#ben ledi

Ben Ledi - Hiking in a Cloud

Scottish Weather is notoriously fickle. Just the day before the weather was bright and clear and when we returned the next day, there was already a low cloud enveloping the majority of the mountain tops. But we wanted the full tour and decided not to go the day before and possibly having to descend a precarious mountain path in the dark. The cloud on top never went away, but occasionally the sun would peek through. It’s pretty much like walking through a thick fog, so good navigation is essential. But the atmosphere is amazing and everything looks very mysterious. Whilst at the bottom of the mountain, we could still see the bright Autumn colours, on the top the colours all blended together in the typical Scottish Highlands colour scheme. 

Watch the full hiking vlog on my Youtube channel.

Autumnal Shades around Ben Ledi, Trossachs

We caught Autumn at its Best while going up Ben Ledi in the Trossachs National Park. This area of Scotland is really growing on me and I want to explore there more often. For now, enjoy all the beautiful Autumn shades and the light and shadow effect created by the low sun. At the end of our walk the light was failing us and it became harder to capture the colours, but I think you still get a good idea. 

Head over to my Youtube channel for a full hiking vlog.

Dunmore Pictish Hillfort, Callander

This easily-accessible Iron Age-style hillfort is located in the Trossachs, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite parts of Scotland. The big mountain behind the fort is called Ben Ledi and according to a legend, giants held a rock throwing competition on its peak. The giant Samson won the competition by flinging a massive rock, which still lies on Bochastle Hill, the hill right next to the hillfort. It is known as ‘Samson’s Stone’ (photo 8). The hillfort itself has distinctive defensive walls and a little annexe, perhaps for keeping animals safe. You get a great view towards the Lowlands from here. You can see Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument, but you can even see as far as the Pentland Hills next to Edinburgh. When you look towards Callander, you can also spot some old boundaries in a field (photo 9). These are the walls of Bochastle Roman Fort, one of the smaller forts situated at the entrance to important glens. That means the Pictish fort and the Roman fort were close by and were in sight of each other, perhaps indicating a precarious relationship between the locals and an incoming military force, a delicate balance between war and peace. 

You can find a full tour of Dunmore Hillfort and Bochastle Roman Fort on my Youtube channel.