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Darwin on the rocks
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ScotlandStirlingUK

Hiking Ben A’an in Scotland

July 9, 2015 112 Comments

After spending some time in the New Lanark UNESCO heritage site, we drove towards the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the first National Park in Scotland. We chose to stop in Callander, a popular town often considered by many as the gateway to the Highlands. We spent two nights over there in order to explore the region and do some hikes around.

It was already late when we arrived in our bnb, so we decided to go for some food in the Crown Hotel nearby and called it a day.

Scottish fish

We had a good night of sleep and our first Scottish breakfast the next morning ! It was good, but I find the Scottish sausages very mushy in general…. 🙁

Scottish breakfast

We took the car and drove towards Loch Venachar, stopped to see what we thought was Hamish, the famous Highland Cow, before learning that Hamish has died last year 🙁

Highland cows are quite fascinating regardless, as they have no layer of fat to keep them warm ! Instead they have an extra coat that keep them protected from the rain. In addition, their fringe keeps the wind and the rain out of their eyes in the winter, and the sun and insects in the summer 🙂

The new Hamish :-)

We left the fake but cute Hamish, and continued our drive towards Loch Venachar, before stopping once again to admire the views ! Loch Venachar is very pretty, and the Harbour café and restaurant looked very appealing to us, so we decided to have a latte before the hike ! (I’m starting to take pictures with my iphone as well, it’s quite convenient sometimes and the quality is not that bad)

Loch Venachar
Loch Venachar
Loch Venachar
Loch Venachar

After this little break, we drove towards Loch Achray and found the car park for our hike. The car park and the route to reach Ben A’an t is currently closed due to some repairs, so we had to use Ben Venue car park. Everything is well indicated, so no chance to get lost 🙂

Diversion route

Ben A’an is a popular hike as it is known as the “mountain in miniature”. The hike itself is not very long (4 km), but quite steep and can be very challenging while going up-hill. Once you get on the top, you are rewarded by a beautiful view of Loch Katrine, with the famous Ben Venue in the background and Loch Achray on the other side 🙂

We started the hike and it was already climbing steeply as we entered into the woods. In some places, it was also a bit muddy, but they placed some mats on the floor to avoid to get stuck in the mud 🙂 Well done guys ! When it was really steep, they also installed some ropes on the side so you could help yourself. I wish I had taken my walking sticks with me.. but they were still in Leeds. I planned to take them, but completely forgot to put them in the car 😉

Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike

Once we arrived into the birch woods, the path was getting a bit flatter to my relief, and I could caught up my breath. Far away, we could see a summit shaped like a pyramid.. at the beginning, I didn’t think it was Ben A’an (and I remembered Le telling me, “don’t worry, it’s not Ben A’an”), aka the end of our walk, because it seemed so far away.. but it was Ben A’an indeed… unfortunately :p

Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike

The flat section was very short and soon enough, we started a steep and rocky path … I stopped several times, pretending to enjoy the views and take some pictures, but it was just to catch up my breath 😀

Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike

One last bit of rocks to climb and we reached the summit… and we could admire the incredible and breathtaking views !! It was just amazing !!! All the sweat and the effort was well worth it !

Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike
Ben A'an hike

Ben A'an hike

 

 

Packing my Suitcase

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112 Comments

  1. thefeatheredsleep Reply
    August 17, 2015 at 2:15 pm

    These are the best photographs! I feel like I have been here!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      August 18, 2015 at 8:32 am

      Thank you ! I’m glad! you enjoyed our hike over there, it was really amazing 🙂 thanks for visiting my blog and have a lovely week 🙂

      • thefeatheredsleep Reply
        August 18, 2015 at 10:23 pm

        You too! And I will be reading you!

      • thefeatheredsleep Reply
        August 18, 2015 at 10:24 pm

        I actually showed a bunch of people, they are the best pics I have seen of that part of the world. You are very talented.

  2. Kevin Reply
    July 28, 2015 at 3:06 am

    Those are some great photos! Especially that last panorama–incredible view! Definitely makes the effort of hiking worthwhile 🙂

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 30, 2015 at 6:31 pm

      Yes, it was really rewarding. There is nothing worse than hiking for hours then reach the top but don’t manage to see anything due to the high trees 🙂

  3. Inger Reply
    July 25, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    Love the views from Ben A’an, and a very lovely shot of you from the top standing in front of the rock. Love how green and lush the landscape in Scotland is! And that Scottish breakfast looks delicious – getting a bit hungry I feel! :9

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 26, 2015 at 2:09 pm

      The Scottish countryside is very green and lush for sure, it’s raining all the time :p

  4. yalakom Reply
    July 23, 2015 at 10:15 am

    Love the last photo, stunning view. Is that taken off the beaten paths or on the trail?

