Once upon a time, long, long ago there were two ramblers who agreed to do a recce.

The walk was to be from Balquhidder to Killin via Kirkton Glen and the old railway. As you would expect, they drove their separate cars to Killin, left the lady’s car there and both went in the man’s car to Balquhidder. There they put on their boots and other gear, locked their shoes and other unwanted items in the boot of the man’s car and set off.

The weather was a bit damp and grey but both had seen much worse and the walk up to the Loch of the Irishman was uneventful. They went over the pass and had gone a bit down the other side. Suddenly there was an exclamation from the lady.

"Oh dear" she said - or some such words.

"What is wrong?" asked the man.

"Oh dear" he said - or some such words.

They had to decide what to do about this little problem. They discussed the matter. They came to the conclusion that there were three alternatives.

1.         To go back to Balquhidder and abandon the recce.

2.         To carry on to Killin and hope somehow to get back from there to Balquhidder.

3.         To sit down and cry.

Neither of them was keen on the first alternative - the recce had to be done. They were tempted by the third alternative but decided on the second.

They carried on down the glen and then up onto the old branch railway towards Killin. The only obstacle was the highest deer fence they had ever seen without a style. They finally reached Killin at about five o’clock. It was a wet Sunday afternoon in the middle of winter. The street was deserted. Killin was shut. Despair was beginning to set in. Then the lady spotted a man in a garage working on a car. He was immediately approached and confessed that he sometimes ran a sort of taxi service. Yes, he would take them to Balquhidder for ten pounds. The deal was immediately done with great sighs of relief from the now weary ramblers. There was the taxi ride to Balquhidder, the run back to Killin in the man’s car to pick up the lady’s car and then the separate journeys back home.

In spite of the start of this tale, it is no fairy story. It actually happened. The man is still doing reccies and still making mistakes - but never again the one he made that day. The lady left the district shortly after.