Search for the Lost Dwellings of Easter Sallochy

A fine day out from Appletree Cottage walking in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park

​Its another beautiful day at Appletree Cottage!
The sun is shining and the sky is blue so we decided to seek out and explore the ruined remains of a former settlement on the east shore of Loch Lomond in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Entrance to Sallochy Bay Carpark and Campsite seen as approaching from Appletree Cottage

 ​It was a short drive to Drymen Village where we took the left hand turn onto the A814 signposted towards Balmaha and Rowardennan.
Soon we were passing through Balmaha with its pretty bay and hugely popular Oak Tree Inn.  We continued onwards, past Cashel Camping Site on the left until we reached Sallochy Bay Camping and Parking site where we parked.
We had been to Sallochy bay before when we explored the peninsula out to Ross Point and discovered a huge crop of blaeberries / bilberries in an unfrequented hidden woodland (see blog of 22 Aug 2017)

Sallochy Bay bathing in winter sunshine

Information board at Sallochy Bay

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​Today, rather than follow the shoreline as before, we were going to walk eastwards in part of what forms the Western edge of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park – a 50,000 acre (20,234 hectares)  stretching from the eastern shores of Loch Lomond to the mountains of Strathyre.
The Queen Elizabeth Forest Park is one of two forest parks (the other being the Argyll f.p.) within the much larger Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. 
A board in the car park illustrated some of the marked trails within this section of the park.
Parking at Sallochy Bay is £1 for an hour or £3 for the day.  On this day however the charge was zero as the machine was not working.  Money saved!

Queen Elizabeth Forest Park

Once we were kitted and booted we made our way to the car park entrance and crossed the road to the beginning of the forest trails.

Entrance to the forest trail

Trails are marked by posts with red and/or blue bands

The first section of the trail

The path was clear and the signing good.  A gentle slope took us up to the first junction – we followed the right hand fork and continued up through this pine and birch woodland.  Some very attractive sections as the path disappeared into the trees which were bathed in the winter sunlight. 

The path goest into the woods

Most of the woodland nowadays is conifer and birch with just the occasional oak tree

​According to the Forestry Commission website (http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/news-releases/1736-uncovering-the-past-in-sallochy-s-oak-woodlands) the hillside was planted with oak over 200 years ago to be coppiced for timber for construction and for charcoal. ​
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 A by-product of the charcoal making process “wood vinegar” was used in the dyeing process in some of the Vale of Leven’s many textile factories.

Easter Sallochy

After a short while there was another fork in the route – again we took the right hand branch.
Shortly we arrived at our quest.  A collection of ruined buildings peeking out from the undergrowth forming the long abandoned settlement of Easter Sallochy. 

The ruins of Easter Sallochy begin to appear through the undergrowth

The building in the centre has the remains of two fireplaces - one at each end - presumably the original farmhouse

The OS Names Book of 1858-61 for Stirlingshire lists Easter Sallochy as being a former farmhouse occupied (at that time) by cotters.  More information can be found on this website:  https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/ordnance-survey-name-books/stirlingshire-os-name-books-1858-61/stirlingshire-volume-06?display=transcription
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Looking across the walls of what might once have been byers

​The Forestry Commission website mentioned earlier tells us that these buildings would house women and children working seasonally at coppicing the wood and making charcoal.

​One of the buildings (presumably the original farmhouse) had the remains of a fireplace at each end. All of the buildings seemed to be danger of being overwhelmed by surrounding vegetation although periodic efforts are made to clear away the brambles and bracken and preserve what remains of the former farmsteading.

The Ordinance Survey 6 inches to the mile map of 1863 shows a road running north to south on the eastern side of  Easter Sallochy.  Little trace of that road can be seen now but the remains of the dry stone field wall which runs in line with where the road would have been can be glimpsed through the birch trees.

A fireplace still sits in the wall of what must have been the original farmhouse

​After a good inspection of the ruins we continued following the track which, after a few hundred yards popped out unexpectedly out of the woods onto a forestry road. 
We turned right onto this road and followed it up hill. 

Continuing along the forest path despite some dodgy camera shadow!

The trail suddenly pops out onto this forestry road

Further up the hill

​The road is well made and of gentle gradient.  We continued on upwards past first one attractively flooded former quarry on the right hand side followed shortly afterwards by another on the left hand side of the road.

The first disused quarry on the right hand side of the road. Are these fish or pebbles?

​On the other side of the road at this second quarry is a marker post with a red band around it indicating the start of the path leading up to the top a nearby crag.  

The second quarry, this time on the left hand side of the road

Marker post showing start of trail to the top of the rocky outcrop

Muddy path

The rocky outcrop

We followed this path – muddy at times – the short distance to its conclusion.  There, on top of this rocky outcrop we enjoyed stunning views down Loch Lomond to the south.  The islands in the Loch were clearly defined.  The village of Luss visible across the water nestling at the foot of the snow capped Luss Hills.  Sallochy peninsula down below us stretching out into the loch to Ross Point at its western extremity. ​
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Looking south down Loch Lomond. The closest island is Inchlonaig

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After taking a few minutes to admire the vistas we headed back to the forestry road and continued onwards and upwards in our exploration.  A deer fence lines this upper section of road on the left hand side protecting the younger vegetation below.
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We came to a fork in the road and turned left.  This section of road had not seen traffic for some time.  Broom and whin (gorse) bushes encroached the carriagway from both sides, sometimes almost touching each other in the middle of the road.  Despite this our passage was not hampered in any way and climbing gently and continuously we soon arrived at another junction where again we took the left hand fork.  

An overgrown gate and style

Broom and gorse encroach on the roadway

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Soon this section of road came to an end and we paused to take in the view – even more magnificent than before.  Looking to the north we could see the snowy peak of Ben Narnain - the first of a series of Munros known locally as “The Arrochar Alps” (a Munro is a hill in Scotland over 3000ft.)

​This was a great time of year for our walk as the lack of foliage in some sections permitted views which may have been otherwise obscured later in the year.

Sallochy Peninsula with Ross Point at the furthest (western) end

Panorama from the top of the hill

​With the sun beginning to lower towards the distant hills we made our way back down the mountainside.
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Allt a Mhuillin burn

On the forestry road and ​shortly after the two flooded quarries which we had passed earlier there was a marker post with a dark blue  / black band on it on the right hand side of the road as we descended.   We left the road at this point and followed the grassy track which ran steeply downhill. 

Marker post for the descent along Allt a mhuillin

​This soon became one of the prettiest parts of our walk as the path soon ran alongside a bubbling  burn - Allt a Mhuilinn or Mill Burn.  No sign of a mill but lots of little waterfalls, bridges to cross and peace and beauty.
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Waterfall on the Allt a Mhuillin The walk along this burn was one of the prettiest parts of our journey.

Footbridge over Allt a Mhuillin

The footpath follows the Allt a Mhuillin burn

​Eventually we completed the circle by arriving at what had been the first fork in our journey.  It was a short walk from here back to the car at Sallochy bay.  Our walk had taken about three hours and included many stops to enjoy and study our surroundings.   Although this was a beautiful Sunday afternoon we had passed not a single person in our entire journey after leaving the main road.  What a brilliant day!  

Loch Lomond at Sallochy Bay as the sun begins to go down. The water is high at this time of year due to recent rain and snow melting

​Once back in the car we headed back down the loch to Appletree Cottage

On the road back to Appletree Cottage