

We dribbled off in small groups, some walking alone, mostly heading for Loch Brandy and Green Hill above the loch. After a brief encounter with Vicky, Sue and I chose to deviate from the 'normal' route chosen by others. We headed up the steep but well constructed path to The Snub, before contouring around to Green Hill, where we met Richard and Rosie.

We walked with them over Muckle Cairn, above which an eagle circled menacingly, and on to Wester Skulley, from where they took the descent path to Inchgrundle. The views throughout were excellent; we could look back to yesterday's route and could also see Lochnagar and its neighbours to the north west. At our feet, the cloudberry was just coming into flower.

Our own route took us over Burat Hill and Cairn Caidloch, after a pleasantly warm lunch spot out of what little wind there was today. A very light shower interrupted what will probably be our last al fresco lunch of the trip. Never mind, we've been very lucky with the weather. As we were today, needing sun tan cream and stripping to t-shirts for the afternoon's walk in the sunshine. Who ever would imagine that we could nearly run out of sun tan cream on the TGO Challenge!

Andrew Walker joined us briefly just before we reached a track on Burat Hill. He turned his nose up at actually visiting the summit and shot off to rejoin his long lost and much missed companions, Alan and Phil.

Meanwhile, we ambled down, pausing every now and then to admire the views and listen to the birdsong. The lapwings and skylarks were particularly melodic.

At Gleneffock we passed a farmer sorting his sheep, some of which had just given birth. Then it was over a bridge that dates from 1874, and onto a track that leads from near Haugh to join the descent route from Mount Keen behind the Hill of Rowan.

A trail of Challengers was making its way down this path to Tarfside, where the TGO Challenge team of volunteers at St Drostans was overwhelmed by visitors for a period. I've never seen so many rucksacks outside St Drostans. We arrived at 4.30 pm. Tea and cake was duly consumed and we were booked in to the fourth sitting for dinner at 8.15. I don't know how many sittings there will be, but it'll be unrelenting hard work for the team of volunteers that includes Ann and Alvar, Roger and Patricia, and Graeme and Marion. The latter had sped across Scotland to complete the Challenge before coming here to help.

That's it for now, it's nearly 7 pm and the Masons bar should be open. If anything else of note happens today I'll report on it tomorrow.

Today's pictures:
An encounter with Vicky
An encounter with Richard and Rosie
An encounter with Andrew
Tea and cake at St Drostans

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TGO Challenge 2019 - Day 11

 

 

 

 

Date: Monday 20 May 2019

Route: wild camp in Glen Damff at NO 247 643 (300 metres) to Glen Clova Hotel (NO 327 731)

Distance: 19 km (Cum: 237)

Ascent: 800 metres (Cum: 8100)

Time taken: 6.25 hrs including 1.25 hrs breaks

Weather: cloudy, warm, occasional sunshine, one heavy rain shower

We woke at 7.30 to a bright but cloudy morning after a few rain showers overnight. Away by 8.40 am on the last few kilometres of yesterday's planned route, we noted the presence of bog asphodel for the first time. Sue reminded me about yesterday's bright yellow large pansies near Glenmarkie Lodge, and today she was mobbed by May flies.

The heavy shower of rain came as we were passing through Drumshade Plantation. We passed between two featureless hills, Eskielawn and Cowharn, which we had planned to climb but didn't bother.

The gap between these two hills had been yesterday's target, and there was adequate camping opportunity in this vicinity, though we had no regrets about stopping at our better spot nearly two hours back along the route.

We now put into place an idea sown by Graeme and Marion on the train from Montrose. Why hadn't I thought of it myself? A direct route to Clova avoiding 5 km of road walking.

So we marched off to the 512 metre Hill of Strome, pausing only for a brew stop, the rain shower having expired. Sheep and grouse shooting tracks led down to Glen Prosen and the walker friendly 'Cramie' establishment.

A slog in barely needed waterproofs up a forest track followed. A right turn up a track not marked on the 1:50000 map saw us on contouring paths to the east of Mount Bouie until we reached a good water source and stopped for lunch amongst asphodel and thistles. The usual: tea, tinned mackerel with oatcakes, dunking biscuits, and a biscuit bar.

