Beinn Chuirn and Meall Odhar,Tyndrum.

Despite the sunny weather that had been forecast it was a rather drab and dreary Tyndrum when we pulled into the Green Welly shop car park.Had a look at the newspaper and a bag of crisps and still it rained and was murky outside.A quick phone call to Scott, who was marooned in his office, and he checked the latest forecast which confirmed that it should indeed be sunny overhead.!

I persuaded a reluctant Bob that it would do him good to get a few decent hills under his belt again.His facial expression indicated otherwise.! However,the rain stopped immediately we left the car would you believe although the tops were still wearing the usual white shroud which indicates it`s summer time in Scotland.A quick flog through the forest track and we were soon nearing the farm buildings at Cononish.

Looking back down on Cononish...


We carried on a bit further to the high point of the path that contours the side of Beinn Chuirn before striking up the slopes towards the summit.It was easy going in the main but the lower section was knee high grass which meant that we were soaked from the knee down.It`s only fair to point out that Bob had predicted something like this.!

The knees performed their duty and creaked ever upwards and soon enough we reached the wide open tops where the promised sunshine duly arrived.A nice wee walk around the lip of the coire to the summit cairn in t-shirts now.

Bob walks around the lip of the coire....


I had enticed Bob up here with a promise of a visit to the remains of the old lead mines on the return journey.I may have inadvertently omitted the fact that the quickest way was to bag the intervening Graham top of Meall Odhar which lay betweeen us and Tyndrum :) Though he had every reason to complain that`s not really his thing.He really is one of the easiest going guys I have met.So,once more the kness were given a bashing on the steep descent to the col before a steady pull up onto the summit plateau of Meall Odhar.

View back to Beinn Chuirn from the slopes of Meall Odhar....


We lounged around here for an hour or so.

Bob at the summit....



Looking over to the Tyndrum hills....


Zoomed photo of Ben More....


Another 45 minutes took us over the ridge and down to the top of the lead mines.On my last visit here you could enter them at will and I spent a few good hours in them and picked up some good samples of galena in the spoil heaps.The Health and Safety era has arrived in the intervening years though and now there are signs everywhere warning of the dangers and fences around all the entrances as well.


One of the adits....


Anyway,over the fence for a quick visit again.If any legal representatives are reading this I felt justified in ignoring the signage as I though I heard a pussy cat trapped down one of the shafts :)
There`s really not much to see without taking some climbing gear up to abseil down the biggest one.
20 foot drop into a small pool from here....




The heat was getting quite impressive as we walked down from the mines and we were thankful for the short forest stretch at the end for a respite.

Bob taking a pic of a spider near the river...



Paid a quick visit into see Mr.Brodie in Tyndrum for a few cokes and it was good to have a quick word with him and see him still going strong.He must be a fair age now as he was old when I was young :) Bet his knees are in better shape than ours though..!