Bo,ness Station.Kinneil Reserve.Grangemouth.

Its been a great summer in the UK to be an apple apparently.Me I,m just glad I can find pleasure in the lower hills,pastoral scenes and contrasting landscapes as that,s where the better weather normally lies.
I,m a bagger too.I just have my own lists to tick. Visiting different parts of Scotland of Interest (to me anyway) is one of the rewards.

I,ve been to Bo,ness Railway Station a few times over the years.You can take a steam train from here in summer a couple of stations up the line to Birkhill Clay Mine.Departing at Birkhill,also done up as a Victorian Station the energetic could then descend with a guide down a long flight of stairs into the wooded Avon Gorge where the same guide unlocks the massive steel door and takes you on a tour of the underground clay mines.Fireclay was dug out and hauled  from here to be made into durable bricks for industrial furnaces.Unlike most other open to the public Scottish mines I,ve been to which are fairly constricted places you can stroll through this one hands in pockets, the ceiling out of reach, or even drive a mini bus along it if it was allowed.It twists along at a gentle gradient for almost a mile and was one of the lesser known wonders of this area.For families, kids and the more adventure minded tourists it was a unique day out.There was even talk of boat trips through the deeper network of flooded tunnels though that was always just a pipe dream with today's health and safety laws.

I mention this because Birkhill Clay Mine is now closed at present.There is support to save it so hopefully it will not be too late..A rather convenient rock fall has meant it has had to be reviewed.It costs £50,000 a year to run I believe and employs 8 staff.Not sure if their wages are included in that bill (I hope not for their sake).probably just lighting,running costs.maintenance etc.With implemented cut backs about to bite in every region,Its future is in  doubt.To be honest with the level of mounting power bills to cope with and visitor numbers down after a  very poor summer I can see where they are coming from.Hopefully funding will be found however and it will be saved.Part of the problem I think is not enough people outside of the local area know about its existence or want to walk for an hour deep under the ground.Its not an experience you can capture on a computer...or maybe you can? Having just watched a programme which highlighted the fact that wildlife and countryside TV Programmes are at an all time high yet most of the viewers will not be regular explorers of areas outside of their own immediate.neighbourhood maybe that's the problem.People like the idea of  having countryside but in reality its always getting squeezed,changed ,moulded or lost altogether.Unfortunately once these places are gone they are  usually gone for good due to  rising water seepage in mines.Make a good landfill site though as we are running out of them. The mine is not owned by the Steam railway company which remains open..You can still take the return train ride on a steam train and  then visit the adjoining Scottish railway museum and harbour area which is interesting in itself but a truly unique experience with the mine journey included may be yet another memory of the past.It will not be the only thing to expire.Expect other examples to follow soon as everyone now gets patted on the back finding new ways to save money.I,m not normally political. I find most things to do with politics boring in the extreme.But.... (a but  included here just for Ken :)
Think the old cigarette sign at the top is out of date with its message? Don't believe the words? A more modern one  might read.
"The bankers and the Politicians will share the  hardship of these cuts just like the rest of us". Aye right.
Its a real shame if it closes because there is nothing else like it in Scotland.
Mc Cowans Highland Toffee factory  in nearby Stenhousemuir seem to have made the last bar of jaw jammer as well,victim of changing tastes and times.However the proclaimers can send an Email to America now instead of a letter.Time always marches on sweeping anything that cant keep up into the gutter.
Wham bars,pan drops and Bon bons also bite the dust when its closed.
They were making an Advert or Film  in this train station when I visited.A production crew busy screwing up modern hoardings with what looked like designer clad models on them. Remakes of the Railway Children and The 39 Steps have been made here but I don't think this was a period piece somehow.I got short shrift from the female in charge of the crew when I asked what they were going to be filming and were there any spare models kicking  around or stars arriving  in person that wanted a free tour.Well,  it never hurts to ask.

