Day 11 - Drymen to Callander

This morning was very challenging.  We woke up to about a million Midges all waiting for us to get out of the tent.  It was not a nice way to wake up and seemed to set the tone for the day.

Thousands Of Midges Waiting To Welcome Us Back Outside...

We managed to get packed up relatively unscathed, and the cool breezy weather actually made for good walking.  We continued through the Loch Ard Forest and into Queen Elizabeth Forest Park.  I think we are now officially in the Scottish Highlands. We made it to Aberfoyle and stopped for breakfast around 10:30.  Ben and I made a new friend who came from across the street when we called.  She was very cuddly and spent quite a bit of time with us.

We Called Her Pumpkin Pie

Before finishing the hike we decided to bus the second half of the day for a couple of reasons.  Our feet were wet, mine has a recurring blister under the crease of my big toe and could use a little rest, and the next few days are going to be challenging with some very remote walking.  Not to mention we are tired.  Getting to Callander a little early also allowed us to dry some gear, do some laundry, and rest up.  All in all I think it was another good decision.

Callander is a beautiful little town.  The main street is full of shops, hotels, pubs, and the church - all of the buildings are made from stone.  The town is nestled up against the Callander Crags, which is quite stunning.  I got the feeling that it is a bit of a tourist town as there was lots of activity.

We are definitely on the home stretch now, with only 4 days of walking left.  If we are not able to post tomorrow, the next post will not be until Saturday night.  When we leave on Friday morning we will not see a town until we arrive Saturday night in Aberfeldy.  It will be a beautiful but isolated part of the walk.  Please keep sending us good vibes, as I know they have been helping.

Time for bed now.  As always, thanks for reading our posts!!!