Continuing to a broad col at about 550 metres, tormentil and milkwort were the dominant flora. From here it was an easy yomp past a rabbit warren down to the Clova Hotel, reached shortly before 3 pm. We knew we'd find more Challengers here. Graham Gledhill and two others were already installed in the bar - taking a day off and staying for two nights in this fine establishment.

There are between ten and twenty Challengers either here or camping nearby, but not the trio we had expected to see - Roger, Viv and Steve. We spent a sociable evening with various folk, in particular Richard and Rosie - last seen at Bridge of Orchy.

Today's pictures:
Glen Prosen
Looking down to Glen Clova
The South Esk River in Glen Clova
Happy to be in the Clova Hotel, Sue, Carl and Andrew

This posting should be sent using the hotel wifi, which doesn't extend to our room, but we know there is no phone or wifi at tomorrow's destination, so that posting may be both late and short.

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TGO Challenge 2019 - Day 10

 

 

 

 

Date: Sunday 19 May 2019

Route: wild camp at NO 097 609 near Ashintully Castle to wild camp at NO 247 643 in Glen Damff

Distance: 19 km (Cum: 223)

Ascent: 500 metres (Cum: 7300)

Time taken: 7.5 hrs including 1.7 hrs breaks

Weather: occasional rain showers punctuated the day, but not to any great inconvenience; warm and calm

After a very comfortable night in the tent, we enjoyed a leisurely departure from the wet grass on a misty morning. The tent was soaking but soon dried out when we put it up again this afternoon.

The 'Mini Cateran Trail' path led us over lots of ladder stiles to Lair, and the B951 road. Shortly before Lair we stopped for a brew and Sue enjoyed a chat with Dot (94), who is avidly following our progress across Scotland.

The Cateran Trail proper joins the road for about 4 km to Forter, where we admired the castle and stopped for lunch in a sunny field. Pleasing countryside views.

Common comfrey graced today's hedgerows, bright yellow gorse or broom illuminated some of the hillsides, and sheep, lapwings and curlew all seemed to be vying for our attention. (The oyster catchers won.)

We briefly joined a couple from Glasgow who are walking the Cateran Trail in sections. Then, after diverging to the north east we came across a 4x4 vehicle with three people who I thought may be setting traps. They turned out to be habitat surveyors looking into the state of the heather.

After chatting with this trio, we took a direct line through the heather, just to the south of a red roof, to a gate, where a footpath sign rather surprised us.

A little further on, beyond an obvious fire break, we eschewed the signed paths to Freuchies and headed through a small quarry and along the track to Glenmarkie. Keeping left to go past the farm - quite a little community here, including Poppy and Pickles, two affectionate goats - we soon found a good path beside the forest.

A gate at the end of the forest allowed us to escape and peruse the way ahead. Uphill after Glendamff Burn. The flat grass beside the burn was just too tempting. We kidded ourselves that another shower was imminent. It was 4 pm. The tent went up.

Such evenings are delightful. There's plenty of time for a bit of reading, a snooze, and a leisurely meal. All especially savoured as this is our last wild camp of the trip.

We have seen just one Challenger in four days. By tomorrow evening we will have made up for that, and given that from then on we will be celebrating the social aspect of this walk across Scotland, these entries may be fairly brief.

Today's pictures:
Last night's campsite (spot the tent!)
Chatting with Dot (elevenses)
A view up Glen Isla
Tonight's camp in Glen Damff

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TGO Challenge 2019 - Day 9

 

 

 

 

Date: Saturday 18 May 2019

Route: Dundarave B&B in Strathtay to wild camp beyond Kirkmichael at NO 097 609, at 300 metres, near Ashintully Castle

Distance: 28 km (Cum: 204)

Ascent: 650 metres (Cum: 6800)

Time taken: 9 hrs including 2 hrs breaks

Weather: light rain, warm, calm

Rich and Jo provided breakfast in our room at 8 am. It was all we could have wished for. Chatting to them delayed our departure until 9.10, but we enjoyed the socialising.

Light rain from the start inhibited picture taking, as did the relatively boring road walk along bike trail 7. Luckily there were very few vehicles on the B898, and after passing cyclists and cowslips we soon reached the old railway bridge at Logierait. This is now owned by the community - a valuable asset as it's the only place where you can cross the River Tay for some distance. It's a single carriageway boarded crossing, one vehicle at a time.