Bo,ness itself is a funny town.It has a lot of old interesting buildings and a few picturesque old alleyways.It has had and is still getting a makeover with several restoration projects going on.It,s got potential. It could rival Linlithgow as a place for tourists to visit if it had just a few more streets of ancient houses and they were clustered together more.It has fine buildings but they are scattered or in a line along an upper hillside which a lot of less able visitors don't like.It has free car parks though and an interesting nature reserve nearby which is where I was heading now. Its main tourist drawback though will become evident by the end of this post.It is in sight of something.Something large and overpowering.Something dark.

This is the Kinneil Foreshore Reserve just outside the town.Its really beautiful.It has a large car park and is well used.A great asset to the town and the reason I was here.I had my bike with me and set off....a cunning plan in mind.You can travel much further on a bike.
I was here once in the mid 1980.s when it looked pretty bleak and barren though the insects still enjoyed it.Up until 1983 this was the site of the former Kinneil Colliery then it was landscaped with waste materials,a large tidal island created and trees planted that would thrive on such poor soil.It just shows you how an area can be transformed.Now its lush and verdant with some wildlife and a nice place for a  few hours walk.

Many humans walking dogs seem to enjoy it and why not? It has extensive views over the Forth.The reason for the bike however was to visit a sleeping monster just in sight in the distance.One of the great dragons of our age,without which the entire country couldn't, function but which is usually shunned or ignored by the eye of the beholder.I ,ve always been fascinated by this particular monster and with the bike I could cycle out past the reserve and right into the belly of the beast,getting up close and personnel as it were to within touching distance of its hot foul breath....Grangemouth.

I was close enough here to almost feel the heat off the gas flares.There is a grassy track that leads out the reserve and heads west along the estuary right into the heart of swampy marshlands surrounded by a myriad of cooling towers,pipe racks and storage tanks.Its an extreme head trip as birds and animals actually seem to enjoy being here within touching distance,under the  dark shadow cast by this vast Petrochemical and oil refinery complex.The only one of its kind in Scotland.

Nature will always surprise you.Thousands of birds were here,feeding in the not too clean looking marshes.Vast flocks of waders,gulls,crows,finches and smaller assorted others.This in turn attracted predators like foxes, hawks,stoats and weasels.The place was bouncing with life.Far more than on the scenic nature reserve.It brings into question the nature of beauty as its such a  hard thing to define.Even four people in a room may have different views on what it is.To a proportion of wildlife it  just seems to be a place far away from human activity.To our eyes you might think they would prefer pristine uplands or  rural farmlands or the nearby nature reserve but this place has several things going for it.Few people ever come here....It has food, water and shelter....Its tidal....and I bet in winter time its hotter than the surrounding landscape.

I will not lie to you though.It,s very far from paradise here.Its pretty scabby to most peoples eyes. Right up close to the complex and downwind there was a strong and acrid flavour to the air,metalic almost and  little bits of ash fell down on me on occasion.If I had to work here every day I,m not sure
 I,d like it much but a job is a job and the pay is probably good for many with all those volatile substances around on site stretching for miles.
 As a one off visit though...Wow ... its right up there!

I carried on half expecting to be stopped by a security vehicle until I arrived at the natural barrier of the River Avon mouth.lt felt like being in a sprawling industrial kitchen, one belonging to an entity that looked on humans with little favour or regard.
This is where my trip ended in this direction.I had lunch here sitting on an estuary wall,sharing my almond slices with  two bare tailed , not so little, companions moving around on the muddy shoreline below me.I was careful not to place my hands anywhere they might have been for obvious reasons but I didn't mind giving them a few leftovers.They looked at me with fearless curiosity while eating. A dark garden of Eden.
Beauty is variable depending on what you need in Life.A peaceful home.A place to feed.Somewhere to feel safe.... to breed,thrive and survive.For eyes other than ours this is obviously a great place to be.

An unusual and interesting place.

Stronend.Culcreuch Castle Estate.

For anyone who has not been up this Magnificent hill....What are you waiting for?
There are not many hills I,d  do again and again but this is one. I,ve been up Stronend a dozen times over the years since I first discovered it.For my money its the finest hill in both the Campsie and Fintry ranges and for its size (511 metres)  its one of the best within fifty miles of Glasgow.
Its hard to describe what makes it so good exactly but I,ll try.

