From the Beinn Ghuilean Circuit

( ... or The View over Crosshill Loch to Campbeltown Loch, Davaar island, Kilbrannan Sound, and Arran)

18.4C bright and sunny. Plenty of cloud about. Light breeze variable in direction.

After lunch Maeve the Deerhound and I went for the repeat of our usual morning walk.

Once Maeve was back home and settled I went out again. Deacon Blue (The Singles) and The Band from Rockall (The Band from Rockall) on the iPod Mini. I decided I would go and explore the woodland circuit on the slopes of Beinn Ghuilean which I had read gives superb views over Campbeltown. We had found out about the walk not long after we arrived here but the tourist information office person on duty said there was a lot of tree felling going on so we hadn't gone to see.

I walked from home along to Main Street then followed the road out of town that goes to Machrihanish or Southend. I turned off just after the creamery and made my way along past some houses where the road started to climb. I went through a gate at the top of the road and there was a good track which has been developed into a solid road for forestry vehicles. I followed this track as it passed through some fields then climbed again to just above Crosshill Loch. Looking back from this point I could see over the farmland at the back of Campbeltown and right over to Machrihanish Bay. This turned out to be the best viewpoint that I found so I was glad I had stopped to take some pictures over the little loch, its dam, and the lower slopes where I could see over Davaar island, Campbeltown loch, and over to Arran.

Just before the forestry plantations on the slopes of Beinn Ghuilean there was a notice board with a map and the routes for two trails. One is intended to be easier and is for walking, The other is harder and higher and is for experienced mountain bikers and also can be walked. I had read that the lower route comes out at a bench where there are good views. I followed the higher trail which wound its way though the trees and eventually came out near the top of the treeline onto the forestry road again. At this point I would have been about 100 metres higher than the top of Davaar island. There didn't seem to be any markers on the trail and I would have been guessing if I had followed the forestry road so I followed the trail back down the way I had come for a while then turned onto another path which followed the contour of the hill in the direction I wanted to go.

At this point the route was heading downhill and I eventually came upon another information board where I could see myself that the path had brought me down very near the cemetery on Kilkerran Road. I had a choice to follow the trail back round the slopes and up to my starting point or making my way down to the road by the cemetery. I chose the latter and took a path that came out in a field where there was a stile that got me onto the farm road at the back of the cemetery which I recognised from having explored the farm road some time ago. From there is was an easy walk down to Kilkerran Road where I  turned towards town and came back onto my usual route on the side of the loch to walk along the street side of the narrow park by the ferry terminal and so on. I came back my usual way through town, past the town hall and the bookshop and then along the road to home. By chance I have found a circular walking route, as long as I can find my way through the forest again. Next time I will try to follow the easy trail and see if it really does come out at a bench with good views and if it makes a good circular route along the lower slopes. I did enjoy being off road and walking on forest tracks. I love the springy paths where the pine needles are thick on the ground.

Afternoon music ... Faith Hill's Take Me As I Am then Paul Simon's Graceland.

E-PL5 f/10 1/640 sec. ISO-200 14mm