Loch Ard Sat 19th November

Paddlers: Francis, Ginette, Gordon and Geoff

Weather: Misty, cold but sunny for most of day. No wind. Quite breathtaking. 1-dsc_0140

 

Route:loch-ard-2

Report:

There is a lay-by and small beach just as you come to the main loch. Surprisingly, given the cold and mist, there were two inflatables and a SOT (Epic8) already there when we arrived and some time later a canoeist arrived. As the mist lifted the sun started to break through. With a light layer of snow on the mountains it was quite beautiful.1-dsc_0141

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Ginette
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Francis with Ben Lomond in background
Gordon
Gordon

We started at about 11am and initially paddled along the south shore rounding it at Kinlochard sailing club. The tea-shop was closed with the reeds presenting a virtually inpenetrable barrier to the beach. Our initial plan for lunch was abandoned and so we headed off past a sizable number of fishermen to the ruins of “Duke Murdoch’s Castle” on an island to the SE of the main loch. It is possibly the most uninteresting ruin in the country. We eventually lunched on the north shore before pushing on down the feature known as the narrows. The loch here is river wide but with only a very slow current. It soon widens again before finally narrowing and becoming the River Forth (with slightly stronger current). Whilst turning Gordon decided to catch his paddle in a tree and undertake a close inspection of the water. No harm done and the resulting fastish paddle to keep warm took us back to the launch by 3pm.

It was a very leisurely paddle and thoroughly recommended for a short cold winter’s day.