The drive out past Killearn and Balfron is beautiful past the popular and almost as good Dumgoyne with its lay by stuffed with cars and walkers then round to the much quieter and serene Corrie of Balglass. For once I,d deliberately picked a Sunday outing trip in poor weather as I fancied something different for a change. Heavy intense showers were forecast throughout the central belt of Scotland mingled in with scattered bright periods.This was during our so called Indian summer heatwave which never really happened except in England.It was very warm though and a risk of thunder was a possibility.I like a good thunder and lightning storm me. What I can never work up a passion for is dull ,drab weather  and grey skies,lifeless with no energy.If I go out walking on days like this I always feel the same. I never really enjoy them.
This though was different.The morning had a brooding, pulsing edge to it that had my senses tingling.The animals could feel it too.

Fintry is a smashing little community.A true mountain town if ever there was one,sandwiched in the deep gap between the Campsie Fells and the Fintry hills.It should really be the hub of walking in this entire area considering its surroundings but the hills lie mainly empty.In countless visits,winter or summer I,ve met few folk on the upper slopes.This is the other side from Stronend. Dunmore and Dechrode.Also a fine outing if combined with Allanrowie and Earl,s Seat.Also beautiful but empty hills and ridge lines.

Maybe parking is why this strange state of affairs exists.There are double yellow lines on most of the best parking spots now but the B822 road lay by area beside the rugby fields next to the Culcreuch Castle entrance is empty except on match days and there are other safe areas nearby to park unobtrusively if you look.It is never a problem for one or two cars to get a space anywhere mainly because so few people come here to climb these fantastic hills.Its a puzzle.

When I started out these farm cows were sheltering under any trees they could find in a Capability  Brown style landscape.The rain was hammering down now.Mind you if the thunder and lightning materialised I,d not fancy my chances there.A whole herd of fifteen or so bullocks were killed a few years ago doing exactly the same thing on the eastern hills outside Edinburgh.
As it wasn,t fork and boom time just yet  though I hugged the trees  myself  all along the lane then walked  up past the estate loch where several fishing tents and poles were sticking out,owners snuggled deep and safe inside the canvas while they fished.One of the reasons I,d picked this walk was the shelter it offered throughout this  lovely estate.
Culcreuch Castle is an upmarket hotel ,one of the oldest in Scotland.Its fairly popular with wedding couples getting photos taken in the  grounds.You are still allowed to walk through them though and they are a delight,full of mature Oaks,Giant firs and Redwoods,beech, Ash, Sycamore and  Horse Chestnut.A circluar tour of the main path  through the grounds,up past the castle then on down the  long western entrance towards Fintry Cemetery is a popular local walk as is a pint or a coffee and meal in its restaurant dungeon which is open to the public.Dogs would have to be kept on a lead though until well up the hill due to the numbers of sheep and cattle roaming around,both in the fenced grounds and free on the open hillsides above.Unless they were  well trained.
http://www.culcreuch-castle-hotel.com/

As the castle comes into view just past the small loch a fork in the road occurs.Follow the right hand tarmac across an open car park and the low level hall nearby(parking here with permission.ie Castle hotel or restuarant customers.) and take the lower right hand track that,s signed farm.This is followed past said farm (Barking dogs are normally secure in kennels anytime I,ve passed ) then up left through a gate onto the open hillside.Keep following this track as it zig zags through some lovely scrub land and meadow to the upper balcony of the hill.
Maybe the main reason I like this hill so much is the different levels you pass through at each stage.
Lush woodland  walk....then open grassy meadows...then this.....

