The time for the DofE Diamond Challenge finally arrived. I had watched the long range weather forecast turn into this weeks forecast and change on a regular basis. The forecast changed from damp to wet to very soggy and occasionally dry and sunny. As it turned out it was dry and mostly sunny.
Wednesday
The rucksacks were packed and loaded into the car so Hilda and I got in too and set off North. It was a 250 mile trip and it felt like most of it was roadworks. But we finally landed in the car park by Loch Trool and Bruces Stone at about 18:30 to see the last of the rain cast a gorgeous rainbow over the hills in the direction we were going to go. I was amazed to see 3 other vehicles in the car park but not a soul was in sight.
Boots were donned and last minute adjustments to straps for rucksacks were made before we set off in search of Loch Dee and the White Laggan Bothy. Several of the trails around the north end of Loch Trool were temporarily closed but fortunately ours was still open so no detours were required. The further we walked from the car the more I started to wonder why we were doing this and if it was a good idea.
First Stream & Waterfall of the Walk
The first sighting of wildlife was made, something brown and slinky with a pale undercarriage undulated across the path ahead of us. It was moving fast so identification was not made but I suspect it was a Stoat or a Weasel, the other two options being Pine Marten or Ferret but those are highly unlikely. It was also about this time that I realised that the tub of midge repellent was still sitting on the kitchen worktop waiting for me to pick it up rather than being in the rucksack and easily accessible for application. Drat!
Hilda finds a Stick
Loch Dee is somewhere over thataway
Look Mum a Puddle!
Lovely Woods to walk through
Lots of water in the streams today
I hope there is a path through rather than over those hills
The walk along was pleasant and we saw the only two other people we would see out and about that day. They were walking back towards the cars and we exchanged good evening's as we passed.
Lots of open spaces and Trees, sometimes at the same time
A Half Moon was just peeping over the top of one of the hills
Looking back, the clouds are following us - but not bringing any rain
First glimpse of Loch Dee
Shortly after our first glimpse of Loch Dee we discovered some Scottish Style Graffiti, I think the translation will have to wait for a rainy evening.
Graffiti - Scottish Style
Even more on the end of the stone
Getting closer to Loch Dee
From google earth and photos of the area I had come up with three or four potential places to pitch a tent, in the end none of them were suitable. It had rained quite heavily in the days before so the ground was quite soggy and the first few places we checked out we started to sink into the ground when we stood still so rejected them. We checked out the other places and a couple more potential spots but discovered that there is very little flat and level ground or if it was then it was full of sharp rocks.
I was starting to think we would be using the backup plan of staying in the Bothy but this didn't appeal to me as there was smoke coming from the chimney and a car on the track close to the footpath up to it and for once I didn't really feel like sharing a space with anyone other than Hilda. But with boots full of water after sinking rather rapidly in one place (note for future, send the dog in first) I was about to give in and head up to the bothy when I spotted what looked like a lovely flat spot next to a stream. We checked it out and it did appear to be mostly flat, mostly level and lacking in rocks. We stood around for a bit but no sinking or squeltching underfoot occurred so we decided to pitch the tent there.
White Laggan Bothy
Tent up it was time to feed Hilda and then myself before turning in for the night. A late night for us, 22:30 according to my watch when I turn off my headtorch and we listen to the stream and the owls calling to one another ahead of their evening hunting.
Thursday
Usually when I go camping I wake in the middle of the night so I did not set an alarm assuming I would wake naturally and could look out to see if there were any dark skies and stars to be seen. When I did wake up it was 5am and sunny so I have no idea if the sky was clear or not. We will have to return after the clocks have gone back and we won't have to stay up too late to see the stars. We both turned over and went back to sleep for a few more hours.
View out of the tent at about 07:00
It was a very good nights sleep (the gadget that monitors steps and sleep reported higher than average deep sleep that night). The plan had been for a leisurly cup of tea whilst admiring the view and waiting for the dew on the tent to dry. On the Wednesday evening there had been a few midges around but nothing too irritating. Thursday morning however and they were out in force. As soon as I stepped out of the tent I was attacked from all sides by swarms of them. I really regretted not having the repellant with me.
A quick decamp was called for and we were back on the trail heading back to the car shortly after 8am. The car from the night before had gone but we didn't call up to the bothy just in case there were people still sleeping there.
Our little tent ready to be taken down
Early Morning View of Loch Dee
Signpost
Looking down on Loch Dee from the post
Which way shall we go?
It was a beautifull and peacefull morning, you could hear the birds wings moving through the air for those first few frantic flaps to get them airborne. There is the usual assortment of small brown birds flitting about and twittering but not staying still long enough for identification. There were also dragonflies, great big yellow ones a good 6 to 8 inches in length zooming up and down the streams that ran alongside the path.
Watching something while waiting for the gate to be opened
A Random Little Brown Bird
Paddling in the Puddles
Hilda Woz Ere and so was a bird!
We got back to the car at about 11am and this time there were quite a few other cars there. We dropped the rucksacks off at the car and had a short stroll down to look at Bruces Stone and Loch Trool before setting off back to negotiate our way through far too many miles of roadworks.
Hilda at Bruce's Stone
The Stone
Attempted Panorama of Loch Trool
It was a fun expedition and I am glad we did it. Would I do it again? Probably. But it would have to be a coastal location or out of the hayfeaver season - and I will not be forgetting the repellent in the future!