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 24, 2015 at 2:17 pm

      The last picture is taken from a “viewing point”. It’s looking down. There is a trail, but not a very visible one. It’s more or less loose gravel, dirt and a bit of rock 🙂

      • yalakom Reply
        July 24, 2015 at 2:37 pm

        Lovely viewpoint 🙂 I must go back to Scotland soon!

  5. Packing my Suitcase Reply
    July 21, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    Breathtaking in many ways I guess 😀
    You made it!! I would probably need to make a little stop on the way… making photos are always a great way to catch my breath haha 😀

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 21, 2015 at 12:29 pm

      Oh yes, taking pictures is my excuse when I have to catch my breath :D:D It’s clever isn’t it ? People don’t think you are not fit,they think you have a huge interest for photography ! :p:p

      • Packing my Suitcase Reply
        July 22, 2015 at 1:37 pm

        hahahaha EXACTLY 😀 same here!

  6. Lucy Reply
    July 20, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    What a stunning landscape!! I’ve never seen a highland cow before. Absolutely gorgeous. Are they bigger than a farm cow?

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 20, 2015 at 3:25 pm

      Hmm they are not really bigger, their legs seem shorter.

  7. afamilydayout Reply
    July 14, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    I love your final panoramic image of the view from the summit, stunning landscape. Am looking forward to a trip to Scotland next month and have my fingers crossed for reasonable weather! #Mondayescapes

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 14, 2015 at 8:22 pm

      This view was amazing, really breathtaking ! It was taken with my iphone 🙂

      Where are you going in Scotland ? And for how long ?

      We had reasonable weather. It was raining a bit every morning, but by 10 am, the sky has cleared up 🙂

  8. Indah Susanti Reply
    July 14, 2015 at 11:46 am

    Beautiful place it is, while 4K is indeed not too far but I can see from the image, must quite work to reach the summit!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 14, 2015 at 1:52 pm

      Yes, it’s was quite steep ! It’s not a flat 4 k 😀

  9. kabeiser Reply
    July 12, 2015 at 2:08 pm

    Scotland is incredibly striking. It isn’t in my near term plans unfortunately. Just a lot of Asia for the next couple of years.

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 12, 2015 at 4:09 pm

      Asia is good, especially the food 🙂

  10. realplacespeoplestories Reply
    July 12, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    The food looks so good! I also love the picture of you in the blue jacket, it is so beautiful! The place looks beautiful, and I am glad to see you both so happy and finally together again 🙂

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 12, 2015 at 4:02 pm

      Yes, it is good to be finally together, and the scenery in Scotland was just perfect ! Beautiful and calm.

  11. HikingGirlWithDog Reply
    July 11, 2015 at 6:25 pm

    It looks like an amazing hike! Enjoyed your pictures!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 11:02 pm

      It was an amazing but quite steep hike 🙂

  12. inesephoto Reply
    July 11, 2015 at 4:53 pm

    Scotland, a magic land. Have a great time!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 5:26 pm

      Scotland is magical, I couldn’t say better 🙂

  13. Diana Reply
    July 11, 2015 at 9:05 am

    These photos are fab as always!!!!!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 2:06 pm

      Thank you ! I’m glad you enjoyed this walk report 🙂

  14. wholeproduction Reply
    July 11, 2015 at 5:52 am

    Scotlanddddddddddddddddd I gots to go there 😛

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      Everyone should go !! It’s just awesome !

      • wholeproduction Reply
        July 11, 2015 at 3:36 pm

        it does looks good!

  15. Jane Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 11:43 pm

    Hi Gin,
    What gorgeous scenery and those highland cows are impressively shaggy (I guess they need to be!) I’ve always wanted to visit Scotland but wonder how I will cope with the rugged, cold conditions after having lived in Queensland for so long. Beautiful pictures as always and I love your smile. 🙂
    Postcards are still on their way. I had a flare up of rheumatoid arthritis in my hands so I had to wait until I could hold a pen properly. 🙂

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:59 pm

      Well… it’s true that summer is not that friendly. For me, it’s the perfect temperature. End of June, it was around 17-22°C and it was just lovely. A bit of rain in the morning, but the sky always clears up after a while.

