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This was a wonderful walk, and well worth
doing. It started out being one of those days of beautiful, settled
autumnal weather when I was at a loose end. Well what to do? Since I
hadn't been on the hills in the day I got a lift out to Blanefield and I
climbed Dumgoyne by night. With the
Moon full and bright, and barely a cloud in the sky, it should present
no problems.
I grabbed some chips on the way, ate in the car and was dropped off at Blanefield. There
was little light when I started since the moon hadn't risen over the
bulk of Slackdhu yet. The walk was uneventful as I walked out the track
towards Cantywheery, where turning uphill, I skirted the spruces of
Craigbrock Wood and continued to climb towards Dumgoyne.
Then near the river, I looked up from the darkness to see some trees by
the water glowing in the strangest way. It was a shock to see trees in
from of me lit up with highlights and shadows when all was completely
dark. I walked up to them and from the direction of Slackdhu
the Moon slipped out, here revealed the reason the sight had seemed so strange. In
the night, the trees ahead had been lit up by the rising Moon, but from
where I first saw them there was no Moon. The camera and tripod came out
and I attempted to capture this scene. Perhaps nothing could capture the
sublime, achingly beautiful sight of a landscape illuminated by the
moonlight and I certainly didn't.
As I climbed beyond the trees I was in the full glare of the moon and I
discovered that while walking into it, low in the sky as it was, it
would play havoc with my night vision and I wished I had a cap to shield
my eyes. Additionally the wind-up handle on the one torch I carried
snapped off so torch light was limited. Hardly necessary here. I walked
into Dumfoyn's shadow, finding walking easier with the ground not
obscured by moonlight and pitch black shadows, confusing conditions to
walk in to say the least. A torch helps to fill in the blacks but I
didn't have one I felt I could afford to loose.
One long pull to the top of Dumgoyne followed and I stood sucking up
magnificent views in relative comfort. I took a 360 degree panorama and
couple others, spending far longer than planned on top. Snow covered Ben More and
Stob Binnein were visible on the horizon as
was Ben Lomond, Loch Lomond and many other sights. Simply magnificent.
Then I headed downwards the way I came, not using a torch but realising
that with the time spent out in the dark, I could now read in between
the black shadows of the path and move with as much ease as I would in
daylight - a big change from the ascent. I arrived back later than
planned but it was still so worth while.
I mean, it was brilliant, and so close to home. We live in a superb
country.
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