Killoeter and Ben Bowie

Local run again, set off just before 9 after a heavy shower blew through, sun out again but pretty cool, round Carman reservoir, up the track beside the quarry along the muddy path and through the swamp to the Trig point.

Easy run down onto the Three Lochs Way/John Muir Trail. Down past the Black Third.

Up onto Killoeter for a run up the ridge and across to Ben Bowie where a sleety hail chased me into the forest.

Primroses starting to come out along the John Muir Trail on the way back to the top of the Stoney, along to the Trig and then the Fort, descending past the Radiomast, finishing a squelchy run in just over three hours

Finlas and Fruin

Bike, run, bike today, cycle to the top of Glen Finlas, run a loop round the Finlas and Fruin reservoirs, cycle home.

The Ben from Duck Bay

Bright and breezy morning with some cloud on the tops. Along the track until just past the reservoir then up joining the low part of the ridge between Creagan Hill and Beinn Ruisg.

Conic Hill and islands of Loch Lomond from Beinn Ruisg

Finlas reservoir and Loch Lomond from col at the head of Glen Finlas

Followed the ridge round the top of the glen over Creag an Lenibh to a top marked 693. Due west to Beinn Tharsuin then NW to Chaorach.

Beinn Chaorach summit cairn and trig

Conic from Chaorach

Mahanaich from Chaorach

Steep drop NW into the glen and across Auchengaich burn.

Fruin reservoir from Mahanaich

Continuing NW climbing up into the clouds to find the top of Beinn a Mhanaich. South from here down the ridge skirting the bump that is Maol am Fheidh and down the Strone to the Haul road.

Fruin reservoir from the start of the climb up Auchengaich hill

Crossed the Auchngaich burn again and turning east immediately through the gate up Auchengaich hill, North to Tharsuin then East to top 693, South over another bump called Balcnock.

Ardmore from Balcnock

Descent to Finlas reservoir

SE and East down steep slopes to the Finlas reservoir in just over 5 hours.

Ardmore

Decided on a lower level run as the forecast was for snowy showers and wind on the hills. Started out in bright sunshine.

Climbed Mount Malow and down towards Carman quarry turning off on a farm track towards Cardross, came out just behind what was the Priest College.

Still some paths through here although not maintained, the old castle hasn't changed much apart from some graffiti and the ivy we used to climb up on the front of the castle has been cut away. Ran down to Cardross shore and along to Ardmore.

Round the point and I could see a few dark clouds approaching started up the Red Road, snowy sleet started as I reached the black Third farm.

The sky quickly cleared as I crossed the moor on the Three Lochs Way/John Muir Trail into the Vale, finishing in just over three hours.

Killoeter and Ben Bowie

An out and back route over Stoneymollan today, up behind the Carman reservoir, along the muirs to the Three Lochs Way quickly turning off past Shepherds pool and the Black Third, climbing up for a run along Killoeter's ridge, across the Three Lochs Way for the short up and down Ben Bowie to the John Muir Way back to the top of the Stoney, along the ridge past the Trig point to the Fort, descending home via the Radiomast to finish in just over three hours, light was good this morning, a lot of duck egg blue, the Ben hazy in the distance.

The memory trees behind Carman reservoir

Ardmore and the Clyde off Helensburgh

Looking back down the climb up Killoeter

Looking over Killoeter's cairn to Glen Fruin

The Ben, Loch Lomond and Conic from Ben Bowie

Inchmurirn and Conic from the John Muir Trail

Trig on top of Stoney looking towards the Ben, someone's re-built the cairn!