GLASGOW YOUNG WALKERS

Saturday 5th December

Low Level Walk
Aberfoyle: Lochan Spling, Doon Hill and Fairy Knowe

This waymarked walk from Aberfoyle to the attractive forest loch with the unusual name of Lochan Spling. There are several sculptures to help maintain interest.  Followed by an easy circular walk from Aberfoyle, climbing mystical Doon Hill, home of the fairies, and passing through woodland, open countryside and riverside, all with good views. For detailed walk descriptions, photos and maps you can download see http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/lochan-spling.shtml and http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/doon-hill.shtml

Distance: 10.5 km
Ascent: 75m
Time: 4-5 hours approx

Walkers will need to be in good physical condition.
Bring all the usual walking gear - waterproofs, boots, warm clothing, hat, gloves, sufficient food and drink and a torch might be handy too. 
If you would like to come, please email Alison at  a_airth@hotmail.com by 5pm Thursday 3rd November. Places will be limited.
 
Could you also give a contact phone number and let me know if you are able to drive, and if so how many people you can take.
 
Travel costs will be £4 to give to your driver.  As the walks will start and end in Aberfoyle there is the opportunity to go for a coffee either in the middle of the walk or at the end.

Hope to see some of you on Saturday.
Thanks,
 
Alison Airth

Saturday 5th December
High Level Walk - Buachaille Etive Beag

Distance: 6 miles
Time: Approx 5 hours
Ascent: 950m
Terrain: Steep in places, rocky, touch of scree. The path at the base of the hill may be a bit boggy.

Buachaille Etive Beag is in Glencoe. The ridge comprises 2 Munros, Stob Coire Raineach (3030ft) and Stob Dubh (3100ft).
Buachaille Etive Beag is often neglected as the little brother of the big Buachaille but is in reality a superb worthwhile walk with extensive views into Glencoe and to Sgreamhach and Bidean nam Bian with its extensive complex of ridges and corries.

Route
From the carpark walk back up the hill to the signposted footpath leading over Lairig Eilde to Glen Etive. Follow the footpath for about 500 yds and watch for a likely looking track to the left before the main track drops down to cross the burn. Head SSE up grassy/heather slopes and make for the col at the centre of the ridge. From here we will ascend the closer of the two summits then head along the ridge to summit the second Munro.
 
This is obviously a high level route, so walkers should feel that they are sufficiently fit and experienced.  Please come equipped with all the usual required gear - waterproofs, gloves, hat, warm clothing, hiking boots, map, case and compass (if you have them), and plenty of food and water/juice/CHOCOLATE. + a headtorch. I have 3 of them so let me know if you don’t have one and I can supply. First come first served.  
 
Although this isn’t a particularly hard walk, expect cold, wet weather and a bit of wind exposure on the ridge, which is by no means a surprise at this time of year. I led this walk winter past and only managed one of the tops so im looking forward to getting up both this time round.
 
 If you would like to come, please email me at j.a.laurence@gmail.com by 5pm Wednesday 2nd December. Places will be limited to 10.
 
Could you also give me a contact phone number and tell me if you are able to drive, and if so how many people you can take.
 
Travel costs will be £8 to give to your driver.  I am happy to pick up from southside/ centre of town if getting to Kelvinhall at that time is difficult for you.
 
Hope to see some of you on the 5th.
 
Thanks,
Jamie

SUNDAY 8th NOVEMBER

LOW LEVEL WALK

WEST-HIGHLAND WAY MILARROCHY TO ROWARDENNAN & RETURN

Walking time: approx 5-6 hrs
Distance: approx 20km (12 miles)
 
This linear walk will be on Sunday 8th November, following a popular section of the West Highland Way long distance path. Starting in Milarrochy we will follow the West Highland Way as it makes its way along the shore of Loch Lomond past red sandstone outcrops, through the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park and oak woodlands to reach various viewpoints. Weather, fitness and enthusiasm of the group permitting we will stop for lunch in the village of Rowardennan before retracing our steps back to Milarrochy.
 
This is a low level walk on well marked paths. We will, however, be trying to cover a large distance so a reasonable level of fitness is required.  If the weather is unsuitable on the day of the walk the walk may be cancelled but all going will be contacted beforehand.

It is essential that you come along with the correct walking gear. You will need suitable walking boots, waterproofs, warm clothing, lunch, yummy snacks and plenty of water/juice. As a courtesy to those driving, please bring a change of shoes so that cars do not get too muddy!

If you want to come along to this walk please reply directly to the walk leader Tahnee Conn by 8pm on Friday 6th November with your name and mobile contact number. Contact Tahnee at tahneeconn@yahoo.com.au  Please indicate if you need a lift or if you are willing to drive and how many passengers you could take. Please give your drivers £5 for petrol money on the day of the walk. Please do not reply back to the Glasgow Young Walkers e-mail address for this walk

Any queries let me know, look forward to meeting those who can make it along to the walk next Sunday.

Tahnee Conn
Glasgow Young Walkers

Saturday 31st October
Medium Level Walk

Meall na Fearna (809m)

Distance: 15km
Ascent: 900m
Time: 6-7 hours

Another of my favourite types of walk, an obscure and rarely visited Corbett! Expect wild landscapes, no other people to be seen, few paths at times and plenty of wildlife... Meall na Fearna sits just to the east of Ben Vorlich in the Trossachs and overlooks Loch Earn to the north. Rather than going in from Loch Earn the walk will start in peaceful Glen Artney, with the circular route passing along glens and undulating ridges... an opportunity to explore an off the beaten track area between Callander and Ben Vorlich...

