Ride - Glen Orchy

I associate certain vivid colours with time of the year now in Scotland. In the spring it was the spectacularly bright yellow of the gorse bushes lining the road. They were especially impressive this year on the east slope down the Cairn o Mounth. In early summer it was the cottony white balls of seeds on the common cottongrass. Those plants like the boggy acidic conditions in the Cairngorms and really dominated the landscape in places. In late summer (August) the purple heather all over the Cairngorms and the Highlands was stunning. Now in the autumn, the colour that grabs me is the yellow/brown of the bracken especially where it contrasts with roads, trails and deciduous woodland. It is in abundance this weekend in the Stirling and Argyle and Bute areas.

Where

I rode up the hill into the southwestern Glen Orchy pinewood at Allt Broighleachan. The climb starts at the Orchy waterfalls in the River Orchy and heads up an easy gravel track through the coniferous plantation. The going is steep in places but not technical at all. The pinewood itself is enclosed in a deer-proof fence which caused a bit of a slow-down while I figured out how to get SurPug over it. Beyond that, it was plain sailing.

The fourth picture below shows the first distant view of the Scots Pines amongst the birches and below the edge of the plantation.

The last picture below was taken at the upper limit of the fenced enclosure. I was able to walk through the gate but the only way out for SurPug was over the top.

Gallery

Gear and Nutrition

Ten minutes or so into the ride I discovered why there was a pool of water in the back of the car. Apparently my backpack had drained itself presumably because something heavy had rested on the one-way valve and the contents had siphoned out onto the tarp. I was able to replenish at the burn in the photo below.

Route

Forgot my Garmin