Scout Hikes for Awards
1 Overview
Hiking has always been one of the key activities of Scouting, and especially so for the period 1932-68. Hikes took place during summer camps and weekend camps, and were also organised as day activities. These are described elsewhere. Here, we discuss hikes that were part of the Scouting Progressive Training Scheme. The most important of these were the Second Class Hike, First Class Hike and the Venturer Badge Hike.
2. The Second Class Hike
The Second Class Hike was generally one of the later tests carried out for the Second Class Badge and involved a day hike lasting a distance of at least 8 miles, with the Scouts wearing full uniform. The Scouts were unsupervised during the hike and had to navigate a set route following paths and roads. It was often carried out during a camp. For example, a group of Scouts that included Charles Stewart and Graham Patrick completed their Second Class Hike during the summer camp held at West Loch Tarbert in 1965. The Scouts concerned were usually aged 11 or 12 and so it was important that hike routes did not involve crossing open moorland since navigational skills were not that advanced. Younger Scouts were also more likely to pay scant attention to hiking rules; for example, hiking at their own pace rather than the keeping together as a group. The author has to confess to being one such villain on the 1965 hike identified above. Scouters must have been fairly lenient on such offenders as the author passed the hike, possibly after a stern warning not to repeat the offence.
3. The First Class Hike
The First Class Hike was carried out as one of the last tests for the First Class Badge and involved an unsupervised 2-day hike lasting a distance of approximately 15 miles. It also included an overnight camp where the Scouts were expected find their own campsite and to cook their meals over a wood fire. The Scouts would normally be aged 13-15 and only two Scouts took part in the hike, carrying all their camping and hiking equipment, as well as their food. Full uniform was worn (Fig. 1) and the journey included using public transport to get to the start of the hike route, as well as returning home at the end of the hike. Instructions on the hike route and the projects involved were not revealed to the Scouts in advance. Instead, they were given a sealed envelope, which could only be opened once they had departed. For example, the Scouts concerned might be told to catch a specific ferry and to open the instructions once the ferry had sailed. Once the hike was completed, the Scouts had to write a log report which was assessed by a district examiner. Standards were high and if the log book was not written up to a sufficiently high standard, the Scouts were asked to rewrite it. Since a district examiner was responsible for setting the hike route and projects involved, as well as assessing the hike log, the nature and standard of the First Class Hike was consistent across all Scout Groups in the District.
​First Class hike logs were returned to the Scouts once they had been assessed and a small number of these have been identified to date. One of the earliest of these was written by Alastair Shearer following a 1st Class hike which he completed with Ian McKenzie in 1954. Usually, the full instructions provided in the sealed envelope had to be handed back to the assessor, but, fortunately, the instructions below were reproduced in the hike log. This described perhaps the most commonly used First Class hike route from Ardentinny to Sandbank via Glen Finart and Loch Eck (Fig. 2).
​
"Board a steamer at Gourock for Blairmore at 9.25 A.M. Your journey commences when you board the steamer. At Blairmore, board the bus for Ardentinny. At Ardentinny, you will proceed up Glen Finart, take records of your mileage, and note the birds, trees and flowers to be observed on this route. Take particular note of the Forestry Commission's notices through this glen and observe if fire-fighting appliances are available. Estimate the highest altitude you reach when passing through Glen Finart. Map contours will give you a limited guide for this. Avoid camping in Glen Finart where there is an extensive afforestation scheme. Proceed downhill from the summit of Glen Finart to Whistlefield on Loch Eck. Identify whether Loch Eck is fresh water or salt water. What river feeds Loch Eck and what is the river that runs out of the Loch?
Under no circumstances are you to bathe in Loch Eck or anywhere else. You will proceed south on the Loch Eck road to Sandbank. On Loch Eck Side watch particularly for wild duck and endeavour to identify any you see. Good campsites are available down Loch Eck side but take care to obtain permission if you have reason to believe that you are on private property, such as a farmer's field. Do not camp immediately on the road side. At Sandbank, take a bus for Dunoon and from there a steamer to Gourock. Your journey ends at Gourock.
These directions are for your personal instruction and guidance and must not be divulged to any other Scout. Map and directions must be returned to the examiner on the day after your return home. Your log must also be in the examiner's hands not later than a week after the journey is completed."
Figure 1 Albert Runcie and Ronald Russell on Dunoon pier following their First Class Hike
Figure 2 A standard route for the First Class Hike (Ardentinny-Glen Finart-Loch Eck-Sandbank)
The above instructions reveal that the 1st Class hike was more than hiking from point A and point B. Various projects had to be carried out during the hike that involved Scouting skills. Prior to 1966, there was a heavy emphasis on Scouts appreciating and understanding nature and the countryside; hence there was an emphasis on identifying trees, birds and flowers, which included collecting leaves etc to include in the logbook, as well as drawing sketches of birds seen. The Scouts were also expected to carry out assignments during the hike. On the Ardentinny to Sandbank route, they were required to identify and sketch any forestry commission signs that they saw, identify the highest point reached when crossing Glen Finart, and state whether Lock Eck was a fresh water or salt water loch, indicating different ways in which this could be deduced or determined. The hike also required Scouts to be self reliant and to be capable of understanding a map, pitching a tent and cooking a meal over a wood fire, all of which were skills tested in the Second and First Class Badges.