Walkers will need to be fit and experienced for a fairly long day in the hills. Although Meall na Fearna isn't the biggest hill, bear in mind that for some of the walk there won't be any paths and it will be quite rough going. Bring all the usual walking gear - waterproofs, boots, warm clothing, hat, goves, sufficient food and drink, map case and map if you have them (OS landranger 57), and a torch would be handy too... with the dwindling days a twilight walk back along the glen at the end is always a possibility... It is of course also halloween that day, so I'd encourage walkers to bring some kind of novelty dressing up item for the walk - I'll be wearing an incredibly silly hat - of course don't let that compromise your safety and comfort (for example I'm not sure how good a ghost suit would be in a gale?!).

If you would like to come, please email me at hurdygurdyfun@yahoo.co.uk by 5pm Thursday 29th October. Places will be limited. Could you also give me a contact phone number and tell me if you are able to drive,and if so how many people you can carry. Travel costs will be £8 to give to your driver. Hope to see some of you on the 31st.
Cheers
Stephen

Stephen Owen
Glasgow Young Walkers

Sunday 25th October

Sunday Stroll, Southside of Glasgow

To blow away the cobwebs after Saturday night, there will be a Sunday walk taking in the southside of Glasgow.  There is no particular route planned but there are various parks in the area such as Pollok Park, Maxwell Park & Queens Park which we can meander around.

The plan is to meet on the platform at Queens Park train station at 2pm.  If you wish to come along, please can you email Alison Hurd at alisonhurd@hotmail.co.uk.  There are plenty of trains which run from Glasgow Central to Queen's Park, a journey which takes only a few minutes.  Please ensure that you are wearing comfortable footwear and suitable clothing for an afternoon out in the elements in the wild south side of Glasgow!

Cheers
Glasgow Young Walkers

Sunday 27th September

High Level Walk

Buachaille Etive Beag (Stob Dubh 958m and Stob Coire Raineach 925m)

Total distance: 10.5 km
Time: 5 hours
Total Ascent: 885m

Having had such a stunning day up Buachaille Etive Mór in June, it is time to turn to his slightly smaller, but no less beautiful neighbour, Buachaille Etive Beag, for what will hopefully be another stunning day in Glen Coe!

Our route will take us firstly along part of the Lairig Eildh, before heading up for a couple of hours of ridge walking including BEB's two Munros Stobh Dubh and Stob Coire Raineach. If conditions are good we should have some stunning views of the jagged ridge of the Aonach Eagach, the massif of Bidean nan Bian and down into the wilds of Glen Etive.

Walkers should come equiped with all the usual gear - walking boots, waterproofs, warm clothing, hat, gloves, map and map case if you have them, along with sufficient food and drink for a long-ish day out on the hill, as well as being fit and experienced enough for a high level walk that includes some steep rocky ground and a little bit of easy scrambling near the summit of Stob Dubh.

If would like to come, please contact the walk leader, Stephen Owen at hurdygurdyfun@yahoo.co.uk by 10pm on Thursday 24th September. Please do not reply to the Glasgow Young Walkers email address. The Buchaille Etive Mor walk was mega popular, so if you'd like to come let me know as soon as you can. A contact phone number would be useful, as would whether you can drive and if so how many passengers you can take. Being a high level route, numbers will be limited to 12.

Please bring £8 to give to your driver. The day will hopefully include the traditional end to any good day in the west highlands - a visit to the mighty Real Food cafe in Tyndrum - possibly the finest Scottish chippy outside of Anstruther!

Hope to see some of you along on the 27th!

Cheers
Stephen

Stephen Owen
Glasgow Young Walkers
hurdygurdyfun@yahoo.co.uk

SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER – LOW LEVEL WALK

DRUMLANRIG CASTLE & RIVER NITH

Walking time: approx 3.5- 4 hrs
Distance  approx 16km (10 miles)
 
This walk will be on Saturday 5 September, starting and finishing in the grounds of Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries-shire.  The castle is probably best known for having had a priceless Leonardo Da Vinci painting nicked from it in 2003 only to turn up in a Glasgow office 4 years later!
  
The walk will take in woodland trails by the side of the River Nith and a section of quiet country road with views of the Lowther Hills, before leading back into the Castle estates.  Although it is in the south-west of Scotland it is only 20 miles or so from the M74 motorway and so should only be an hour and a half or so from Glasgow by car.
 
There are possibilities to lengthen or shorten the walk slightly according to weather, enthusiasm, etc.  There is a small charge to park at the Castle, which has café, toilets etc. as well as allowing you to have a closer look at the big hoose, although if people aren’t tempted by these excitements it’s possible to park just outside the grounds…...
 
A reasonably good level of fitness will be required to complete this walk.. 
 
It may be necessary limit the number of places on this walk in due course, however this will depend on various factors including the number of drivers who are available.  If demand for places on the walk is considerable, Ramblers Association members may be given priority over non-members.

It is essential that you come along with the correct walking gear.  Therefore please come fully equipped for the walk with suitable walking boots, gaiters, waterproofs, warm clothing, etc, change of clothes, and enough food/water/juice. If the weather is unsuitable on the day of the walk the walk may be cancelled or re-arranged for somewhere else but all going will be contacted beforehand.

If you want to come along to this walk please reply directly to the walk leader Alan O’Dowd at aod1980@fsmail.net by 8pm on Thursday 3 September with your name and mobile contact number.  It would be helpful if you could indicate whether you can take a car and, if so, how many passengers you could take, or if you require a lift.  Please give your drivers £7 for petrol money on the day of the walk. Please do not reply back to the Glasgow Young Walkers e-mail address for this walk

Any queries let me know, look forward to meeting those who can make it along to the walk next Saturday.

Alan O’Dowd
Glasgow Young Walkers