The double escarpment of the upper zone.You can avoid this band of crags by trending up right or you can get an easy but thrilling scramble up one of the more open gullies in the middle.Once up here Stronend turns into a proper mountain with a wild almost Peak district feel about the terrain and the outlook..A flat broad ridge is enjoyed rising gently to the cairn and far reaching views over Kippen Muir,the Forth valley and Flanders Moss.... To infinity and beyond!
 It doesn,t feel like a Scottish hill at all,more like a Limestone peak transported to here.A fantastic hill and luckily the good sunny spells matched in with the summit push given a little extra time wasting in the woods with my mushroom guide on my part.I dont eat them as I dont like the taste or texture but I like to know what they are just in case it comes in handy.You never know.
I,ve not changed that much folks.I,m still not going to climb a hill in the pissing rain :0)
A vast flock of geese passed above me close to the summit.Think they were either pink footed or greylags going by the pale breasts and black wings. They look like storks here though.Wierd!

Didn't stay  too long on the summit as it certainly wasn,t heatwave conditions up here.On the way down I could see the dark clouds rolling back in again driven by an increasing wind which at least helped to dry my  still damp clothes.

I was even able to get a photo of a rain shower and sunny patch only a short distance apart so unusual  were the conditions on this strange day.No lightning though.Shame.
Back at the car I headed up over the Muir toll road which crosses  the Campsies,bleak high and empty in yet another sudden downpour.Above Lennoxtown however the rain eased off so I waited a while and I got my best photo of the trip.
Lennox Castle and its Woods boiling in sunshine with mist slowly rising in the evening light.

Magical.A photo can,t really capture the full glory of this moment though.I,ll remember this day for a long time.Wild, empty and timeless scenery. Yet its all under 20 miles from the heart of Glasgow.
The icing on the cake was this sunset just entering Glasgow,s Suburbs once again..Every three or four years you get one as good as this where the clouds seem  to roll like slow motion ocean depths above you.

Yep.I certainly love Stronend! And a  pork chop and stewed apple extravaganza for dinner as my self cooked reward.Happy Days.

Arran Ridge.Casteal Abhail.Ceum Na Caillich Horseshoe.

It shows you how mediocre a summer it's been weather wise when the last time we did any islands off the west coast of Scotland occurred months ago.It's been the dullest and coldest summer since 1993 apparently. Obviously, we are only going to do them in fine conditions but even single good days on the mountain ranges of the west were few and far between despite watching the forecasts expectantly every Friday evening for a quick weekend dash across. A return to Arran was always on the cards but dull predictions gave us little hope.
After slogging through the usual mile of trackless knee deep heather on ruggedly good but  unspectacular Beinn a Choin with Alex last week I was almost howling when I reached the summit.  Arran and the Paps of Jura were in bright sunshine."Why are we here when we could be over there?" I asked him."We`ve missed a great opportunity to get back to the islands again"
"If it's good next week we`ll go ."Alex said,a bit peeved himself as its years since he`s been on that golden ridge.

Sunday dawned cold and wet.It didn't look too promising after heavy overnight rain which was slow to clear.It was freezing on the ferry over but the forecast said it would start to turn into a fine day by 10am so we could only believe that and hope for the best.

Bang on time the clouds started to drift apart and Brodick came into view along with this wind turbine ship.They would look rather fetching scattered all along the ridge line and would  attract  more tourists to the area as a result. Better not joke about it too much...you never know :o(
We departed the ferry and quickly caught a bus round to North Glen Sannox as we intended to do the sweeping horseshoe of jagged peaks from Sail an Im round Carn Mor then Caisteal Abhail and then the tricky ridge of Ceum Na Caillich (the infamous Witches Step) back to the glen.I`d done Caisteal Abhail myself from Glen Rosa not that long ago but apart from the summit slopes of that peak all this route would be new ground for both of us.

I  never need an excuse to go to Arran anyway. It's my favourite mountain ridge by far,even beating Skye (for me at least ) which is harder and good fun but doesn`t have the same variety or sheer beauty of  combined elements.(I can hear the howls of disbelief already :)
Nice waterfalls in the glen were soon replaced by a deep roaring cleft then round boulders of granite and a faint path weaving upwards onto the ridge.We had several stops for me to have a munch of something and Alex to rest his foot.

