In my previous post I shared pictures and videos from an uncommonly picturesque hike up Ben Lawers. But Elle and I have done several hikes in the last few days. One, a walk nearly to the top of Schiehallion, a 3500 foot mountain, and, the other, on the route known as the Birks Of Aberfeldy. Both were fun and fascinating outings, if not quite as photogenic as Ben Lawers.
Schiehallion is a prominent mountain. On a clear day it can be seen from surrounding villages and from the A9 motorway that is the primary route into this part of the highlands. It's easy to get to and there is a large parking area (uncommon in these parts). These factors combine to make Schiehallion one of the most climbed mountains in all of Scotland. The day we were there the weather was by, Scottish standards, very good; heavy clouds, but no rain with temps in the 50s and only a light 20-30 mile per hour breeze. It was a Monday in mid-September but I'd estimate that 50 people reached the top that day.
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| The top of Schiehallion with a half mile left to go. |
The 3.5 mile trail is extremely well built and maintained; hardened against the feet of many hikers. The challenge in walking Schiehallion (the Scots don't say "climbing" unless there is a chance that a fall will kill you) is the elevation gain of 2500 feet. That, and the difficult footing encountered while crossing the extended boulder field near the top.
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| Elle showing the boulder walking form of an experienced hiller. |
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| We stopped for lunch near this spot. With a quarter mile to go and maybe 100 feet left to climb. There were a dozen people on top and we found a nice place to eat lunch and enjoy the view. Peak bagging is a big thing in the Highlands with the Scottish equivalent of the "Adirondack 46er" club being to summit all 280 "Munros". In Scotland the "Munros" are peaks over 3000 feet in elevation. We, obviously, were not in it for that. |
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| This is one of those cases where the pictures just can't do the view justice. We sat on a large rock with the Glen spreading below our feet. Elle kept telling me to get back from the edge and being appreciative of her walking the mountain with me I complied. |
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| On the way down. All smiles with the tough stuff behind us. |
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| Thought this was Heather but maybe not. Still trying to learn the scottish shrubaries. |
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| Not sure what this is. Still looking for the name. |
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| There was a subtle beauty in this scene that the picture only hints at. |
The Birks Of Aberfeldy
The "Birks of Aberfeldy" is the name given to a place, a trail, and a
song (by young Robbie Burns). The song made the place famous but this would be a popular walk anywhere. Over one and a half miles you gain 600 feet of elevation up the steep gorge of Moness Burn (brook). And the trail leaves, literally, from the main street of Aberfeldy. No need for a village fitness trail when you've got this. At the very top the trail crosses a foot bridge with impressive Moness Falls directly below.
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| Looking back down the Moness Burn towards Aberfeldy. Light rain was coming in. |
The gorge is lovely, but the forest is the best part. In gaelic 'ch' is replaced by 'k'. So 'birk' is 'birch' and the song is talking about the Birch trees seen along the way. Ironically, the birch trees seen along the trail are ho-hum by our Adirondack standards. But the beeches are incredible. The trail passes through stands of old growth Beech, Oak and a few other species. If you've followed this blog in the past you know that in the Adirondacks I'm always on the lookout for Beech trees that have survived Beech Bark Disease. I've now realized that what I thought were large, old, Beeches in the Adirondacks were middle-aged trees at best. The Beeches present along this trail are huge and have an ancient look to them. I'm slightly saddened to realize that there are no beeches in the Adirondacks that looks anything like these trees (they are the same species). It's easy to forget that the Adirondack forests we see today are a thin shadow of what existed just a few hundred years ago. I'm going back for pictures of these trees before we leave and I want to learn more about why the Beech trees here don't suffer from Birch Bark Disease.
