Wednesday 21 March 2018

Rosneath Peninsula: Airlig and Clach MacKenny

20 March 2018

Participants: Neil and Ben
Where: Airlig, 198m/650', P31, TuMP, OS 56, NS 229 854 and Clach MacKenny, 202m/663', P70, OS 56, NS 240 836

The first day of spring and the weather was glorious. The Rosneath peninsula was new to me and if the forestry allowed, I reckoned that it should provide good views. I aimed to walk part of the spine, starting at the Peaton Hill community nature reserve car park and take in the TuMPs of Airlig and possibly Clach MacKenny. In fact, a lot of the forest had been cut down and where it hadn't been the ground was steep enough to allow views of the loch below. A good forestry track ran all the way so the walking was easy.

It was a steady climb of about a mile to Airlig, a really fine viewpoint above Loch Long with the Cowal hills beyond. No surprise that there were a couple of picnic tables beside the cairn......




It really was an all-round viewpoint, to the north, the easily recognised Arrochar Alps.....


The Luss hills, shame that Faslane gets in the picture.....


Across the Gare Loch to Helensburgh.....


Down the Clyde to Arran, Bute and Cumbrae and right in the centre of the picture in the far distance, Holy Island.....


I hadn't set out with the intention of climbing Clach MacKenny but it didn't look too far away- the summit is next to the phone mast in the distance and there was a good track all the way so it was really a no-brainer.....


The track dropped down into the forest but there were still clear areas and from one I spotted this......


Heading out on another mission no doubt, there was certainly a lot of activity including a helicopter buzzing overhead. It (the helicopter not the sub) came straight towards me at one point so I guess that there's a photo of me and Ben now somewhere in the MoD.

Ben at the summit of Clach MacKenny with Loch Long beyond.....


From here, you could see all the way up the Gare Loch; some size Faslane......


It was also a fabulous viewpoint for the Clyde looking at Rosneath and across the water Rhu and Helensburgh with Stronend and its neighbours north of the Campsie Fells distant left.....


Then it was about turn and follow the same route back. It really is an excellent area, off the beaten track but you need a good day, which this certainly was.

1 comment:

blueskyscotland said...

Like the sub photo Neil. I've only cycled around there but less forestry at high level than I'd imagined there would be. Good views.