All being well this will be our friend Brian's last Graham over there...or so I was told by the groaning one. I only feel some sympathy for him as he could be doing great cycle rides or easy coastal walks which would not hurt his foot as much but recently he`s taken to doing the most rugged, ball breaking, knee grinding, out of the way Corbetts he can find instead. (Punish that foot boy give it hell!) I have nothing against Corbetts as there are many fine ones I`ve really enjoyed but a few of them are a tad uninteresting it has to be said...After miles of bog slog and effort just large grey lumps of tussock, rock, holes and heather. Certain parts of Galloway springs to mind here. At this time of year with the vegetation at its most rampant and deep it's very heavy going underfoot as there is little in the way of paths.Alex soldiers on though. A driven man. . I tag along....slightly less committed.

By contrast the Arran ridge is a joy to walk along. Sharp sweeping ridges....little sparking clear pools of water tucked in hollows between the boulders or just sitting in deep potholes on bare rock....short grass, golden in colour when the sun shines on it.....enormous strange shaped rock towers rising out of a flat plateau.  Towers so sublime and ornately stacked it's hard to believe nature made them at all...it`s just special...  It`s.... it`s..............its.......quick nurse the screens!

On a full days ridge walk we only met other folk on two occasions.This  happy group passed us on the ridge early on and then a fit looking guy who was an even keener bagger than Alex. When my companion explained to him I wasn't counting Corbetts they both looked at me sadly as if I had an unfortunate condition to overcome. A short time later we reached the summit of Caisteal Abhail which must be one of the best summits anywhere.

You can`t go wrong up here photography wise. Just point and shoot which is why I know Alex will have a different set of photos to me. Normally I might take 80 shots on a day out and have ten clear best ones but I took over 200 on Arran and most are worth  posting. Cutting it down to only a few is the hard part.

So far it had been delightful but easy walking.Then came the Witches Step,a deep notch in an already jagged ridge of Pinnacles and rock towers. Scrambling on Arran granite is not easy. It's like a beetle climbing a stack of oranges sometimes if there are few holds available to help you climb these smooth rounded lumps.

Alex made a better job of this than me.The boy has still got it.

This descent into the notch was not as easy as it looks.The rock down here out the sun was still wet and slippy,also granite erodes into round marbles under your feet on the ledges and the  easy route was backwards down this rock groove to where Alex's feet are. I had a worried moment here until I discovered two small one finger jugs then a foothold. Luxury!
We had a look at the direct upward line on the pinnacle itself but it looked hard and neither of us were that keen so we took the easier option of the rising left traverse seen in the full pinnacle photo above.This was hard enough for me as it was cold and damp down here and the sun had been replaced by dark angry clouds by this time. It's amazing how your mood and the surroundings can change in the space of five minutes with just one big black cloud  hanging above you.The rest of the ridge was without problems and we made it back down to the road around six o,clock in the evening.
A fantastic day out.
Walking along the road towards Sannox we met some of our club who had been doing the Five Ferries tour on bikes.They also had been blessed with a smashing day.  Brodick round to Lochranza then ferry across to Claonaig on Kintyre..then Tarbet to Portavadie ferry then round the Kyles of Bute to Colintraive ferry,across to Bute then Ferry from Rothesay to Wemyss Bay.They were doing it in reverse and were on the last leg.Although 56 miles and a lot of hills later they looked fresher than us.We were older and cream crackered ,Alex with his foot, me with painful knees.
A good Samaritan  passing in a car took pity on us hobbling down the road and took us into Brodick.(thank you kind Sir) This meant we had time for a takeaway supper from the chip shop at the pier before getting the ferry.Mine was a steak pie,Alex's was a sausage supper I think.The seagulls enjoyed his leftovers as usual as he never likes his yet keeps buying the same one.(punish that stomach boy- give it hell!)
Got the bike team back over on the ferry and arrived back in Ardrossan  in the dark.A bit of a shock as that`s the first time for many months it's been dark while we were still out after a hill day.You just get used to it then... bam...winters round the corner again and the land starts slowly shutting down preparing for the long sleep ahead.
As usual I`ll be avoiding that fate for as long as possible,hugging any pockets of green warmth and lush growth I can find like a limpet :o) Forth the old frost dodger!

