Scottish weather, as you all know, can be very unpredictable, and true to form it had no respect for the fourteen Bosco Wanderers along with Anne (who was home on holiday from Australia) & Margaret McGarry daughters of Sadie and John who joined us today for this walk along the shores of Loch Venachar.

Loch Venachar  (Gaelic; Loch Bheannchair) a freshwater loch lies in the heart of the Trossachs situated between Callander to the east of the Loch and the small hamlet of Brig o' Turk on it's northern shore.  It's some 82 metres above sea level and approximately 6 kilometres long.  The Black Water river flows from Loch Achray into the western end of Loch Venachar, and at the eastern end emerges as the waters of Eas Gobhain which joins the River Leny at Callander to form the River Teith. The southern shore of the Loch is covered by woodland and numerous forest paths, some taking you over the Menteith hills to the Lake of Menteith (the only lake in Scotland) and others leading westward along the National Cycle route to Loch Achray, Loch Katrine, and the Trossachs. This was the route that we would take today from our starting point at the East Lodge C/Park and along the shoreline path passing the Callander sailing club and the Outward Bound Centre at Scouts Bay before reaching West Dullater where we forked left and headed deeper into the forest via the Hamlet of Culnagreine to reach our half way point at the small unnamed lochan owned by the Alloa Angling Club to have a short tea break in the pouring rain that had now descended upon us. This small Lochan can be a very beautiful and peaceful place to be at, providing the weather is in your favour, but today the sun didn't shine for us here, so after our short visit we started to make our way back to East Lodge C/Park passing as we went the privately owned and outstanding Invertrossachs House where part of it now has been developed into self catering accommodation.  The Invertrossachs House's name to fame was when it was visited by HRH Queen Victoria in 1869 and I only hope that the weather was a lot kinder to her and her party than it was to the Bosco Wanderers who despite the rain and the dreich conditions enjoyed this walk in one of the most scenic areas of Scotland.

Joe Roche.