Miles or Metres

The weather round here has been really shit for the last couple of weeks - snow, sleet, rain and fog. A window was promised for today, and so it turned out.Unfortunately, I had been working(sic) yesterday, and a bit of a lie-in plus some report writing ( and of course invoicing !) meant that it was about 11.30 before  I left the house. I hadn't decided on the walk when I set out - I had two options in mind - but the first stage would be the usual Mine Woods/ Reservoir, and I could make my mind up while having a cuppa at the dam wall.



I was sitting there, making a mental note to check my coffee for swan shit tomorrow, when  the waters parted and a young lady in a skimpy (but breathable) gold lame bikini emerged bearing two (obviously waterproof ) envelopes tucked into her top. "It's time to play Metres or Miles" she explained."One envelope contains a longish walk of several and a bit miles - the other is for a short sprint up a steepish hill" All I had to do was extract one envelope. This naturally took some time- there are certain things which shouldn't be rushed - but eventually I opened the "Miles" envelope and read "Circumnavigation of Dumyat via Lossburn Reservoir" . Good game, good game.


Over, then to the Heilandman's Well where there was further evidence of the increasing cost of essential hillwalking equipment.



For the information of anyone heading for the Southern Highlands this weekend.



Up there with the Spanish Inquisition in terms of expectedness



I had seen a little sign saying "Path" among the logs, but it led to a gooey mess of mud and brash, so I returned to the metalled track, stood to the side when a trailer came through, waved to the guy on the HIAB and carried on through the site.
Further on I saw where the "Path" came out. Jeez, they had cut a massive swathe just to let walkers avoid the loading operations. A bit OTT, if you ask me.



The back ( north) side of Dumyat

Lossburn Reservoir, supplying the good people of Clackmannan. Colsnaur Hill in the background.




Around about here I spotted some strange marks in the mud which I deduced to have been made by these Kahoonas Microspikes which are all the rage. I further deduced that they had been worn by an oriental gentleman of about 5'6'' in height, who wears a signet ring on the little finger of his right hand and walks with a limp.
" No shit, Sherlock ?"
"Plenty, Watson. Mainly ovine. And don't call me Sherlock"
"Look, Holmes. The impression of a heel !"
"No time for your facile impressions now, Watson.And how often do I have to remind you that your role in this partnership is to wear the frocks and write the scrips for the opium ?





The typical deep glens of the Ochils. As I was taking this photograph, I heard a skylark. It was one of these days.



And then you turn a corner and you're looking south over the Forth again



Incidentally, this was the wettest (underfoot) walk I've done for some time.



Walking west now along the Hillfoots. The familiar scarp face of Dumyat.



Here's what I might have won. Castle Law which was today's runner-up walk Better luck next time, Probably via Warlock Gully (aye, right ed.)



I did find the missing link. I was always sure that there must be way to walk from Blairlogie village to Logie Kirk without having to go along the main road. Today I found it, and lost a shoe (temporarily) in a bog.This means that when next I require inkjet cartridges, we can walk to ASDA this way. Wear wellies.

And from Logie back to the house via the kirk road/coffin road. Lovely day. My longest walk since the towpath debacle. The eelectric machine says 9+ miles and 1400 ft ascent, and who am I to disagree ?