The bike team.

Loch Lomond.The Islands.Camping Trip.

I am lucky enough to know a family who own a boat.Occasionally,if there is space,they are kind enough to invite me to tag along.One such trip happened this spring when we went on an overnight camping trip to Loch Lomond.
The family consisted of Gail, John,their  teenage daughter Morven and her same age friend Jennifer.
It was a  family geocaching trip so it was a magical mystery tour as to where we would go or where we ended  up.
At 23 miles long and just under 5 miles wide at the southern end Loch Lomond has plenty of space to get lost in.It also contains a stunning archipelago of  23 named islands,some big some tiny but all  different and unique.A few are flat with wide sandy beaches,others are high and rugged,covered in thick mixed woodland of Caledonian Pine and deciduous trees,mainly oak,alder and silver birch.A couple of the islands have working farms with fields, meadows and cattle.There is even a seasonal pub on Inchmurrin the largest Island with a notice that says...."no wet suits at the bar".

This is the village of Luss seen from the loch.It used to be famous for the  highland  TV soap"Take The High Road" but even though that's long finished its still a popular and pretty village that pulls in the tourists in huge numbers.
We parked at Balloch and set off from there as thats where the  main slipway is.All motor craft have to be registered and given a number before they can sail on the Loch.I think kayaks and canoes are ok though as I never had any bother when I used to explore here but that was before it became a National Park.
The geocaching went well and we found a couple of  little boxes hidden over the length of the loch and on islands.As far as I understand the rules you find  little waterproof boxes filled with either trinkets,toys coins,notes etc.If you take any away to keep you have to leave one behind of your own with stuff of a greater or equal value.Its like a treasure hunt  with different levels of difficulty of hiding places depending on  personal ability as caches can be placed halfway up a mountain, on a rock climb,in woods,swamps and even underwater.In the USA a few people have even disappeared permanently, lost out in the wilderness still looking for boxes.Its very popular worldwide and can be quite addictive ...or so I`m told. In a lot of national parks they are not allowed.

From my point of view it worked out well as we set up  the campsite in the middle group of  larger islands  seen in the first photo then headed off towards the northern end of the loch.This is narrower than the south end and is much deeper going down to over 600 feet in places.It only has a few small islands dotted around but as we had to search the mainland banks for hidden items we thought we might as well  pay them a visit too.This was an  unexpected bonus for me as I managed to then bag the last remaining islands not reached by kayak  from years ago.Felt good to collect the  full set at long last.

Inveruglas Isle has the remains of MacFarlanes Castle on it, reputedly destroyed by Cromwells troops in the 17th century.The same unfortunate clan also had a castle on nearby Eilean I Vow but its the same story there...only a  sunken dungeon remains which you walk down steps to enter.Its a lonely little place remembering past glories buried deep in its stones.

Being spring loads of Canada geese had nests on both these islands so we didn`t want to disturb them,just a quick in and out to touch the beach in the case of Inveruglas.These birds are not slow to let you know they are upset though.You can tell this one is a bit peeved.

Next up was Eilean I Vow which sits at a narrow part of the Loch.Its almost a perfect circle,covered in dark yew trees,juniper and ivy.Very green and it has a slightly creepy feel at night.I`ve slept in the dungeon  once years ago during my kayak years.

This is the boat with John the sometime skipper (driving is a family enterprise with everybody taking a shot at the helm) It was actually a great time to be on the loch.Being spring It was fairly quiet boat wise as it was overcast most of the weekend but didn`t rain.On a lovely sunny day during peak season it can get too busy at times,boats jet skiers  fishermen and campers all trying to find a peaceful bay to call thier own.
We bagged a third island,Wallace Isle then headed back via Rob Roys Prison on the West Highland Way,a well hidden cave only found because it has CAVE in large letters above it.If it didn`t you would never find it which was rather the point when Rob Roy  used it.

