A magnificent sunrise after we got our first real snowfall of the year.
Category: Landscape
Magnificant views to Glasgow, Slackdhu and Strathblane on the way down from a late afternoon walk up Dumbreck on New Year’s Day.
We went out for a drive to Loch Lomond and a walk along the shore from Milarrochy Bay.
For a change, we decided to take a scenic drive through the Trossachs and up to Loch Katrine for a an afternoon wander along the loch shores.
Loch Katrine turned out to be extremely quiet, with only a handful of cars from walkers parked in the massive car park. Unlike to usual hustle and bustle with busloads of tourists, the firmly shut tourist shops, cafe’s and boats looking more like a recently abandoned ghost town than a tourist hot spot.
We wandered out and back along the slightly uninspiring tarmac road along the North shore of the loch on what turned out to be a very bleak day. The Scots pines on the South shore and the winter colours of steep slopes of Ben Venue providing some interest.
We hardly go for a walk at Loch Ardinning these days as it is virtually impossible to park and extremely overcrowded due to the reserve being a top hotspot for walkers that is within Covid lockdown restrictions from the city.
On a late afternoon we decided to take a punt and headed up for a walk late afternoon after most people had left or were on their way back.
The walk up onto Muirhouse Muir was well worth it with the stunning views of the Slackdhu Craggs above Strathblane bedded in the warm evening sun.
A walk along the shores of Loch Lomond from Balmaha or Milarrochy Bay has fast become a regular afternoon outing for us during Covid lockdown. It is surprisingly quiet at Loch Lomond, especially in contrast to the extremely over crowded walking hot spots closer to home that are within about 5 miles of the city.
This is one of the big benefits of living in a remote corner of Stirlingshire that is more akin to the city, meaning we can head up to Loch Lomond and even as far as Crianlarich and Killin without breaking the lockdown rules.
After a refreshing walk along the East shore of Loch Lomond from Milarrochy Bay, we enjoyed the start of the sunset from the warmth of our car with a cup of tea/coffee. Just before the sun disappeared behind the horizon, we went out to admire a fabulous sunset and the amazing red glow on the bare trees along the shore.
The photo of the sunset with the silhouette of the famous oak tree is perhaps my best photo of the year.
With the car booked in for an MOT in Lennoxtown on a spectacular sunny day, I decided to take the morning off work, drop the car off at the garage and walk home along the stretch of the John Muir Way running from Lennoxtown to Strathblane that is locally also known as the railway path.
Not long into my walk along the railway path, I caught the first glimpse in the distance of Dunglass, a spectacular volcanic plug that is partly quarried and marks the point where I would need to leave the railway path to cross the fields for the last stretch home.
Dunglass darts in and out of my view along the route, but shortly after passing Craigend Farm, the view of Dunglass with a lead in of the meandering Pow Burn, a tributary to the River Endrick, was simply stunning.
I was so glad I made the decision to walk home and take my camera, as the weather and views were spectacular.
This morning’s sunrise was quite spectacular.
Autumn colours at Ballagan.
There is nothing nicer than an early morning walk with Lola when the ground is frosty.
The Spout of Ballagan in the Ballagan Glen nature reserve that is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Maggie’s Cove is a delightful cove on the South shore of Loch Tay some 5 miles East of Killin.