Ben Ledi in winter
by - 11:58 on 04 February 2009
Ben Ledi view north, acrylic 40 x 50cm is for sale.
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Off to Ben Ledi in the Trossachs, beyond Callander, in deepest January. As we start the walk, I reflect that paths change but the bones of the mountain remain the same. Then I reflect that I’m starting to sound like one of these tedious walking correspondents with their earnest instructions to take care on the slippery tree roots and turn right at the double kissing gate. (Double kissing, eh? No time for that sort of frivolity – I’ve a hill to climb.)
Having been on the hill several times before, at the start I recalled there was a very dull, steep, claustrophobic, tree-smothered, view-less, muddy path for the first section after the carpark by the River Teith. Apparently that was a very long time ago. Now it’s a well-made surface, drained and neat, with rock steps on the steep places, till you are well above the tree line. The other surprise is the sheer numbers of people - on a grey, still, winter Saturday - who decide to get some exercise in this landmark hill on the Highland edge. (You can see Ben Ledi from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle.)
Actually, the carpark on the old trackbed of the long-vanished railway was almost full and we felt very self-conscious leaving at noon, though we felt better after another party of local walkers set off moments before us. As he passed, one of them remarked ‘Aye, these dawn starts get to you after a while…’ Odd sense of humour, sometimes, we Scots…..
It should be less than three hours to get to the top, allowing for photo stops, sandwiches, general dawdling and that incessant ferreting in rucksacks for extra layers, gloves, hats and other features of winter walking. It’s basically a pull up on to the ridge at a low point to the south, then a change of direction northwards over a series of knolls, one of which – at last - is the top, marked these days by an obtrusive religious symbol near the summit cairn. This last feature may or may not be to irritate pagans, as Ben Ledi has an old association with Beltane, the ancient Celtic fire ceremony that celebrated the coming of summer on the 1st of May. (Incidentally, Ben Ledi is also a popular excursion for a mid-summer celebration as well. The sun goes down that night in the notch between the summits of the big hills of Ben More and Stobinian, to the north-west.)
Fergus the Labrador pretending to be a bear on the top of Ben Ledi
Anyway, it’s a good place for a quite demanding high-level walk at any time of year. Because of its popularity, it’s not the best place to see a load of wildlife. We were examined by a patrolling raven several times, but we pointed out that as we had Labradors in the party, the chances of any food scraps being overlooked were zero. But the panorama was worthwhile. I remember once seeing Goat Fell on Arran – just one of many landmarks you can see from this spectacular viewpoint. Och, there I go, sounding like a solemn walking correspondent again……
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