This is the popular Inversnaid Hotel,reached by a narrow twisting road which the tourist coach drivers must love.
It was a great evening. Not too cold for sitting out by the tents, clear with only a few midges soon removed by a small  fire as loads of drift wood lay around on the sands nearby.The family had a good BBQ dinner prepared by Gail which looked lovely and I as usual  had my favourite standout of  smoked beechwood sausages,pineapple chunks,tomatoes and  onions  grilled over the coals on sticks.Perfection.

This is some of the family meal prepared by Gail and the girls.Yum Yum.Its making me hungry even now!!
After a pleasant evening of watching boats drift by,stars come out and  then a hanging lantern and candle show set up by the girls we adults broke out the wine, cheese,nuts,crisps and beer.A couple of  hours or so later it got too chilly for the girls so they went  off to bed .John I stayed up  talking by the fire,had another couple of cheeky beers, munched crisps and then a plate of  burnt leftovers found nearby (as good as a kebab) and generally had a mellow time.For me it was a nice feeling  just being part of an extended family group for a short period,a  rare novelty as all my close relatives stay  over in Australia.Most of the time I`m happy on my own but its nice to compare the difference occasionally.

There`s always something really special about camping on an island and it felt a lot further and more remote than 20 miles from Glasgow with a surrounding population of two and a half million souls.Its best explored in spring and autumn though when its empty and wild like this.A great trip.

As Tom Weir used to say."You only know Loch Lomond properly if you visit its islands".
Inchmurrin and Inchcailloch can be reached by small  ferry boat or hired rowboat.(take plenty of rowers,its harder than you think) I believe there is still a post boat service operating some days from Balmaha and several " tour the  central  island trips" run  in summer from Luss for those interested. £9.50 a head plus concessions for OAPs and children.http://www.incallander.co.uk/bustimes.htm My choice would be the Luss tour round the central islands (not landing but scenic or MacFarlanes boatyard which has a choice of options available.The larger tour boats tend to be £££.
Wildlife you might see if you are lucky include ducks ,geese ,ospreys,buzzards,capercallie (five left on Inch......? I think),fallow and red deer and wallabies.
Yeah....some still survive for now.Support your local  jumping pouch puppies.Furry  introduced children of the 60`s.The capercallie can bugger off to some of the other islands.Keep the trapped tail bouncers.They don`t need any money spent to save them they do fine by themselves and are much loved by many people.Furry love beats feathers any day :o)
http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/looking-after/help-save-the-capercaillie/menu-id-650.html

Off  now for some well deseved home made pizza.Over and out.

Banton.Kilsyth Hills,Colzium Estate.

When I go a walk ,As most people probably know by now,I,m  just looking for a  variety of habitats and surroundings.I no longer feel that need to throw my poor floppy body up the highest  mountains every time if its just a solo walk,mainly because that same poor body will suffer in the process and I can have as much fun lower down.(Mind you I still like reading about other people suffering pain ,thirst and starvation on the mountains as long as its not me.Oh Yes ,Even today as the wind from the remains of Hurricane Katia rocks the house I think of brave folk on holiday struggling up the hills in the rain enjoying the 80 miles an hour winds...  take a long sip of fizzy orange and munch another cream scone. Happy days!) I was actually suffering high myself last Sunday on a Corbett but as Alex usually posts these I,ll wait  for now.If I had to pick my perfect solo day however it would be one with contrasting scenery,good weather conditions,loads of interesting nature and hopefully a new area to explore.
If I had to pick my best  buy in an OS map It would be the one of Glasgow.Forty  tattered years later I,m still finding new areas to explore on it.
I actually discovered the pleasant little village of Banton  for the first time on a cycle ride last year but it was just in passing.I did notice this rights of way sign however.When I got back to the house I had a  close study of the map as if seeing its potential with new eyes and promised myself a future visit on foot..One of the benefits of all the new signage around these days is walks that before were the preserve of locals only are now more obvious to everyone else.

