The sun played hide and seek through the trees with us today as the eleven Bosco Wanderers who turned out for this ramble made their way up the tree lined avenue of Balloch Country Park to get to the now rather tired and dejected looking "A" listed building of Balloch Castle. (The Castle was originally built as a residence in 1808 for a John Buchanan of Ardoch, a partner in Glasgow's first commercial bank known as the Glasgow Ship Bank founded in 1750 by some of the city's Tobacco Lords, the building still remains today in Glasgow at the corner of the Saltmarket & Bridgegate).  Situated nearer the waters edge of Loch Lomond stood the original Balloch Castle and the home of the Earls of Lennox.  It was abandoned around 1390 in favour of a stronghold on the island of Inchmurrin which was considered to be more secure from disease and attack by hostile forces, all that remains of the ancient seat of Lennox today is a mound that once formed the moat of the Castle and the site was given statutory protection under the Ancient Monuments Act of 1979.

After a quick stop to admire the view from the Castle across Loch Lomond to Cameron House and Duck Bay Marinas we moved on further into the park itself and onto the access road leading to Boturich Castle built in 1832 and once home to the Lennox & Buchanan families but now under new owners as a prestige wedding and conference venue. The novelist Sir Walter Scott visited Boturich to do some research for the novel Rob Roy.

Once again on the access road where a few of the walkers stopped to pick some "Conkers" or "Chessies" we  passed two small lochans and stopped at the top of the hill to take in the view of Loch Lomond that now stretched out in front of us.   A short tea break was taken near here before continuing to the summit of "Mount Misery" where it is told that the woman folk of the Buchanan Clan gathered in vigil to await news of their men engaged in battle at Glen Fruin later to be known as "Glen of the Weeping Pretty" because of the dreadful massacre that took place on that day.

On leaving Mount Misery we circled Whinney Hill and dropped down to Loch Lomonside via the Fairy Glen and followed the shore back into the village of Balloch to complete another great day out.

Joe Roche.