We were soon installed in the Rivers Meet café in Ballinluig for a good ration of coffee and cake. We weren't expecting to see any Challengers, but Maggie Hems strolled in, on her 18th Challenge. She complained about rolling off her sleeping mat when camping, limiting her sleep to one hour a night!

Eventually, after about 11 km of road walking, we hit the farm track beyond Tulliemet. This took us to an old goods container outside which we lunched. A shepherdess arrived with her dog Katie, on a buggy. She was checking on her sheep, which should finish lambing in a couple of weeks.

After having discussed our route with Maggie, we decided not to take the track up towards Loch Broom, from where we had planned to yomp in an easterly direction over a minor (503 metres) summit to reach the Mains of Glendarby. Instead, to avoid deep heather and tussocks and hags, we turned east from the container up a marked path, following this to Lochan Oisieneach Mer. Surprisingly I recognised this from a bike ride I did from Dunkeld a few years ago.

We took the marked path to Kirkmichael. It doesn't go to the Mains of Glendarby, instead swinging east to skirt to the south of a big plantation, before descending to join the Cateran Trail just outside Kirkmichael.

It was 5 pm. We had had enough. Sought accommodation. None available in Kirkmichael tonight. So we carried on. Slowly. Camping here (I'll take a picture tomorrow) was a no brainer. We can easily get to Clova in two days.

We stopped just after six o'clock; the tent was soon up, and we were happy to be out of the rain. And we could reduce our load by eating some of it, which wouldn't have been possible if we'd found accommodation in Kirkmichael.

So all is now well with the world. Thanks for your comments, which are getting through despite a very iffy service. I'll respond when I can do so without draining the precious battery.

Today's pictures:
Breakfast at Dundarave
The bridge at Logierait
Lunch outside a container
On the path to Kirkmichael

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TGO Challenge 2019 - Day 8

 

 

 

 

Date: Friday 17 May 2019

Route: wild camp at 450 metres at NN 802 431 to Strathtay (Dundarave B&B - NN 913 535)

Distance: 19 km (Cum: 176)

Ascent: 150 metres (Cum: 6150)

Time taken: 6.7 hrs including 1.6 hrs breaks

Weather: rain showers then gradually improving to a beautiful summer's day

We woke to the strange sound of the pitter patter of rain on the tent. A soothing change from the shrieks of oyster catchers and the alarm calls and night time conversations of the grouse. Otherwise, the lapwings and the skylarks had provided a more serene lullaby for our good night's sleep in this superb location.

We lay in until the rain stopped, so we didn't leave camp until 9.30, heading east along a stony Land Rover track. We had come this way rather than follow the Rob Roy Way (RRW) route from Tombuie Cottage, mainly to benefit from our excellent camping position. If no campsite is required (or you know a suitable spot), the RRW route may be a more scenic way of reaching Aberfeldy from Kenmore. There's also a riverside path.

We walked with our fleeces on in the cool easterly breeze, under light cloud with sunny periods. After an hour or so we came across a green shooting cabin that Graeme had mentioned. We couldn't resist installing ourselves there for half an hour or so, enjoying a brew whilst watching swallows struggling to build a nest under the eaves. A pied wagtail looked on at their antics. This would be a good spot to camp.

Hereabouts a wind farm and pylons have recently been blotted into the landscape, but the old Land Rover track remains as it was, and the intrusions can be largely ignored.

There were nice views down towards Aberfeldy as we progressed past lapwings and curlew towards Urlar Farm, where walkers are directed around the perimeter of the farm, beside a barbed wire fence.

A short stretch of tarmac led to a right turn along a path with a RRW waymark. Aberfeldy is signed the other way along the road; the RRW route took us through the Birks of Aberfeldy, a stunning path down to the town past waterfalls in a valley currently bursting with wild garlic.

We weren't alone on this justifiably popular path. After admiring the Welsh poppies and wood anemones that had crept into any small spaces left by the banks of bluebells, we came across a sculpture of Robbie Burns, no doubt admiring the waterfalls and the forebears of today's plants.

Lunch in the Watermill café in Aberfeldy had been recommended. We weren't disappointed. The huge baguettes of fresh bread, and tasty salad accompaniments, were delicious. A large group of cyclists turned up and were greeted with smiles despite bringing a brief chaos to the place. Bikes everywhere, when they could have been left outside, but nobody objected and the staff dealt with everyone in the manner you would expect from somewhere with a high reputation that they are striving to maintain.

