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Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

Stormin - Ardrishaig via the Kilmichael forest is tricky to the Carron bothy.
Very true. The "path" shown on the 1:50 OS from NR987984 is a mere fiction, the route being overgrown with particularly malevolent and aggressive trees. The alternative is to follow the old fire breaks higher up, consisting mainly of tussock and waterlogged bog. They're perfectly do-able, but a bit of a downer if you're not expecting the last mile and a half of the day to be a struggle. We just busked it, but I see they are shown on the 1:25 if you want to route that way.

Mind you, that was eight years ago, so it could be that forestry operations have taken place since.

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

I, too, found the route to Carron Bothy a bit tricky. I blogged about it here

I enjoyed by route starting from Ardrishaig despite the awful rain for the first few days.

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

I'm also planning on starting at Ardishaig this year. I'm looking at going through the forests from Lochgliphead to the bothy at Carron. After that I'm thinking of descending to Furnace and doing a coastal route to Inveraray.

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

I've never started from Ardrishaig but I've visited Carron and its surroundings on several occasions. It does seem that any first day out from this start point will inevitably be channelled in this direction and hence through forests and coast to Inverary. Unless you're very imaginative or prepared to accept a long westerly circuit, Carron is the likeliest end point of the day.

The approach to Carron from the south west is not easy, as several folk have mentioned. And it's complicated by the fact that there's a lot of activity in the area, between clear felling of the trees and the construction of a wind farm. I was there earlier this year but I'm not going to describe any details about the approach as, in all likelihood, they'll now be out of date. I will say that, when I was there, the entry to the firebreak leading directly to the bothy was not obvious, obscured by all the current industry. The break did exist but to find the entry point, I'd advise the use of a GPS, in tandem with a large scale map. And be warned that even when you're within the corridor, it's a horrid thing, quite a linear quagmire. You're unlikely to reach the bothy with dry feet.

Anyone who devises a better route from Ardrishaig will be doing future Challengers an enormous favour.

Colin

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

Like Judith I started in Ardrishaig in 2013.
You can see my route HERE.
If you zoom in you may see that, from Ardrishaig, I first visited 'real' west-coast and spent a lovely night up Castle Dounie, with views of Jura.
Note that there is a forest path (not on OS map) from Cairnbaan (NR823911) to Dunadd fort (NR842928).
I avoided the bogs around Carron bothy and found a quite pleasant route along the ruins of Tunns and Feorlin onto Beinn Glass (420). However, torrential rain blocked the views that day....

Cheers, BART

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

In 2012 Bert & Suus used the following route to Carron, however as been said before things do change so no report is going to be 100% reliable.
"You enter the main forest beyond Barrachuile at 904 965.
It's all very clear so far, but do keep to the main track.
Go left just before Knockalava, direction of Meall Ramhar, all very clear.
The track ends at about 927 985: go left along a narrow path through the trees (also used by machinery), due N for about 300 yards, until you see a fire break at about 928 988, follow this firebreak to the NE for nearly a mile (wet and soggy, but doable) and break out of the forest just above the bothy.
The firebreak is the boundary of the original forest, but the forest now extends to the purple boundary further North on my map (notice the difference in age of the trees at your right and left hand when you walk through the firebreak).
The footpath shown on the map leading to the bothy does not exist as it is totally overgrown and not walkable.
There is some camping area around the bothy, but we camped 2 miles further NE along the track, on our way to Furnace and Inveraray on the 2nd day."

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

It was a few years ago that I started at Ardrishaig (2011?).

First things first ... the Grey Gull Inn could NOT serve me a kipper for breakfast. How can ANY hotel right slap bang on the shores of Loch Fyne not serve kippers for breakfast??? I could not BELIEVE it (said in best Victor Meldrew voice ... )

My first night was at Carron. The woods were impassable, but it was easy enough to drop down to the river and follow that up. If doing it again I would probably cross the river and then recross close to Carron, as the going looked better on the South side than the North ... but then again, the grass looked greener too!

I went on to Furnace and Inveraray. The lochside walk is delightful once you've passed the quarry. The Furnace Inn, however, where I had a delicious lunch and then played a game of "weather houses" with my waterproofs (rain pourin gdown, so put them on inside ... stepped out into bright sunshine, so took them off ... cloudburst as soon as I had, so stepped back inside to put them back on ... repeat ad nauseam) was reported to be closed the last that I heard.

Hope that all helps.

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

How easy is to find Carron bothy if using the path that comes in from the north-west past Loch Gainmheach?

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

Completely straightforward as the bothy sits in open country beyond the forest. The tree barrier is the issue.

Be warned though that parts of the northern path are awash in wet weather......

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

Myself and Andy Walker had 300 meters of horrid forest before exiting to the Bothy in May. Apart from that it was easy walking.

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

Martin Rye
Myself and Andy Walker had 300 meters of horrid forest before exiting to the Bothy in May. Apart from that it was easy walking.


Yep...

Much of the forest is cleared.
Don't follow the path lower down, we did..Had to go back up to get into the last bit of the forest before the bothy.

It was indeed very overgrown, and in places very wet.
Not a long distance, but bloomin hard work.



We did a silly day of about 40K

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

Many thanks for all your comments. Will study maps again and report back,
Simon.

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

I e-mailed the owner of Dunadd fort - Historic Environment Scotland - and asked if they had any details of the trail between Dunadd and Kilmartin. They very kindly replied with a scanned in map showing a trail running:

Crinan - Cairnbaan - Dunadd - Slockavullin - Kilmartin.

The leaflet isn't produced anymore and the trail isn't marked in full on OS maps so if anyone wants a copy, e-mail me and I will send it to you. Alternatively I can send it to Ali and Sue and they can put it on the Challenge website.

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

Paul, is it THIS leaflet? The Dalriada Heritage Trail?

More leaflets to be found http://www.heartofargyll.com/downloads.php

Cheers,

BART

Re: Anyone starting, or previously started, from Ardrishaig?

No it's not Bart, it's more detailed than that.

Apparently leaflets were produced but the project is winding down and the leaflets are no longer available. The map is an electronic copy supplied to Historic Environment Scotland from Kilmartin Museum.