I set off from the Ardgartan car park just after nine, a low mist hanging in the glen like something poured slow from a bottle. The trail began in the forest, dark and wet underfoot, thick with pine needles and the smell of last night's rain. The Cobbler rose up ahead, its jagged silhouette as dramatic as its reputation.

It's a straightforward enough route: a steady climb through the glen alongside the burn, then the path begins to snake up the shoulder of the mountain. By the time I'd passed the Narnain Boulders and started the real ascent, the mist had lifted and Loch Long was laid out behind me in full, dark stillness.

I gave the "Needle's Eye" scramble a miss. The rock was slick from the morning rain, and I've never been overly keen on squeezing myself through cliffside gaps for bragging rights. There's a safer track to the summit — still steep, but nothing that demands too much risk before lunch.

I had the top mostly to myself, save for a couple in matching Gore-Tex shouting into the wind and a solo walker eating what looked like a very serious egg sandwich. I drank lukewarm tea from a flask and stared out across the Arrochar Alps, the grey hills folding away into one another like weathered pages.

Descent

The way down always takes longer than it should, especially with knees that aren't quite what they used to be. By the time I was back at the car, I was hungry, damp, and already thinking about what the local pub scene might offer.

I followed the lochside road into Arrochar, the village slung out along the water like it's still waiting for the next boat. I stopped at The Village Inn, which sits right on the edge of Loch Long and looks like it's been waiting all day to serve someone like me (muddy boots, windburned face, hungry as anything).

Inside, it was warm and dim and full of the sound of glasses and low voices. I ended up in conversation with a burly local who looked like he'd been cut out of the same rock as The Cobbler itself. Over a few pints, he talked about the changes he'd seen in the area over the years: the old torpedo testing site further up the loch, the constant hum of Finnart's oil terminal across the water, Faslane just around the bend.

Somewhere between his thoughts on defence contracts and midges, he mentions "Glen Nowhere" but I was too engaged in my pie to ask which Glen that might have been.

Trail Notes

• Start point: Ardgartan car park (free, fills up quick on clear days)
• Route: Cobbler via the main path and return the same way (no loop unless you're adding Beinn Narnain or Ime)
• Difficulty: Moderate to hard if you're scrambling; easier if you stick to the path
• Time: 4–6 hours depending on your pace and photo breaks
• After-hike tip: The Village Inn in Arrochar does a solid steak pie and carries a good whisky list if you're not driving