Munros and Other Walks

Back to Basics After 20 years walking and hiking outdoors it was time to improve on my map reading and  compass skills. To be fair my map reading skills were decent enough and I can pinpoint where I am on a hill quite accurately on a OS map. There are times were I have gotten things wrong, mostly because of the poor weather and visibility, but I've always managed to find my way back. My compass skills however are, to put it bluntly, not very good. This is an area I know I should improve on. So the opportunity arose to take part in a walk in the Pentlands, just outside Edinburgh, that work work on my map and compass skills.  Starting Point Route The walk began at Threipmuir Reservoir car park, just outside the small town of Balerno. The car park is a decent size but can fill up quickly. Although the car park is free there is a suggested donation of £2.  Elevation Profile From the car park, we walked down the single track road to a bridge that cross...

Product: Oboz Firebrand II Cost: £90 Supplier: Go Outdoors / Amazon A disclaimer before you may read the rest of the review. Just to be clear I haven't been paid for this review (chance would be a fine thing) and all the opinions held are my own. I've taken my time to to post this review. I actually bought these shoes just after Christmas last year. My wife had given me a gift voucher, the cost at the top of the blog being the retail price. This was also discounted as the actual cost of the shoes can be in excess of £110.  Oboz in action The reason for this is that I wanted to get quite a few walks under my belt before coming to a decision. A second reason is that I'm lazy. Anyway, to make this simple, I really rate these shoes.  The positives are that they are comfortable to wear and a great to use out while hiking. They have good treads so they grip well on wet surfaces, including algea covered rocks. They have breathable mesh sides so they keep y...

If your deciding to visit Dalavich or going to spend a little time in the area you are probably wondering what you can do while your here. Well below are a few examples of places to visit  during your time here. Tall Trees Trail Only a couple of miles from Dalavich is a lovely walk amongst some of the oldest trees in Scotland. The walk itself takes you along the shore of Loch Awe and up through the tall pine trees of McKenzie's Grove. The 3 mile walk can easily be done in about an hour.  Crinan Canal Walk The Crinan Canal is only 14 miles in length and so can be easily cycled or even walked in one day. There are numerous locks along the canal and it is a good chance to see the different boats that travel this route.  Ben Cruchan Hydro Station  A priority visit for anyone who is visiting the area would be to check out the Hydro Station. Located at Ban Cruchan, or to be more precise, under the mountain this tour will take you inside ...