Colglen is the name used locally for Colintraive and Glendaruel together. Although we have the right to roam in Scotland it is usually better to stick to paths so that you avoid mud and too much water (on the ground - from the sky is another matter!)
So, recently I have been walking with my friend Sue and also her friend Fiona on the forestry tracks between Glendaruel and Colintraive. The paths are quite steep, but the benefit is gorgeous views as you walk.
The first walk was from Stronafian with lovely views over the Kyles of Bute on a stunningly frosty day, and the second was along the road to Colintraive with views across and back towards the Glen. It rained that day and we got pretty soaked, but the walk and the company more than made up for it, and Fiona was a saviour, lending me a rain coat to wear!
I also joined the Glen's nordic walking group on the Wednesday before Christmas. Sue and Fiona both walk with the group too, so I didn't feel too exposed going along on my own. What a lovely and diverse group of people! I will go along again in the new year as it was very enjoyable. They have a stash of poles and taught me the basics of how to get the most out of it. We do warm up and cool down exercises in the village hall before setting off on a variety of routes from there, and then return for a lunch of hot soup and chat. I didn't stay for the lunch the first time as an hour and a half had been enough social stimulation for me for one day! The lovely thing is that on every walk someone takes some photos and then posts them to the walking group's chat on Whatsapp for everyone to see.
On Boxing day I walked down and up to see Hosshin in his hillside retreat above the glen. The walk down was warm and drizzly, with water gushing down the roadside burn. Sheep in the field stopped to watch me pass, the air was so still there was not a whisper of breeze and the trees were motionless. It was such a beautiful walk, so peaceful, and I thought how much John would have loved it and how nice it would have been to be holding his hand along the way. Had a delicious hibiscus tea and brownie with Hosshin and met his new chickens, and came home with half a dozen lovely eggs. Hosshin runs Heartmind, a kind of spiritual guide to finding physical, mental, and emotional well-being. He's been very thoughtful and reassuring to both John over the last twelve months, and to me since November.
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