Day 1
Friday 12th May - Oban to Cadderlie, Loch Etive
Signed out from the Youth Hostel at 9am and started walking from Dustaffange Castle. I could not find a path along the loch side so road walked to Connell Bridge. While crossing the bridge I had a good look at the Falls of Lora. Strictly speaking these are not waterfalls but over falls created by the tides and the shape of the sea bed they are very rough and turbulent However they are created they are very impressive; brave (or foolhardy) kayakers can sink their boats above the bridge and surface below the bridge! After crossing the bridge I turned right, east, and still on the road passed Ardchatten House where they wanted a £1 entry fee just to spend more money in the tea room. By now it was time for lunch so I hove too under a shady tree.
During my lunch break Sandy Young (250) came along and we chatted for a while but as he wanted to make the head of Loch Etive for his first night's camp he pushed on; good luck! I left the road at the bridge over the River Esragan and followed the river to the Eas a'Chrinlet where I turned east to Loch Bealach Carra, where I had tea while being snowed on.
From there it was over the bealach and down to Cadderlie Bothy here I met again Bryan Palmer and Terry Drakard (153/4). I had watched them at the bothy as I came off the hill and a friend had driven up the track in a Land Rover to meet them and drop off their packs, when I spoke to them Brian had the cheek to complain how tough the walk to the bothy (along the track) had been and complain about his sore feet. I had first met them at the hostel in Oban where Tony insisted on telling all and sundry the complete history of every bothy mentioned and how much effort he had put in to maintaining them, I think this could be a bit trying after a few hours.
I camped down on the foreshore for the night. During the walk in I had seen 2 eagles, 3 deer, meadow pipit and pied wagtails, there are also 2 cuckoos near the camp site so I have them in stereo.