Banton is a lovely wee place.It still has an old mill building  in use as a modern base for two companies.In the old days according to another handy sign it was a weaving mill and the Girls from Kilsyth used to Walk the Lade trail to Banton to get to work.Most of the men in the area then worked down the nearby pits.
I parked at Colzium House as its good parking in this Estate and as their local park its a great asset to the surrounding Community.Hopefully that will continue into the future as new housing nibbles its edges and cut backs everywhere means less money available for upkeep and maintainance of parks and gardens.It looks splendid just now though.

The round monument commemorates a victory for the royalists under the command of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose who defeated a larger army of Covenanters in the vicinity of Banton Loch.Old relics and objects from that time are still being found occasionally in the fields around the loch.It can get boggy in the marshlands near here but this is something else again!!!  When digging the nearby Forth and Clyde Canal an unlucky trooper was found trapped and preserved in  a bog from that time still astride his horse.What a sticky end.What a Bog!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kilsyth
A good trail leads from the park along the south shore of the loch then into Banton itself.Dragon flies and damsel flies danced around reedy margins and it still felt like summer though it had been a chilly morning.This little snail is enjoying the sun while it can.

I kept going and was soon climbing up to high Banton then through two green gates just before the entrance to Glenhead farm which took me into the open fields and onto the Kilsyth Hills.This was new territory for me.An obvious track on the map leads to Berryhill farm via the ruins of Drumnessie.It was a pleasant walk ,warm with good views over towards Cumbernauld and the upland plains Alex and I were cycling on a few weeks ago.

Smashing scenery and just below the clouds enveloping the higher mountain ranges around in the distance.

Apart from cattle and sheep roaming around its a fine lonely walk with an open feel about it.The route brings you out high on the Tak ma Doon road from Kilsyth to Carron Bridge,a favourite for keen bikers as its a killer of a climb when peddling.
Luckily I was descending so it was fairly painless.There was a local woman riding her horse beside the golf course and I couldn't resist a photo as it summed up what a smashing wild area this is.I was hoping she would break into a full blown gallop but she just managed a trot.Shame.Horses galloping against a dramatic landscape is always high on my photographic tick list.

Did manage another long held photo tick though.I,ve lost count of the number of insect photos I,ve taken where the background is not right ,the subject flies off ,or its out of focus.I don,t have the patience or willingness to set it up under controlled conditions to get that perfect shot as  I like the spontaneity of the moment as it happens rather than the technical aspects involved.If I get it fair enough if not ..there,s always a next time.

Quite pleased with this though as bumble bees never stay still for me when the camera has to be right in their face to get a decent shot.
Ended the walk with a stroll round the fabulous walled Garden at Colzium estate.For its size (its tiny) it has to be the best use of planting and paths I,ve seen in a walled enclosure of this type in Scotland.

One thing I did notice on the way back from this area was a place outside the estate.Inside the estate  there was this good example of a stream system in full summer bloom.

A natural enough scene with a good habitat for wildlife.
then again  there  is this.....

Although it looks beautiful in flower and was first introduced as a garden plant for that reason Japanese knot weed was soon seen to be an extremely aggressive plant outside of its native homeland where it has naturally evolved insects and predator controls  to keep it in check.Left unattended anywhere  here it can grow through roads ,concrete,cover vast areas quickly and spreads even faster if you cut bits off it or dig it up and throw it away.The last ten years I,ve noticed every river system in Scotland become a breeding ground for another beautiful but invasive plant... Himalayan or Indian Balsam.This seems to have started out in Kew gardens in Victorian times then escaped into the wild.Its taken a long time to arrive up here but every summer it blocks out more and more of the variety of riverside plants til it becomes the only species left.In winter, when it dies down ,you get a bare riverbank which is then open to erosion.A lot of people  don't recognise them near their house til its too late.There have  been extreme cases of Knotweed even coming up through floorboards.
If you want to know what real life triffids look like...... here they be.

Coming soon to a location near you..........