EK News Article by Eric Kent:

The latest Duncanrig Ramblers walk was in the Argyle & Bute area. The main walk was from Lochgoilhead to Ardgartan at Loch Long a distance of  11 miles over remote forest tracks and hill paths in the Argyle forest Parks. The alternate walkers  started off at Ardgartan forest visitor centre and walked up Glen Croe to join on top a high forest track which they followed round to Coilessan Glen  and then joined on to the Cowal way back to Ardgartan a distance of close to eight miles. The day started with showery but warm weather with a hope of the barometer rising which would help with shifting the clouds off the hill tops and being able to enjoy the views in this picturesque areas of Scotland.  We left the main A83 road to Inveraray and Campbeltown at the top of the Rest and be Thankful and travelled down to Lochgoilhead on the B828 where we marvelled at the skill of Drew the coach driver who negotiated the difficulties of the steep singe track road with quiet panache.  Lochgoilhead sits at the northern end of Loch Goil which is a sea loch. This is the steep-sided sea loch that branches off Loch Long as it makes its way from the Clyde up to Arrochar. For an understanding of why Lochgoilhead developed where it is, you need to start by thinking differently about getting around Scotland. Although tracks existed by 1750, it was the coming of steamers to the Clyde estuary that really caused a settlement to grow around the existing church at the head of the loch. By the 1840s regular steamer services had led to the building of a series of holiday homes here. The summer steamer services still operated as recently as 1946, but since then access to the village has depended almost entirely on its roads. The village today is a popular holiday centre with caravan and camping sites. We set off from the village climbing up a rough track past a fine herd of shaggy Highland cows complete with their spring calves. As we climbed upwards we were enjoyed great views of Loch Goil and the rugged hills above the loch on its western side. When we started out the rain was not far away and we got caught for a while with a typical west highland shower of fine rain which cleared eventually into sunshine during the morning. As we traversed along high above the loch we caught site of the Carrick Castle on the western side of the loch. The first settlement on Loch Goil is thought by experts to be on the west side, near Carrick Castle. This is about five miles along a minor road south of Lochgoilhead. The castle was originally built in the 1200s, though the ruins visible today date back to a tower house built in the 1400s and was burned down during an attack in 1685. There have been recent attempts to restore the Castle but these have not been completed. At a place called Stuckbeg we climbed up away from Loch Goil and eventually on to open ground where we stopped for lunch at Corran Lochan. On the way up to this lovely mountain Lochan we were all impressed with the number of waterfalls with picturesque glades that we had enjoyed enroute. After lunch we left the Lochan by making almost a ninety degree turn and followed a new forest track which soon brought us within sight of Loch Long where we were able to see the Finnart Oil Terminal on the east side of the sea loch is a petrochemical transfer facility which lies on the eastern shore of Loch Long, about two miles north of Garelochhead. The terminal comprises a series of piers which extend into the loch, with a deep berth able to accept tankers of up to 324,000 tonnes. Storage is provided in a tank farm which extends from the piers into the hillside to the east, and straddles the A814 road which cuts through the site, separating a number of tanks from the main facility. Crude oil is sent though a 20 inch (0.51 m) pipe to the Grangemouth oil refinery, while refined products are returned for export, through a separate 12 inch (0.3 m) multi-product pipe. We enjoyed fine views of both the loch and the surrounding hills as we headed towards Ardgartan and Glen Croe. This was spoiled for a short period as the weather closed in and we were battered for a period by a heavy hail squall which made the walking miserable while it lasted. After the squall as we looked down Loch Long towards the Clyde were could see Glen Mallen pier on the west side of the A814 road, and was built during the 1970s to provide facilities for the loading and unloading of munitions and stores for vessels of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Royal Navy. This pier serves the Glen Douglas Munitions Depot using a purpose built road connecting the two, and is owned by the MoD. We soon passed by Glen Coilessan which is the shortest way over the hills and then down by the Donich Water to Lochgoilhead. We continued on through the forest now catching glimpses of the Cobbler over on the Arrochar Alps and then passed the new hotel being built at Ardgartan and eventually arriving at the Argyle Forest park visitor centre  which is located a short way up Glen Croe where this walk finished.   The social hour was enjoyed by all at Arrochar before the journey back to East Kilbride.