Of paths

This holiday, with all its hikes on the Arran hills and glens, has of necessity made me very aware of paths. At home in Cowal there are very few decent paths as such - at least around Dunoon - and most of our walking tends to be on roads or forestry tracks. The hills are, of course, far less enticing than the Arran hills, being on the whole rounded featureless lumps where the only paths are sheep tracks as likely as not to vanish and leave you among ankle-twisting tussocks.

Of course, it is the popularity of the Arran hills over decades that has led to the current situation, where paths have been reinforced and stabilised by rocks and granite sand/gravel from the local stone. They are narrow, unobtrusive, and hard - so walking on them can be a jarring experience. However, Glen Rosa, where this photo was taken, used to be so difficult in its upper reaches with extensive bogs and a proliferation of paths spreading over the floor of the glen as hikers over generations sought to avoid the worst of the mud. I can well remember being muddy all the way up my back after a day in these hills.

Today was another visit to a favourite place , with the mountain that I had made into a necklace visible behind Mr PB. Imagine how amazing it was to meet the artist who created it for me, skipping down the glen wearing one of her own necklaces - for that is what happened. An unbelievable and lovely coincidence.

Compensated for my forgetting to pack half our picnic ...