      Don’t worry dear, take your time, it’s already so nice of you to send postcards 🙂

  16. Meihsiu Hsiao Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 11:21 pm

    Dear Gin
    Leisurely hiking, you can always find more beautiful scenery, I hope to have the opportunity to visit England again, for me it is a dream, I do not know whether this life have a chance?
    I also miss British food, where the food for me is very fast and can be stuffed, you life is kept in the trip, I believe you must quickly integrate into British life, and the love you have around accompany together, this is a very happy thing.
    🙂

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:56 pm

      That’s what I love about hiking, you can always discover new landscapes and new places.

      Maybe you will get the chance to visit the UK, fingers crossed ! It’s the first time I heard someone saying they miss English food, usually, England is not that famous for its food 🙂

      I’m doing fine for now, thank you, and I have a lot of support, so it helps !

      Have a nice weekend 🙂

      • Meihsiu Hsiao Reply
        July 12, 2015 at 12:39 am

        Haha, Because I am a tourist, do not eat British food, so it felt strange, I remember the British food as well as fried fish pieces and a lot of chips, if every meal, it should feel tired.
        😁

  17. gabigabs111 Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 8:39 pm

    The scenery is amazing. I have always loved Scotland and hopefully will have a chance to come back gain to explore more.

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:53 pm

      There is always more to explore over there. I was so impressed to see the numbers of hikes they have.. i was so difficult to choose what to do !! 🙂

  18. joylovestravel Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 7:55 pm

    Looks gorgeous – mats on the ground too, how incredible is that!! Highland cows are super cute too!!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:53 pm

      They seem very considered over there, and take car of the hikers 🙂 Without the mat, I don’t think we could have crossed certain patches.. I was very relieved ! And yes, the cows… super cute !!!

  19. jaynezak Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 4:27 pm

    Love that cow. Great photos. I felt like i was there,

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:52 pm

      I’m glad to have managed to take you there 🙂 Enjoy your weekend !

  20. lolaWi Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 3:19 pm

    you awesomely captured in photos this beautiful and scenic place! love the cow with furry coat 🙂 you both look lovely! thanks for sharing 🙂

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:50 pm

      This place was amazing, I wouldn’t mind doing the exact same hike again and again !

  21. BookOfBokeh Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    What’s with the coat and scarves? It’s JULY people! Can’t we get this summer thing straight?!?!?

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:50 pm

      Haha ! Not in Scotland apparently….

  22. allesistgut Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 6:43 am

    Oh it looks all so great. The food, too. Even if the sausages were mushy. 😉 And it’s very interesting that those highland cows have no fat but instead this thick hairy fur. Have a lovely weekend! 😀

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:39 pm

      It’s really so so difficult to find good sausages here, I don’t know what’s wrong with them ! 😀

      The highland cows are fascinating little creatures 🙂

      Have a nice weekend as well !

  23. La Tribu d'Anaximandre Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 6:16 am

    les paysages sont magnifiques mais le bonheur que l’on peut lire sur vos visage encore plus 😉 Merci pour ces belles balades !

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:38 pm

      C’est sûr qu’on était émerveillé face à un paysage aussi beau. On se sent très petit face à tant de grandeur. Et puis, j’étais personnellement fière de moi d’avoir réussi à grimper jusque là :p

      Bon weekend ! Est-ce que vous faites le pont pour le 14 juillet ? C’est votre fête nationale ?

  24. Amanda Afield Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 4:49 am

    Beautiful photos! I love the highland cattle, they’re so fun to look at! I’m looking forward to doing some walks in Scotland, so thanks for the inspiration!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:34 pm

      I agree for the highland cattle, I could stop myself and took hundreds of pictures of them throughout the trip haha !

      There are so many options for hike in this region, it was difficult to select a few ! But this one is really gorgeous ! I’ve done several others, I will talk about them later on 🙂

  25. Mabel Kwong Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 1:57 am

    Such a beautiful place and scenic place to hike. That view from the top looks spectacular, and great panorama shot to top it all off! You don’t like mushy sausages? Me too! Never like them as I don’t really like minced and soft at all :((( And so sad to hear about Hamish :((( Oh well, at least there is another one trying to be the famous cow now and perhaps one day he will become very, veryyy famous and you’d be talking that you’ve met him when he first started out 😀

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:33 pm

      This is an incredible place to hike, no wonder it’s so popular for hikers from all over the world ! And “old people” over there are so fit ! when we did our hike, I got overtaken by a man in his 65-70’s and a woman (same age) with a hip replacement. I was feeling ashamed of my fitness level haha !

