Ben A'an Hill Walking
In January this year I was lucky enough to be taken hill walking or peak climbing up in Scotland. My guide for the day chose one of the easier peaks Ben A'an, and we set off from Edinburgh and up to the the Trossachs in freezing cold and driving rain for an exhilerating experience. I hadn't been that far up north since I was a kid and I'd forgotten what I was missing. The Scottish landscape is about as dramatic and breath-taking as it gets.
Climbing Ben A'an, I was surprised by just how steep it was - I was expecting this to be a walk in the park, since it was supposed to be a peak for beginners. Maybe I'm just not that hardcore when it comes to running up hillsides.
Apparently on a clear day, you can see over onto Loch Katrine from the side of Ben A'an. Well this was not a clear day. It was misty, foggy, cold and wet, and I was not the best prepared. My guide bounced up the hill like a mountain gazelle while I hobbled up there like a three-legged dog with emphysema.
My guide for the weekend forgot a compass and the fog started to come in when we were pretty much most of the way to the top. Practically had to run down in order to make sure we didn't get lost.
On the journey back we stopped off for a wee dram and a warming meal of haggis, neeps and tatties in an ancient pub that I can't remember the name of. Almost seemed an authentic Scottish experience, except that the bar staff all seemed to be Aussies in kilts - 'G'day the noo'.
On the drive back to Edinburgh, Loch Lommond looked like it was going to break its banks several times and the driving conditions were nasty. All in all though the day was pretty exhillerating, and I'm very glad that I've managed to drag my arse up at least one Scottish peak this lifetime.
Ben A'an - the view
Trossachs - braving extreme weather
Braving extreme weather up in the Trossachs.