My first walk with ‘HF Edinburgh’….

It is my first walk with any walking club, I really don’t know what to expect and how it works. I have decided to go with an open mind and prepare for the worst that is not getting a chance to go along. I have reached St Andrew square, the meeting point around 15 minutes earlier to scheduled meeting time. The impression that I have got from the website about the club is that it is fairly dominated by experienced people in numbers, but interestingly the group that is standing outside RBS vintage building (popularly know as building 36 with in RBS circles) was all youngsters. I was not sure if this is the group that I was looking for, so I was reluctant to introduce my self before confirming if it is the group I am looking for. In the mean while a couple came and joined the group, their conversation made it clear that it is a walking group. So I also introduced myself to the group leader. The group leader was saying that he hasn’t expected so many new members and it is good that today we are going by Lothian bus than by private vehicle. That baffled me and the Spanish couple who joined. As far as we read on HF Edinburgh web site is that the walk is from Dunkled which is near to Perth. We then dug more details and found out that this group is called ‘Young walkers club’ and they are actually going to Rosyline walk. So we excused ourselves and found out another small group across the road with rucksacks on their side. We went there and introduced ourselves again and this is the group we are looking for ‘HF Edinburgh Hill walking club’. There are around some 10 to 12 people and we have divide evenly among 3 cars. I was in a car with Linda, Vince and Constantine. Vince is in IT, he worked with royal bank a couple of years before and he is well aware of Infosys. Constantine is from Canada, actually from Germany but his parents are in Canada now. He did graduation in botany and works in a science lab.
We made a small stopover just outside Perth at Baxter’s for Tea and Scons. I shared table with Robin, Dian and Canarius. I never had a scon though I was herein Scotland since 2005. I was trying to eat it with butter, was not much impressed until I applied jam on it as suggested by Robin, wow it is delicious. We reached Dunkeld rail station at around 11 AM. Except for me every one changed their boots and slipped into walking gear. I really felt like an outsider but well that I expected as it is my first walk. Tom, leader of this walk is from Dunkeld. He used to work in IT and he worked for Royal bank quite a few years before.
We started our walk from Dunkeld Railways station. The walk path starts at the foot of Birnam Hill. Birnam hill is around 400 meters high and was part of the original Munros list. The path we choose to ascend was steep and it is through dense woods, apparently there is another route to climb which is much easier. After half way through we took our first break. It’s a view point overseeing the Dunkeld. Though it is cloudy and misty temperature is quite good, all of us actually needed that break.
We continued our walk further and now it is more of a gentle walk with slight elevation with lot of open spaces. It is all looking dark pink as entire landscape is covered with blue berry plants, this is the season fro them to bloom. We reached the summit of Birnam hill. On our walk downhill from the other side of Birnam we took our lunch break. It is edge of Birnam hill giving probably the best views of that days’ walk. Sun is breaking through cloud here and there. We can see spots of sunlight like a search light. That is wonderful.

To reach Craig Obney we have to walk across a valley not so deep but not very accessible as well. It is not a very well laid path, we have jumped a wooden fence and walked along a swamp and then reached foot of Craig Obney. It was also part of original Munros at 450 meters high. A few people in the group decide to stay back as we have to come back the same way back after climbing it. It is much gentle ascent compared to Birnam. We had group photo session at summit and returned to catch others.
From here we headed for Hermitage. It is along walk from here, we took a break at a big Picknick table, it is huge enough to accommodate entire group.
Hermitage is well known for its reference in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. It is a dense wooded area with a small stream passing through. This stream attracts attentions of ongoers with beautiful waterfalls of different heights at multiple places. We finished our walk at around 5 in the evening and then headed to pub in Dunkeld. After a round of various refreshments we headed back to Edinburgh.
At the end of day I am very happy to get company such a great people. I got to know people who have experience of lifetime both in walking and knowledge. Many of the members in group have covered most of Scotland’s Munros at least once. There are few people who are walking with the club for past 15 years starting when they retired at 60. I got to know about geological conditions of Canada, Its wild life, how is it so normal to carry a rifle to deter wild life attacks, how polar bears roam in villages. Have taken gyan on walking boots, where to buy, what to look for, how much they may come for etc..
I am very much looking forward for my ‘A’ walk next weekend my first chance to climb any Munro.. 
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