      I like minced, but I like them a bit dried and textured. It’s difficult to explain. Or textured and moist, but not soft and mushy :D:D

      • Mabel Kwong Reply
        July 13, 2015 at 4:02 am

        Hahaha, the “old people” seem to be very enthusiastic about hiking aroung here. Showing us the younger ones how it’s done. I wouldn’t be surprised if they laughed at all of you slower ones 😀

        I think I get what you mean. Not mushy like mashed potato, but tougher, harder like a burger patty 😀

        • darwinontherocks Reply
          July 13, 2015 at 7:40 pm

          I’m sure they did, because they proudly told us they had a hip replacement just before overtaking us haha !

          Yeah, exactly ! It was very difficult to explain… That shows you how weird it was !

  26. rosemaylily2014 Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 1:54 am

    I love all your photos Gin (I’m starting to use my iPhone more and more too it’s just so convenient)! The scenery is amazing – we’ve been thinking of exploring more of this part of Scotland and funnily enough were watching a dvd about the Western Highland railway this week. I think the hike up the mountain was well worth it for those magnificent views from Ben A’an. Hope it’s still sunny in Leeds 🙂 It’s been so cold here was 0 degrees yesterday morning – there was ice on all the cars left outside when I went for my walk! Today is cold, wet and damp but we’re off on an outing as we have my cousin staying with us from NZ! Thanks again for your help with the tech stuff I’ve done a bit of revamping of the categories too to make it easier to follow (I put them on the header section) – I was pleased I managed to work it out! Have a lovely weekend 🙂

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:30 pm

      This area is really worth exploring. It’s beautiful, you want to stop every 5 meters to take pictures. The landscape changes all the time, it’s so pleasant for the eyes !

      I agree, the iphone is really convenient sometimes, when you don’t want to carry all your lenses with you 🙂 But the front camera is not so good, so when you take “selfie”, the resolution is not fantastic.

      It’s still sunny in Leeds, a bit too much to my liking :p But I shouldn’t complain too much, at least it’s not raining !

      No worries, if you need me for something, and if I can help, just ask me 🙂 And it’s so great you managed to work it out by yourself ! Once you get used to it, it’s not very difficult.

      Have a nice weekend, brave the cold ! But at least, you can have a cup of coffee or tea when you got home, and it feel nicer than it does for me right now :p

  27. Dalo 2013 Reply
    July 10, 2015 at 1:26 am

    Scotland looks like a place so different than others…along with the great views, the cow is a perfect example too.

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:27 pm

      Hmm it looks a bit like Iceland to be fair. And I’m sure it must also looks like Scandinavia (but I’ve never explored this region during summer, so I can’t really tell .. it’s just an assumption)

      But the cow, I wonder if we can find them elsewhere… I don’t know.

  28. explorvistas Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 11:58 pm

    We love our iPhone 6’s also, Gin! Half of our blog photos are taken with them.

    Jim

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 11, 2015 at 1:19 pm

      This is really a great phone !! The quality is similar to a good compact camera 🙂 We played a bit with the slow mo option, it was fun 🙂

      • explorvistas Reply
        July 11, 2015 at 1:31 pm

        Yes, slo-mo is great! Two of our friend’s children are baseball pitchers. I did slo-mo videos of them, and they both used them to analyze their motions.

        • darwinontherocks Reply
          July 11, 2015 at 2:08 pm

          Oh that’s useful actually ! I was wondering what was the purpose of that option, but now it makes sense !

          • explorvistas
            July 11, 2015 at 3:54 pm

            If you are by a lake and a dog, video the dog shaking water off. It’s great!

  29. T Ibara Photo Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 9:56 pm

    It seems like a wonderful trip! Beautiful photos as always! :)))

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 10, 2015 at 9:29 pm

      It was a beautiful trip but it’s always too short !

  30. shazza Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 8:56 pm

    What fantastic views! And I love Highland cows. Sorry to hear about Hamish.x

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 9:08 pm

      They didn’t even take the sign out, it’s after a little search on google that we’ve realized that Hamish died last year 🙂 But Hamish is a business, they sell so many souvenirs … better not to make a fuss about his death.