The riverside path to Grandtully is an absolute delight. From the river bank beyond the Dewars distillery, onto a disused railway line, this 7 km pathway provides a feast to the eyes with its riverside vistas and its flower laden verges. Apart from the usual banks of bluebells etc, here there is lots of pink purslane, (cow?) parsley, white dead nettle, wild strawberry, water avens, meadow cranesbill, red campion, garlic mustard, and more that I can't identify.

Eventually, after turning left at a campsite, you emerge into JD's dreamworld. A chocolate factory! Here we enjoyed a 'velvet' chocolate. Basically a tub of delicious melted chocolate. Sadly there was no phone signal so we had to wait until we reached our B&B - Dundarave in nearby Strathtay - before making our gloating call to John on 'Control' in Montrose. He got his own back by telling us it will rain tomorrow.

Crossing the river to Strathtay, we noticed that the water level is so low that anyone wanting to tackle the canoe slalom course should go equipped with their rock climbing gear.

Later: a lovely meal at the Inn on the Tay, opposite the chocolate factory.

Today's pictures:
One of many waterfalls in the Birks of Aberfeldy
Sue receives an audience with Robbie Burns
Lunch at the Watermill café
In the green corridor to Grandtully

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TGO Challenge 2019 - Day 7

 

 

 

 

Date: Thursday 16 May 2019

Route: Tempar Burn below Schiehallion to south east of Kenmore - wild camp at 450 metres at NN 802 431

Distance: 27 km (Cum: 157)

Ascent: 900 metres (Cum: 6000)

Time taken: 9.8 hrs including 2.5 hrs breaks

Weather: sunny; cool easterly breeze higher up.

First brew 6.45, away by 8 am - our standard one and a quarter hours without hurrying.

No sign of Sabine on the flanks of Schiehallion, but we were looking directly into the sun. Our route took us along the track to the small shooting hut near or in which Sabine was planning to stay last night. Then a thin path skirted around the mountain and dropped down to some shielings and a rather fine bothy at NN 712 527. It had been left nice and clean by somebody.

We enjoyed a brew beside the track before heading cross country to an unnamed summit at 736 metres. After admiring the views we followed a fence back to the track.

Easy walking along the track ended when we chose to ascend Meall Crumach, 681 metres. We may be in quite a small and select group of Challengers who have braved the peat hags to get up here! Today we saw no other walkers all day, let alone any Challengers.

Anyway, once we were back on the track it was an easy stroll down past marsh marigolds to Fortingall, shortly before which we enjoyed lunch in a fine position overlooking Loch Tay.

Then past posh houses on a lane that had speedwell and water avens in its verges, to the smart village of Fearnan. Here we noticed a memorial to some Russian airmen who died here on 29 May 1943. The memorial is dated 6 May 2019. After Fearnan we found a forest track that provides a pleasant route just above the main A827 road.

The wild flowers were particularly striking here, with huge banks of bluebells, and a track littered with flowers, including broom, bugle, daisies, dandelions, dog violets, greater stitchwort, primroses, ribwort plantain, wood sorrel and yellow pimpernel. A large bird of prey, perhaps a buzzard, was active in the trees.

The forest track eventually comes to an end. To reach the road there's a need to climb over tree roots and all manner of foresty obstacles, but it's worth it. After a short spell on the main road, a sign to the left indicates a short off road route into Kenmore. Another delightful path.

Once in Kenmore, the Courtyard Bar provided plenty of rehydration fluid and cake. That set us up for the 300 metre ascent along a quiet road apart from the warblers, ending a short way along a track, near which we've set up another excellent wild camp. As last time I was here, we got a friendly wave from the gamekeeper when he went past in his 4x4.

Sue has concocted another excellent repast despite being blinded by the sun, and later we will raise a glass to Bernie (RIP), with whom we so much enjoyed working on Control last year.

Today's pictures:
Lunch
Bluebells
Loch Tay at Kenmore
My view as I write this diary entry

I'm afraid that Google seems to have made commenting on the blog particularly difficult for me (and perhaps others) at the moment, so whilst your comments are appreciated, I may not reply. The last time I tried to comment the text just kept disappearing. Thanks, Google!

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