Friday 3rd January 2025
Another walk to the three cottages at Ardoch and Baddans (8.8 miles).
Charlie (or David) and I did not manage a walk in October due to my surgery. We both wanted to get a walk together but David only came back from holiday yesterday. We have had a bit of snow and the forecast was for very low temperatures all day, below zero. By my weather station, on this website, that was almost correct; it got up to 0.4°C down at the house so it would have been colder up here!
Charlie came to our house at 10.00 with the grandchildren who were to spend the night with us. We had something to eat and then left the house at 10.25 walking up the road to Boath. Just over 3.5 miles up the road beyond Lealty we cut up the track on the left. Owing to the cold we both had to empty our bladders! So, at 11.40 we started into the wilder parts. Just a wee bit up the track I took this photo of the new mobile phone mast. From OS maps the name of the hill seems to be Cnoc Alasdair. There used to be a poor mobile signal out here, now it is all bars showing on the phone. Is it progress?
That is the way we have come.
A wee bit further on, at nearly the highest point of the day, I took more pictures. That is Beinn Tharsuinn.
Looking west to Meall Mor.
Looking to the Novar Windfarm on Cnoc Gille Mo Bhrianaig and Meall an Tuirc. The snow was quite deep up here. We reached 906 feet by my Garmin Etrex20.
Father and son. I had the loveliest day with my wee boy! I’m very proud of him.
We came round and reached the track back to Wester Lealty, the Bealach Clais a’ Chuirn. This is looking back at the Novar Windfarm.
That’s the way we go down that very overgrown track. It was quite a hard going section.
Finally we reached the gate at the Boath Road. Charlie is looking rather smug in the photo as I wanted an action shot of him climbing over the gate. He wouldn’t cooperate.
You go back down the road just a short distance and then the track to the cottages is on the right at the bend in the road.
This is having come up the track on the way to the cottages and looking back to Lealty with Beinn Tharsuinn beyond.
The first of the three fords. We had our lunch under that Scot’s Pine just on the left at 12.45.
We cooled down quite a lot while stopped for lunch.
There are amazing views now that the forest up here has been cleared, but I preferred the forest! Beinn Tharsuinn and Lealty, again.
Finally we got round to Ardoch and the first of the cottages. It is a wee bit rough going from the end of the track to the field with the cottage in it. We reached Ardoch just after 1.20.
The sun came out so I had to take a picture looking back to Ardoch.
Then we reached the next cottage at Baddans. I refer to it as Upper Baddans.
And then we came to the third cottage across the ford at Baddans; or Lower Baddans. It is a most bonny spot.
Then it was across the field to the corner of the forest where the power lines enter it. That bit is hard going and we both got snow in our wellies. Charlie again does not oblige with a good shot of his ascent of the deer watch tower. He is carefully observing the instruction on the sign.
That is the way we have come, pretty rough going.
Charlie sat on the seat which was covered with snow and ended up with a wet bum. I didn’t as I am old and wise. He is going to be 36 this year. Will he ever learn?
That is the track we exited by.
Charlie descending the deer tower.
It was a matter of following the track, turning left at the end and coming back onto the Boath Road. A mile down the road is home. We reached there at 02.30. What a great walk with my wee boy on a super day.