      • shazza Reply
        July 9, 2015 at 9:42 pm

        Ah thats a shame.They should name a new mascot and announce it on their website…..even if they call the new Highland cow Hamish too. X

        • darwinontherocks Reply
          July 9, 2015 at 9:43 pm

          Yeah, they should make it more clear 🙂

  31. Brittany Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 8:32 pm

    You know I love this post! I would love to explore the trails in Scotland!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 8:34 pm

      I’m sure you would have a lot of fun !! There are so so so many trails, and very famous and long ones such as Borders Abbeys Way (64 miles), Great Glen Way (73 miles), Fife Coastal Path (93 miles), Speyside Way (65 miles), St. Cuthbert’s Way (62 miles) and the Cowal Way (57 miles)… these are of course a bit too long for me, but they must be fabulous. People from the Uk love hiking !! You would love it here !

  32. madlyinlovewithlife Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 8:23 pm

    I love your shot of the Highland cow. It’s amazing that they can see anything through that fringe. But I love the way it makes them look! Great pic of the two of you too! :)) ~ Jeannie

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 8:30 pm

      Yes, you are wondering if they really something through that massive amount of hair.. but apparently, they do :p

      Thanks ! We did a ridiculous amount of pictures of us, mostly to show to the family.. and to keep as a souvenirs 🙂 we will print some for our new flat 🙂

  33. Francis.R. Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    I love the work you’re doing with your new camera (well, not so new but I remember you changed to another model) the colors are so nice and your compositions are so beautiful and descriptive of the place at the same time. I had never seen a highland cow, I thought it was a kind of yak.
    Said that the food in the photograph, the second one, would be very exotic and I think I would be very sorry to don’t eat it, we eat just one or maximum two kind of meats and we wouldn’t mix it with a fry egg. I’m sure Scots here would feel the same about our breakfasts of fruit juice and after half an hour a coffee with bread and cheese, “what is this misery!” they would say xp

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 7:27 pm

      Thanks ! Yes, I took pictures with my new camera and my iphone 6 … it’s quite decent for panoramic pictures 🙂 And we can take some pictures of us, to show to the family and to keep in the photobook 😉 It’s nice 😉

      Well, I’ve seen highland cows on pictures before, but never in real life. I was so happy to see so many of them during our road trip !

      Yes, I’m sure they will offended about your breakfast 😀 Regarding my taste, I’ve never had a better breakfast than the one cooked my host family in Quito… all these exotic fruits and juice, it was absolutely delicious ! And I love cheese ! Here in the uk.. they don’t know how to make tasty cheese 😉 Their cheese are so pasteurized that they have no taste at all.

      • Francis.R. Reply
        July 9, 2015 at 7:31 pm

        Quito, the cook similar to us! I’ll learn how is the food in Belgium 😉 The iPhone 6 has to be very decent because I can’t guess which is one, of course I don’t need to know that, I’m most interested in see your travel 🙂 Take care.

        • darwinontherocks Reply
          July 9, 2015 at 7:33 pm

          Once you’ve tasted fruits from South america and South East Asia, it’s difficult to get pleased by your purchase in Europeans supermarkets 🙂

          • Francis.R.
            July 9, 2015 at 7:38 pm

            I’ll take some pics of fruits today and tomorrow I’ll post them 😉
            I’d like to send you something but I think fruits require permits to export 🙁

          • darwinontherocks
            July 9, 2015 at 8:27 pm

            No, especially to the uk.. they are very paranoid about organic material.. 🙁

            I’ll be delighted to see some fruits !!! It will bring back nice memories 🙂

  34. Marilyn Albright Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    This looks like a very beautiful hike! I like your comment about taking photos when you need a rest – we hike a lot during the months that we are in Mexico, and laugh about using this very same reasoning! When my heart starts pounding, I know it’s time to “stop and smell the roses.”

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 7:23 pm

      haha ! yeah.. we all use that same trick 😉

  35. Annie Bananie Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 6:12 pm

    Nice!! Your experience is similar to mine at Conic Hill, definitely adding this to my list of hikes to do!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 7:20 pm

      Oh I went to conic hills as well 🙂 I felt better over there, because I did this hike beforehand 😀

  36. cindy knoke Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 5:43 pm

    Wonderful!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 5:50 pm

      Thank you ! I’m happy you appreciated the beauty of Scotland. Have you ever been there ?

