Drymen to Rowardennan, 15 miles

We had a very pleasant, but long walk today. How could it be anything but pleasant??? It‘s our 11th Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary To Us!!

Staying in the hobbit hut was perfectly fine. No complaints - it was very functional. We opted to cook our own breakfast (oatmeal and tea) as the walk back to the town of Drymen was a bit off-trail.

Posing next to the camping barn. I regret that we didn’t get photos inside. It was basic, with picnic tables, modular showers and toilets

Early in the day, our focus was on the ascent of Conic Hill, our highest point for the day. We were lucky that the sun broke from the clouds as we approached and we were afforded stunning views of Loch Lomond below.

Note the line of people heading down the trail in the lower left of the view.

Holy moly there were ALOT of weekend warriors tackling Conic Hill this morning! Bob thinks this is what the highly populated Everest ascent is probably like.

After making our way down the hill, the crowds cleared out. We walked through some incredibly beautiful forests throughout the walk today… rich with vegetation. We enjoyed the moss covered birch, unfurling ferns, and enormous pines.

We spent a fair amount of time putting on and removing our waterproofs today.

We stopped for a pint and sandwich in a very conveniently placed pub along the trail. (A mid-day pint is becoming a habit on our walks!)

The second half of our day was spent walking an undulating path along the shore of Loch Lomond. Occasionally the trail would pop out onto a beach.

After a long day of walking, we arrived at our stop for the day, The Rowardennan Youth Hostel. The hostel is situated directly on the shore of Loch Lomond and was built as a 19th century hunting lodge (not particularly old compared to some of our accomodations, but it’s unique and the setting can’t be beat).

If the clouds clear tomorrow AM, I’ll get a view of the lake from the lodge. It’s a gorgeous setting

We shared dinner and drinks with two British friends who are going to be on the same path as us for a few days. I’m sure we’ll be sharing more about Dominic and Neil in the upcoming days.

Good Night and Happy Saturday!