If you fancy something more active than sipping Pimms (other brands also available) and scoffing strawberries on Sunday while watching a couple of people hit a ball back and forth.  Back and forth.  Back and forth.  (see what I mean)  then why not try the great Scottish outdoors instead?  And what’s so great about a massive sliding roof anyway?  (apart from the size of the bill)

Sunday’s walk https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/angus/monega-glas-maol.shtml offers magnificent views out over the Cairngorms followed by an even more spectacular and unusual approach to Glenshee and the hills beyond.  Three summits with most of it along a horseshoe ridge which narrows delightfully as you approach the final stretch atop Glenshee.

What’s not to like?  But if that’s insufficient to tickle your taste buds and you want something truly different, there’s (optional) wild swimming to be had in the River Isla.  Contact Dennis for info on the best spots.

And for dessert there’s a Corbett thrown in (but with a sneaky route to the side which may be even more tempting).

Start point is Auchavan at the end of the road up Glen Isla.  Let’s meet there at 9.30 for a 10 o’clock start.  Hope to see you then.

Other active pursuits are also available on Sunday e.g. storming the Bastille, but few with such fantastic views or excellent company.  Or you can veg on the sofa marvelling at how much money can be spent on something to keep the fresh air out.  Your choice!

Sunday’s walk comprises two Munros that form the westward end of the great Ben Lawers ridge. The start, at almost 550 metres, makes this a short round for baggers but the terrain is very rough – and peat bogs unavoidable but still worth the outing.

Unfortunately neither Bill, Sandy nor I can make the walk but Jo has bravely stepped in to be there and she will be there in her black campervan.

There is parking just north of the summit of the Lairig an Lochain road that links Loch Tay with Glen Lyon, marked by a large cairn (Grid ref NN 593 416 for those of you that like that sort of thing). The days are long so let’s meet at 10.00 for a 10.30 start.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/meall-corranaich.shtml

As Bill told you last time, we have been invited to join Bill Cook’s ‘training for Morocco’ walk on Sunday. There is a selection of walks in the Pentlands ranging from 1/2 an hour to 5 hours – so there is something suitable for everyone. When we have finished there is the Flotterstone Pub with a good selection of beers. It is close to civilisation so we should have a reasonable turnout.

The meeting point is Flotterstone car park at 11.00 for a 11.30 start (positively civilised timing)

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lothian/glencorse.shtml

This is also going to be Bill C’s charity walk for the Little Sherpas Foundation, so he is asking for a donation of £10 on the day.

As always if you need/want to be involved in car-sharing let me know and I’ll see what can be done.

Not just one!  Not even 2!  Beinn a Ghlo https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/beinn-a-ghlo.shtml  has no fewer than 3 summits to play with.

Do you feel lucky?  How much of gambler are you?  Roll a dice.  Does your answer divide by 3?  Then you’re on for 3 summits.  Divide by 2?  Maybe you should settle for 2 summits, skip the last one and retire gracefully down the Allt Bealach an Fhiodha and invest the 2 hours you just saved in the pub instead.  (You’ll still have earned it.)  That third and final summit Beinn Gabhar translates as “Hill of the Goat”.  Draw your own conclusion!

But not just a gamble.  Also continuity.  This will be my own third visit here and I would dearly love to see more than the figure of Sandy striding about 50m ahead of me.  I reckon the views must be pretty impressive but not for nothing does the Gaelic mean “hill of the mists”.  Roll that dice!

Continuity in various other ways also.  As in a couple of recent walks we will have an A team and a B team (maybe even a C team if your answer only divides by one!).  Think I’ve already decided which one I’m in.

Start point is at the end of the public road signed for Monzie and leading from Bridge of Tilt via Fenderbridge.  Parking is in a rough layby on the left just beyond a cattle grid near Loch Moraig (which you can’t see!)

This is a long day, whichever way the dice falls, but we have good long daylight also.  So let’s meet at 9.30 for a 10 o’clock kick off.  That should see both/all 3 teams arrive back at the pub about 5pm.

Anyone up for a shy retiring Corbett?  Bein Mholach https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/beinn-mholach.shtml sits “off the beaten track” but can be approached using reasonable tracks most of the way.

Starting point is the parking area before level crossing, near Dalnaspidal Lodge – which just happens to be where the walk started last time.  Let’s meet there at 9.30 for a 10 o’clock start.

Numbers look like being down this Sunday cos of other distractions so please let me know if you’re up for this.  Usual shout-out if you’r offering or looking for a carshare.

