Day 19 - Balloch to Callendar

Day 19 -  Balloch to Callender.

We leave Balloch in rain at about 10:00 am.  Zita and I have had an argument based on a misunderstanding of language. So we're not talking.  We meet a 71 year old lady who is doing the Lejog but from North to South. This version  of the trip is called Jogle.  We have a little chat to her.  She has not biked too much before but just decided this is what she wants to do. She has a support camper-van for now travelling with her - but this will finish in a couple of days.  Within the first 5 minutes of riding she went the wrong way at the first roundabout.  I wonder how she will get on but good on her for giving it a go.

Leaving Balloch we first head up steeply through a beautiful local parkland called  Balloch Castle Country Park.  Then onto quiet country roads at higher altitudes. We get glimpses of various hills/mountains through the rain and cloud which is not too heavy. After the town of Drymen we begin our first substantial ascent of 150 metres. This  gets us up onto a beautiful moor area and a melancholy lake/tarn.

A melancholy tarn

Zita and I resolve our stuff. It is beautiful up here in the misty, rainy weather and we see big hills in the distance. We head across the plateau for a while before a spectacular descent of 230 metres down a dead straight road. And then  to Gartmore. We ride on to Abyfoyle, a pretty tourist town,  where we find a nice tea rooms for lunch.

I have my lunch favorite jacket potato with tuna mix. As the weather and cloud clear, an impressive hill behind town with craggy cliffs appears.
We head up a steep hill immediately after lunch and soon turn off onto a forest path which takes us up first to a peaty waterfall called the "Little Fawn" ,

then on and higher to an upper plateau.  The colours are just beautiful.

 We see many big round mountains all about.  Certainly great walking opportunities here. We now head down a path first then a rough road to the first pretty loch.

Some camping is allowed here but camping sites must be booked.  We are riding on a gravel road with a little very subdued traffic.
We head on to  the lower and much bigger loch. Much of the path along this is now just a bike /walking path and is a bit rocky at times. There is  a strong West wind roaring down the loch which is a tail wind for us. 

There are big mountains on the other side of the loch. A map later says they are up to about 1200 metres.  We pass the local sailing dinghy Yacht Club with a surprising number of boats - but not well looked after -  and then further, very posh new tourist chalet units. A night would cost a packet here. More people with money! This riding is just lovely. We arrive at Calendar, another tourist town with great walking hills all about. The B&B welcome is very warm. We have an excellent room and our tarif includes a substantial breakfast for £60.  Good value. Touring cyclists such as us make the most of these provided breakfasts, absorbing as many tasty calories as possible.