EK News: Eric Kent The latest Duncanrig Ramblers walks were located in the Loch Lomond National Park with both walks starting close to the Loch Sloy Power station at the upper end of Loch Lomond. The main walk today commenced at Ardvorlich and finished at Succoth, Glen Loin on the outskirts of Arrochar a walking distance of just over 10miles. The alternate walk started at Inveruglas and again finished at Succoth a walking distance of 8.5miles. The weather on the day was very cold and clear and the surrounding mountains seen during the walk were snow capped above the 800metre height which made great scenery and photographs. Loch Sloy is an old name in Scottish history.  The mountainous region at the head of the Loch Long, bounded on the east by Loch Lomond and on the west by Loch Fyne, may be said to have formed, back in the dark ages, part of the boundary between the kingdoms of the Scots, the Picts, and the Britons of Strathclyde. “Loch Sloy” is also the slogan of the Clan MacFarlane, one of the oldest Scottish Clans which, under the leadership of 21 chiefs, held these lands from 1225 until 1784.  On the shores of Loch Sloy there was a wee clachan, on the islands of Inveruglas and Eilean-a-Vow on Loch Lomond they had fortified keeps, and the later chiefs made their home at Arrochar.  Both walks had to work hard a there were considerable height to be gained climbing up over from Loch Lomond into the upper reaches of Glen Loin and lower Coiregrogain from the different starting points of the walks. Once into the Glens the views of the surrounding mountains with their snow cover was spectacular, Ben Lomond behind us looking very  alpine and different from the  view from Glasgow and ahead of us were the rugged forms of Ben Vane, Ben Ime and A’Chrois looking spectacular with their snow capped tops.  We were now able to see and admire the massive construction works of the Loch Sloy dam, which is one of the major visible features of the Loch Sloy Hydro-Scheme which was commenced close to the end of the Second World War using German prisoners of War who mainly built many of the approach roads for this massive scheme. At the war ended the labour force built up to about 2200 souls many of them men returning from war service. The many Hydro electric schemes built after the war in Scotland were inspired by Tom Johnston the Scottish Patriot who was then the Secretary of State of Scotland and a great man of the people who had the foresight and the desire to see that the electricity generated from these schemes would benefit the people of Scotland many of whom at that time still didn’t have electricity. The walk continued up into the mid regions of Coiregrogain where it was very cold with ice on the ground. Above the point where we turned to traverse round the side of the Hillside of A’Chrois and round the hillside through the forest into Glen Loin we passed over the water known as the Ault Corrie Grogan. Further up this water high in the glen there lies a green hollow, which is said to contain a ‘Fairy Pool’.  It was the Inveruglas fairies that had the secret of the dying and when other fairies tried to discover their methods the Inveruglas fairies threw all their dying secrets into the pool. This Legend explains how to this day the pool in the Green Hollow in the hills has such a wonderful green colour. The walk continued through the forest with great views of Ben Lomond and further on we passed above the remains of the Hamlet of Feorlin which was finally abandoned around 1990 as the Highlanders moved to Glasgow for work. Directly above the ruin of the old village on the hillside are the caves of Glen Loin some of which can go down a considerable distance into t bowels of the earth. These Caves have been explored by successive generations of the young folk from the twenties to the seventies who use the open spaces as places of adventure and calm well away from the heavy industry of the West of Scotland. Before we descended into the village of Arrochar we admired the view down Loch Long and which was very still and it was also good to look out over the village scene at the gathering gloaming and fire smoke building up in the stillness of the early evening. We then travelled along Loch Long past Glenmallen where we were thrilled to get a last view of HMS Ark Royal before she is decommissioned. The social hour was enjoyed by all in Helensburgh along with some of the Royal Navy!