As the instructions had to be handed back to the assessor, the same hike and associated activites could be used repeatedly and the Scouts carrying out the hike were instructed not to divulge information on the hike to any other Scout. This instruction appeared to be adhered to and perhaps remarkably, information on the route and the tasks involved did not become common knowledge. It is hard to see that happening now in a world of instant communication.
The Ardentinny to Sandbank route was also completed by Albert Runcie and Ronald Russell in 1961 (Fig. 1), and by Alan Conway and John Moore during the 1960s. It is also likely that the 1st Class hikes undertaken by Scouts participating in Easter Camps at Blairmore or Invereck followed the same route. Such Scouts included Stuart Scott and Philip Dry (1959), Neville Mort and Robert McKinnon (1954), John Nisbet and B. Howieson (1958), and W. Harkness and A. Nicol (1958). It is also known that the same route was used by Scouts in other troops. Chris Foster and Kenny Paton were Scouts in the 45th and remember following the same route and doing the same assignments. Kenny's journey was particularly challenging as Kenny and his companion arrived at Blairmore pier to find that the buses were off for the weekend. As a result, they had additional mileage to hike, namely Blairmore to Ardentinny on the Saturday, then Sandbank to Dunoon on the Sunday. To add insult to injury, the piermaster clearly thought the two Scouts were suspicious characters and did not admit them access to the pier until the ferry was due.
The assessor of First Class Hikes in 1954 was A.D.C James McIlwee, but it is not known whether he was the person that first introduced the Ardentinny to Sandbank route or whether it had been in use prior to that. The last recorded known use of the route was as late as 1968 when it was undertaken by John Tait and Graham Patrick for the newly introduced Advanced Scout Standard hike. It is interesting to compare the log book written by John Tait with that written by Alistair Shearer as they clearly show that the instructions provided were very similar if not identical. The log book written by John Tait can be accessed by clicking here. The only significant difference in the route is that John and Graham took the ferry to Dunoon rather than Blairmore, then caught the bus to Ardentinny.
The Ardentinny to Sandbank hike was all on roads, but this posed little risk during the 1950s and 1960s as there were very few vehicles on the roads at that time. The Scouts involved were typically aged 13-15, but there are sure to be examples of younger or older Scouts taking part in the hike. Advanced navigational skills were not needed.
​
Although the Ardentinny to Sandbank route seems to have been the most common route used for the 1st Class Hike, it was not the only hike route. During the 1960s, Donald King was the examiner and he may well have introduced a hike route that was close to Largs. Log books survive for two such hikes, one carried out by Robin Crawford and Bobby McCallum in 1964 (Fig. 3), and another carried out by Jim Barr, John Lyle and Robert Beattie in 1966. The hike log for the 1964 hike can be accessed by clicking here. The hike log for the 1966 hike can be accessed by clicking here. Unusually, the latter hike involved three Scouts rather than two. The date is perhaps significant as the Advance Party Report of 1966 signalled the end of the 1st Class Badge, and it is possible that three Scouts were allowed on this hike such that they could complete the badge before it came to an end.
Figure 3 The Largs 1st Class route undertaken by Robin Crawford and Bobby McCallum in 1964. (Blue dots represent public transport; green dots represent first day; red dots represent second day)
Figure 4 Variation of the Largs hike carried out by Jim Barr, John Lyle and Robert Beattie in 1966. (Blue dots represent public transport; green dots represent first day; red dots represent second day)
Compared with the Ardentinny to Sandbank route, the Largs hike route involved a much more challenging first day. The Scouts had to take the bus to Largs then hike from Largs to the top of Girtley Hill, then proceed to Rowantree Hill and Peat Hill before descending to the reservoir on the Old Largs Road. They then needed to find a campsite on the stream running south west from the reservoir. Compared with the Ardentinny to Sandbank route, this hike required much greater proficiency in the use of map and compass, and there were far greater risks of getting lost, especially if the clouds were below the tops. It was also more physically demnding as there were no paths to follow on the hills. The assessor, Donald King, was a highly experienced hillwalker and was also involved in the Duke of Edinburgh hikes. Therefore, it is quite conceivable that he might have carried out remote supervision of the first day, possibly from the top of Burnt Hill. However, this is mere supposition and as far as the Scouts were concerned, they were on their own.
The second day involved hiking back to Largs along the stream, carrying out a number of tasks involving natural and local history. The instructions for this day were different for the two groups known to have taken this route. The 1966 hikers visited a hill fort and Knock Castle as part of their route, whereas the 1964 hikers followed the stream as far as possible into Largs.
The instructions provided for the 1966 hike were provided in the log book as follows;
​
Proceed to Largs. From there, got to G.R. 233615 and then to G.R. 238643. At both points, make a sketch of the markers to be found there. Now meet the Old Largs Road at GR 231653 and sketch the dam to be found near the road. Make camp somewhere on the side of the road near the Noddsdale Water.
In the morning, follow the Noddsdale Water as far as possible making a study of plant life to be found on the banks. At an appropriate point, proceed to GR 212618 and make a sketch of the object to be found there and also the history of the same. Now obtain sketches of the 'fort' and Knock Castle and record any information that you may be able to obtain. