UKC

Is there a bridge across the river at the Falls of Falloch, i.e. can you join the West Highland Way from the A82 here, or access the hills?

TA

In reply to Flinticus:

No
there is a laybye about half a mile north . Track on the other side of the road which leads tom a cottage has a bridge over the Falloch

In reply to The Watch of Barrisdale:

Ta. Is that at Derrydaroch?

In reply to Flinticus:

Just a wee heids up ref parking in Glen Falloch. On Monday 30th November the large lay by parking in Glen Falloch grid ref NN369239 had a red "Closed No Parking" sign across it. I haven't been there since last winter so don't know if this is a permanent fixture. On my last visit work on the small hydro electric system was just beginning. I changed my plans and accessed Cruach Ardrain from the small Community Woodland car park in Crianlarich.

In reply to Flinticus:

Yes - Derrydarroch. You can access both Beinn Chabhair and An Caisteal from there

In reply to Joak:

That parking lay by was closed when I was there last ( 21 Nov). What's the track like through the forest? Has a boggy rep and that's before the recent intense period of rain.

In reply to Flinticus:


Think Joak means the car park on the left just as you come into Crianlarich from the Lix Toll side - don't think that's affected by the hydro stuff. Is a good way in - proper forest track for quite a long way, then a wetter ATV track once you get into the open glen between the two arms of Cruach Ardrain, but not too bad and you have easy access to either ridge from there. Has become my standard approach from that side - stopped using the direct Grey Height approach years ago because of the boggy reputation you mention.

In reply to Flinticus:

From the forest road up through the trees to the fence and stile it was knee deep soft snow. Thankfully the NW ridge was a wee bit more windswept, with areas of deep drifted snow in sheltered locations. In the flat light which prevailed aw day due to low cloud I didnae see much. Still well worth taking a wee cheeky days holiday to get out during a brief lull in the mental winds we've been getting lately.

In reply to Dave Hewitt:


Aye that's the one Dave.

In reply to Joak:

Lix Toll?

In reply to Flinticus:

The junction north of Glen Ogle where the A827 branches of to Killin. There is a garage there. You must have passed their breakdown truck oot and aboot doing there recovery work dozens of times!

In reply to Joak:


They're said to make a steady living hauling out cars that have gone astray on the notoriously icy Lochan na Lairige road - including at least once the car belonging to the secretary of the SMC. I'd walked up the road - which was cramponable - and met said notable person standing on the verge looking rather forlornly at his car which was several feet down a grassy bank.

Lix Toll is adjacent to Mid Lix, possibly the only place name in Scotland that can be constructed entirely from Roman numerals.

In reply to Dave Hewitt:

I've parked before at the bottom of the turning up and walked up the road, cutting across the open moor to the Tarmachan Ridge before, when the road was looking too treacherous to drive. Some cars clearly in trouble further up.

The first time I drove up that road I was on edge and there was some erosion of the surface. I hadn't been driving long and it felt like adventure enough without adding in any walking.

Thanks Joak. I know the garage (well, I've never stopped there) from trips up that way and then east.

In reply to Dave Hewitt:

I've been close to coming a cropper on the icy Lochan na lairige road a couple of times myself. A few years ago I was surprised to see the Lix Toll truck with a motor bike strapped to it stop in my street. The owner of the bike was a neighbour and had to take some friendly flack fae Joak .....he was a mechanic with his own business

In reply to Flinticus:


When the trees were still there it was quite common to see people parking very low down the road and then walking up. Will be interesting to see what if any difference the felling makes in terms of iciness (ditto the felling around Lix Toll - the bit coming into the trees from the west has a reputation for prangs, possibly as much due to wet roads as icy ones, and the first section on the way to Killin now feels oddly exposed to the edge of the stumps and general brash).

Re the LnL itself, the lower part gets lots of black ice - possibly a combination of water-runoff plus melting then freezing because it faces south - while from the narrow rocky bit near the dam onwards it's drifted snow that is traditionally the problem, eg there was quite a bit there (although it looked passable with care) Thursday last week even though the main snowline was quite far up the hill. It can be quite an adventure in itself, as you say.