loch long for a couple of nights

jim.b

Maker Plus
Jul 3, 2013
249
4
hull
went up to loch lomond originally but there was far to many tourists about for our liking so decided to hop over to loch long instead for a couple of nights. parked up just past the ardgartan hotel at the head of the cowal way just off the A83 and took a short walk along the part of the cowal way that runs alongside the western edge until we found a nice burn to follow down to the edge of the loch where we set up camp.
this is the view from where we decided to set up camp...
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when we set up camp i was surprised that there seemed to be a distinct lack of midges, maybe with it being so dry over the past few weeks they didnt feel like playing but this gave me a chance to try out different ways of setting up the bivvy sheet id made to try out, i decided just to have one side open overlooking the loch so no real change to how i normally have it set up lol!.
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after getting a brew on i thought id try my hand before making some food, i was expecting maybe a small codling maybe even a mackrel which is usually what id catch on the west coast and which im usually more than happy with as ive always used a spinner rather than bait, after ten mins or so this was the result.
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ten mins after that this was the result.
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i dont have any pictures from the following ten minutes but imagine if you will a bloke laid on a lochside at sunset with a full belly lol!
not long after that the battery on my phone died so the last remaining picture is from my mates phone. had a very restfull night and watched the moon make its way up over the hills opposite and got an early start the next morning making our way up to what looked to be a very tall roof poking through the trees with what appeared to be a chimney on top which actually turned out to be a beacon tower but the view up the lock towards arrochar was stunning
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unfortunatly the path ends there so we made our way down to the hill to the lochside and made our way along the edge to where the path starts again further down opposite the oil depot.
there had been a warning that it might rain and rain it did with all the thunder and lightning you would expect so by the time we got to our next camp we was quite wet but soon dried in the heat, we made camp and got a small fire going due to the fact that the midges came in clouds once the rain had stopped, some pine resin of which there was no shortage was just thrown onto the fire by the handfull to keep them at bay, for some reason midges dont seem to bother me but my mate is a midge theme park so it was a good job we was up and back to the car the next day after a three to four hour walk. so a good time had by all and highly reccomended you pay the place a visit. take care if midges dont like you though lol!
 

stu1979uk

Forager
Oct 22, 2006
238
6
45
glasgow
Looked like a nice trip mate, was that a sea trout you caught?
Apparently the heat has killed a lot of the midges off but with the weather the last two days I think they will be out big time this weekend, will hopefully leave me alone with my smidge on tho
 

jim.b

Maker Plus
Jul 3, 2013
249
4
hull
Looked like a nice trip mate, was that a sea trout you caught?
Apparently the heat has killed a lot of the midges off but with the weather the last two days I think they will be out big time this weekend, will hopefully leave me alone with my smidge on tho

yes mate, and very nice it was too. Its the first time ive ever caught one those too.
 
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jim.b

Maker Plus
Jul 3, 2013
249
4
hull
Yeah it looks about right, its obviously pretty popular around there judging by the amount of crap left by others in the past, we ended up carrying a bin bag of crap each out to the bin besides what we found thatd burn. Very little if anything of our own. Id like to go round there in a canoe though but the price of one and then a roof rack and all the other stuff you need is a bit to much.
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
18
Scotland
Yeah it looks about right, its obviously pretty popular around there judging by the amount of crap left by others in the past, we ended up carrying a bin bag of crap each out to the bin besides what we found thatd burn. Very little if anything of our own. Id like to go round there in a canoe though but the price of one and then a roof rack and all the other stuff you need is a bit to much.

Hi Jim, if you want you can hire canoes from Tiso while you're up here (if you still want to come.) Come with roofrack and all the gear. TISO Unfortunately Brookbank who also hired out kit have gone bust this year.
 

jim.b

Maker Plus
Jul 3, 2013
249
4
hull
that looks good ill look into that a bit more methinks, i once saw a guy with a fold out canoe it looked really well made and very sturdy and fitted right in the boot of his car. he said hed had it years and never had any issues with it, i have no idea who made it or if you can still get them but something like that would be ideal with the very limited space i have at home if i was to buy one.
 

Grooveski

Native
Aug 9, 2005
1,707
10
54
Glasgow
They're pricy and you rarely see them secondhand. Pakboat and Keppler both make awesome canoes, Ally is another good make.
Then there's inflatables......

I'm going to back out right now lol, never meant to plant a canoe seed. :eek:
 
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