Small hill with big views.
Ben A'an is among the most visited hills of the Trossachs, and the other day I went to check out what the fuss is all about.
The trail starts in a forest near Loch Achray. It is pretty, but it takes no time to climb above it, and that's where Ben A'an's qualities started to be clear. Even though the summit is only at 461m / 1512ft above sea level, Ben A'an looks like a proper mountain:
And then, there are the views the trail offers.
It was a rainy day, so they might not have been as colorful as they could have been, but it also meant that we had the trail nearly all for ourselves – a decent trade-off, I'd say.
Near the summit, the rain quit, allowing us to stay atop for a while and enjoy the features the place has to offer: Rolling hills on one side and Loch Katrine on the other.
Besides one boat sailing through the loch, there were no signs of civilization.
Considering that the summit is only about a mile from the trailhead, the ratio of atmosphere to ease of access at Ben A'an is remarkable.
Accessibility can be great, but so is getting to some of Scotland's hard-to-reach locations. If you've enjoyed this post, you might also like my stories about those remote places, like:
"Alone, Alive." - Cycling through the Glen Nevis. |
"Off the Grid" visiting three lochs in the Cairngorms. |
Alternatively, browse the Blog Archives for more locations and topics. Thanks for reading!
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