  37. Jet Eliot Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 5:23 pm

    woo-hoo, what a rigorous hike! But the views and vistas really are awesome, and I really like the cool Highland cow.

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 5:50 pm

      At least, i had an excuse to stop every 500 meters … it was “to take a picture of the beautiful scenery” and not catch my breath, of course :p

  38. lexklein Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    It’s been years since I was in Scotland and you are making me want to go back! Beautiful scenery and the photo of you alone is very serene!

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 5:49 pm

      Scotland is really pretty, sometimes, you don’t have to go very far to feel in admiration with nature and its beauty. I could have stayed hours up there, just looking at the scenery… but hunger brought me down :p:p

  39. Ingrid Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 4:57 pm

    Beautiful country and certainly worth the hike. Hamish #2 is adorable 🙂

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 5:48 pm

      Highland cows are adorable, I’m in love with them. I took so many pictures of them throughout the whole trip 🙂

      • Ingrid Reply
        July 9, 2015 at 5:53 pm

        I have a thing for cows. So I’d be right next to you snapping away!

        • darwinontherocks Reply
          July 9, 2015 at 7:17 pm

          haha !

  40. vever02 Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    Thank you for sharing, photos are gorgeous.
    Have a nice day.

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 5:48 pm

      Thank you Hervé, I hope you are enjoying your summer!

  41. Sue Slaght Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    Oh I love that the cows have raincoats and their own windshield wipers of a sort. You are right the hike was definitely worth that spectacular vista.Wow! Lovely photo of you too. 🙂

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 5:48 pm

      Thank you Sue ! Yes, the effort was worth it ! But the day after, I could barely climb the stairs :p

  42. mytravelmonkey Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 4:04 pm

    Oh I love a good hearty scottish breakfast. We explored Loch Lomond and were blown away by the landscape. The view from the Ben A’an hike is simple stunning. It’s good for me to remember how beautiful my own country can be! Thanks so much for sharing on #MondayEscapes

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 5:44 pm

      I quite like the Scottish breakfast, but I can’t help to feel a bit disappointed by the sausages. They don’t taste like meat to me… I miss my Belgian sausages 😀

      The view from Ben A’an is really stunning, I was completely stunned by the beauty of the loch beyond us.

      • mytravelmonkey Reply
        July 9, 2015 at 6:00 pm

        I’ve not had Belgium sausages! I must try one day

        • darwinontherocks Reply
          July 9, 2015 at 7:19 pm

          It’s not that remarkable, but completely different than the ones you can find in the uk. It’s like they put bread or something in the uk.. they are really weird 😀

  43. Candia Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    My first climb of any challenge- ie/ not very difficult!
    About 40 years ago…

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 3:23 pm

      It’s not very difficult for people that are used to hike, or that are reasonably fit. For me, it was a bit hard, to be honest :p

      • Candia Reply
        July 9, 2015 at 3:30 pm

        Well, I was about 18 then… Would feel it now!

  44. cityoftheweek Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 2:59 pm

    You guys look just lovely 🙂 And the place is very cool! The advantage of UK compared to my country, is that you can hike during the summer in OK weather (if you’re lucky enough to not get any rain). Whilst in Romania when I go hiking in the summer I get an extreme sunburn and a terrible headache because of the 40+ degrees Celsius we have here nowadays (even though I wear sunscreen and wear a big cap/hat) :).

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 3:03 pm

      Aww thanks ! (I put some pictures of us because my mum is looking at this blog as well, so I wanted to be a bit more personal).

      The weather was perfect for me, because i don’t like when it’s too hot. It was around 20-22°C degrees, and it was so nice ! We’ve tried to hike in Croatia before, but we couldn’t even move (close to 40°C).. it was way too hot, and it was the same in the US two years ago. Like you said, the UK is great for that, as long as you don’t mind the rain 😀

      I’m suffering for you ! 🙁

  45. James Scott Reply
    July 9, 2015 at 2:46 pm

    Awesome picture

    • darwinontherocks Reply
      July 9, 2015 at 2:52 pm

      Thanks James, I’m glad you appreciated the Scottish landscape 🙂 I’m just in love with Ben A’an, this is such an iconic place 🙂

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I love travelling and exploring new countries. I’ve spent a few months in Galapagos Islands during summer 2011 and that was the beginning of my passion for travelling.

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