Up North to Aviemore

Aviemore and the Cairngorms 

So this is what the Cairngorms looks like early March! Beautiful and covered in snow! This was my first time driving up to the Cairngorms, and we did it in one day. From Glasgow I reckon it was just under a three hour drive one way. We were trying to keep the trip low budget which is why we didn't stay overnight, but I think you could definitely justify the cost of accommodation. It is a big day if you are driving! So at least bring coffee. We made a point of leaving Glasgow early to get there around ten, and left at five and had plenty of time to do and see what we wanted. 

The drive is pretty easy and mainly straight forward from Glasgow. Take the M8, get onto the M80 until it becomes the M9. Past Perth it becomes the A9 and you just follow signs for the A9 North until Aviemore becomes signposted.

Once you hit the Caringorms it gets pretty spectacular...

What to do?

Once we arrived in Aviemore, we went to the main town area and went into the visitor centre where they gave us some good leaflets and recommendations. Before I left all my friends who had been had talked about the funicular railway at the ski resort, and also Loch Morlich, which is pretty much what we ended up doing. We also picked up some stuff for lunch in the wee tesco in the town, pretty essential as once you leave the town there is nothing but nature 

Going up...

One of my most favourite pictures

Funicular Railway

I don't know if I was being daft but everyone kept talking about this and I had no clue. Maybe it's coz I don't ski so I am uneducated about how to get up mountains quickly... But! We figured it out. If you aren't at Aviemore to ski (which I shall be putting on my bucket list!) you can just get a pass to get up the mountain on the train cart. One of the leaflets we got given actually had a 20% voucher in the back of it, so have a look if you do go to visitors information. You might also be able to get discount vouchers online! If you are a student you are also able to get a discounted ticket. As we were walking through the car park a lady gave us a free ticket! So if you are done with yours, make someone's day and give your ticket away.

Mel was surprised at how much snow there was! The views are obviously incredible at that time of year and it was great being up high on such a clear and sunny day! You can see Loch Morlich from the top. There is a nice enough looking cafe at the top with a shop, and outside a lovely viewing platform! 

It was really, really bright and that is why we are squinting in this photo

Loch Morlich

We got to Loch Morlich at around lunch time so we started off the only way we know how - with a tasty lunch. We were again lucky that the weather was so great, so we just made use of the picnic benches. There are a few options that we found for various walks in our leaflets. There is a really obvious path around the perimeter of Loch Morlich and that is the one we walked around. It took us a couple of hours at an easy pace, and is pretty flat with a few gentle inclines. Ideal for people who don't want to do anything intense, but do want to spend a decent amount of time walking. I think it was just over a 5km or 6km walk from what I am able to remember. 

It's pretty cool, because you could see the ski resort we had just left. Even though it didn't take us that long to get down to Loch Morlich, it looks like it was miles away.

The photo below makes me feel so calm when I look at it. Everything was so still and wonderful. The walk was really nice as it wasn't overly busy either.

And driving back was pretty great too... I love the texture on all the mountains, with the way the snow has melted in different patterns. A sucker for scenery really!

Rouken Glen

Even though I live in one of the biggest cities in the UK, and especially one with such a heavy industrial past, Glasgow has some truly spectacular country parks. It makes it really easy to spend an afternoon getting outside, without too much planning.

You can find out more about Rouken Glen on their website. 

When Lara and I went, we got to see it in lovely snow!

I was really impressed by the park, it had a little river, with a gorge style section, a play park which would be ideal for children, as well as a less busy field section. There is a lovely cafe called the boat house and we got a hot drink to warm us up. 

To the summit of Ben Lawers

The climb gives excellent views of Loch Tay 

Ben Lawers Perthshire

Technically Ben Lawers was my second munro, but that's only because you have to climb Beinn Ghlas to get to the summit! Before then I had never climbed any mountains or munros, so I was a complete beginner. Cara had done the Brecon Beacons, but this was her first Scottish Munro.

I hope you are lucky like me
to have an amazing hiking
partner

If you are thinking of climbing both the munros Walk Highlands has a lot of good info on all the hills and munros in Scotland. The info for this climb is here: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/ben-lawers.shtml

I am really lucky to have a lot of friends who know lots about the outdoors and we did this climb based on a recommendation from my friend who does a lot of hard climbing. I was looking for something that was near to Loch Earn in Perth as that was where I was collecting Cara from, but also something fit for beginners.

The turning is just off the A827 which runs alongside Loch Tay and the car park is easy to find. The turning is sign posted. There's a donation that I think?! is compulsory, but also completely justified. The national trust have done an incredible job at maintaining the walk and making it one that is easy for all levels of walkers! The route is really straight forward and easy to follow. On the way down, we took a different route and it took us just under five hours (walk highlands reckons 5-6) and that was with plenty of time for us to rest going up and take cool photos at the summit etc. The route upwards takes you over the summit of Beinn Ghlas, and then onwards to Ben Lawers. Then, if you are facing Beinn Ghlas from the BL summit, to the right hand side of the munro you can see an alternative, much lower altitude path which you can take down, which is a real treat having climbed two munros because it is all a nice gentle down hill walk, instead of re-climbing Beinn Ghlas. I believe this is called the Erdamucky trail.

From the summit of Ben Lawers you get some amazing views of the rest of the Grampain range, and also of Loch Tay. There are a few other lochs that become visible from that height that you don't see on the way up. Apparently lots of people don't realise that Beinn Ghlas is a munro which is crazy because you can't actually see Ben Lawers until you get to the top of it.... The Erdamucky trail gives you an awesome view of the valley below as well, and there are lots of picturesque little streams etc. that make it an equally nice walk down, as the one upwards.

I made paella for lunch and the carbs were greatly appreciated

One of the things I found as an inexperienced climber was that you honestly can't be too prepared! We started off wearing lots of warm clothing with spares in our bags, only to take it off for the first few hours of the climb as it was actually really nice weather for Scotland! wooo. Then, as you get closer to the top, because it is more exposed we ended up putting on water proofs just as a wind break because the wind was proper going for it! Another thing I thought was that having enough food and snacks to keep you going was important. I wish I had bough more water anyway, and then I ended up dropping my water bottle and loosing a load at the Beinn Ghlas summit which was obviously less than ideal!

But to be honest, only that and the fact that I had a cold were the only faults I could find in the day, and I would definitely recommend the climb!

Such a majestic eagle

From what I remember I took this from the middle point that joins the two munros, but that's Loch Tay

What a trooper

Ben Lawers ( I think) as seen from Beinn Ghlas. Ben Lawers is the highest munro in the Grampian Range

Throwing shapes in the clouds