The following morning began with mist and we packed up early and knocked on the door of the farmhouse to pay for our stay. The lady took our money but refused the extra £1 we had added to the £2 camping charge for the tea and scones. We continued along the country lane in the mist but already it was beginning to warm up with occasional brightness peeking through the gloom. We eventually left the tarmac and climbed above Loch Ochiltree before the hills surrounding Bargrennan appeared ahead through the ever thinning mist. At the village we headed for the hotel and had a brief stop for a pint and made phone calls home. Leaving the hotel, we crossed the road and walked alongside Water of Trool (pictured) arriving eventually at the beautiful Loch Trool (below). The sun by now was burning strongly and the scenery was the best so far. The path passed through a caravan park alonside the loch where we stocked up in the shop before continuing along the path as it undulated through the trees along the loch shore giving superb views of the loch itself surrounded by imposing hills. Eventually, we reached the far end of the loch and plunged once more into the trees as we climbed to a forestry track. As the track left the woods we were rewarded with a glorious view down to Loch Dee (below) basking in the afternoon sunshine as we descended the path to the Black Laggan bothy. At the junction of paths we decided that we would not use the bothy but pitched our tents by the junction, next to the river as it was such an idyllic spot.

Later that evening, as we drank coffee and watched the sun sinking behind the surrounding bowl of hills, we began to suspect that we may have made a mistake as the ever increasing clouds of biting midges forced us into our tents for an early night. Events the following morning were to confirm our suspicions