Strachur to Lochgoilhead on the Cowal Way

Sep 15th, 2015

Strachur to Lochgoilhead on the Cowal Way

Today we took the lunchtime Dunoon bus to Strachur, and walked back along the Cowal way.

We’ve been wanting to do this one since we moved in, but it is a bit awkward because it is really too far (9 miles each way) to easily walk out and back, and because the buses don’t run at weekends, it has had to wait for R to be on holiday.

Anyway, it is mostly a nice walk, starting on a very quiet road, and moving on to forestry roads. Very gradually the route rises to about 350m, by which point unfortunately, it has left the good path and hit a mixture of bog and marsh grass. We’ve not had much rain of late, but it was still extremely boggy, to the extent that I wonder if it would be passible after a period of heavy rain. The path runs beside a small lochan (Cura Lochain) situated between Beinn Bheula and Beinn Lochain (how confusing is it that within 10 miles there are two ‘Lochains’ – Beinn Lochain and Beinn an Lochain) and today it was boggy, the clouds were low and it was rainy and cold. So not very inviting and I was glad R was there because the lochan looked like just the sort of place where a each-uisig (gaelic lake monster) might jump out and get you.

We pushed on back down the hill to the forestry path and an hour later were home, rather cold and wet. I really think the Cowal Way needs some serious work – there is not much point in a long distance ‘footpath’ if it is just a general indication of where you might want to walk rather than a track which has actually been properly marked and improved in places.

Tomorrow we are going to Bute.

Add a comment

Your email address will not be shared or published. Required fields are marked *