The observant among you will have noticed that this week’s walk has changed from the original one in the programme.
The walk is a couple of Corbetts that anyone who has driven up/down the A9 over Drumochter will have see – but not necessarily noticed. Meall na Leitreach and The Sow of Atholl.
Meall na Leitreach – a moorland plateau whose western flanks drop steeply to Loch Garry – provides a quick and straightforward hillwalk from Dalnaspidal Lodge. The ascent provides good views to the north looking through the Drumochter Pass.
The Sow of Atholl – also known by its Gaelic name of Meall an Dobharchain – is a familiar sight to travellers through the Drumochter Pass, presenting steep slopes to the north and east.
Both walks start from Dalnaspidal lodge and should each take about 2.5 hours this give us the opportunity to be flexible with the walk depending on weather, fitness and enthusiasm.
There is parking on the approach road to Dalnaspidal Lodge, just before the level crossing over the railway. Let’s meet there at 10.00 for a 10.30 start.
As usual if you want to carshare get in touch and we will see what we can do.
As a reminder EWG has both a website and a Facebook page which have details of the programme and the walks.
https://easywalkinggroup.co.uk/2018/11/20/walks-for-2019/
https://www.facebook.com/Easy-Walking-Group-208038396036513/

Sunday’s walk goes in for a bit of lateral thinking.  Think Schiehallion then think about looking AWAY from Schiehallion across the other side of the B846.   What’s more, think Schiehallion and all its glorious views but without the boulder field at the top!  Views so good that you are looking DOWN on the spot called “Queen’s View”.  Plus you get not just one but two Corbetts and a barytes mine to play with!  Even the weather forecast looks good (for walking – not sunbathing) and there’ll almost certainly be an attractive fringe of white on the big stuff nearby – Schiehallion, Lawers and Beinn y Ghlo to name but three.  Feeling spoiled yet?

Yes, it’s the unpronounceable Meall Tairneachan and the slightly easier Farragon Hill. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/farragon-hill.shtml

The start point is at the foot of the Foss Mine track just off the B846 between Aberfeldy and Tummel Bridge. There is no parking on the start of the track itself, but there is limited space on the verge of the main road nearby so carsharing highly recommended.  Shout out if you have a spare seat or want one.

Let’s meet there at 10 o’clock for a 10.30 start.  That should see us back at the cars and heading to a pub (name tbd) by 5 o’clock.

Well Bill’s off to London to try and stop the lemmings dragging the rest of us over the cliff, so you’ll have to put up with my less erudite spiel.

This Sunday’s walk is up the Angus Glens. A fantastic circuit of Glen Lee taking in pretty Loch Lee and then climbing steeply past the Falls of Unich and the Fall of Damff to cross open moorland and descend the track on the Shank of Inchgrundle. 

A shorter, less strenuous walk would be to visit the first waterfall and return the same way.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/angus/loch-lee.shtml

The weather seems to be relatively settled so we could have to good views. Let’s meet at the car park at Invermark, near the head of Glen Esk at 9.45 for a 10.15 start.

Magical, majestic, soaring, vertiginous, awe inspiring, craggy, towering.  All adjectives that you commonly find in front of “cliffs”.  They are amazing phenomena.  No fading out to sea like a beach does or the wishy washy compromise of a tangle of rocks.  Cliffs are uncompromising.  They make a statement.  Here endeth terra firma.  Here starteth your journey into the unknown vastness of the wild seas.

And, of course, Arbroath Cliffs was a famous film star of the 1930’s.  Only kidding.  But he should have been.  An opportunity missed by Hollywood I feel, though the moniker did enjoy a certain popularity in the 60’s.  Cliff Mitchelmore, Cliff Hanley and of course, Bachelor Boy?

Sunday’s walk will, of course, live up to all these adjectives.  https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/angus/arbroath-cliffs.shtml

7 miles of captivating scenery and well worth carrying a camera for – though, in truth, you’ll never quite capture that mysterious essence.  Possibly also worth bringing a geology book.  Or you can bluff it.  Who will know?

Let’s meet at 10.30 for an 11 o’clock kick-off at the start point which is at the north end of the road along the front at the north end of Arbroath; there’s a car park at the far end of Victoria Park, near the public toilets.

Can you let me know  if you’re planning to be there cos it’s a semi-linear walk and we may want to leave a car at both ends rather than rely on public transport?

And who knows what a fortnight after Sunday will bring?  Now there, indeed, is a cliffhangar.

Most of the regular faces have allowed themselves to be seduced by other pleasures or duties this coming weekend.  So I’m taking back control!  (Read Animal Farm, if you haven’t already, to see where this’ll lead!)

Some slight modifications to the Basic Law –

1. Not everything which goes on 2 legs is evil.  But anything which doesn’t feel like collapsing onto 4 legs from time to time is suspect.
2. Anything which has wings is indeed a friend – but only if they offer to carry your backpack
3. No animal shall kill any other animal – unless their navigation skills have meant a 10 mile detour when self defence shall permit that course of action in order to avoid further ASB.
4. Animals shall be permitted to wear clothes – indeed for some, it is highly desirable.
5. No animal shall sleep in a bed – or at least not while on a walk.  Heather is OK at any time.
6. No animal shall drink alcohol – preposterous
7. All animals are equal  –  I rest my case

Taking back control means I fancy a shorter drive time (and of course also that no one else gets a say in that) so Sunday’s walk will be the lovely Ben Cleuch Circular

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/maps/map3_4af.shtml

Starting point is Upper Mill Street which branches north from the main road towards the west end of Tillicoultry.  All animals should meet there at 9.30 for a 10 o’clock start.

Probably best if you email me or text my mobile to let me know you’re coming. 

Shout out also if you’d be on for carsharing.

Bill m: 078 77 8888 19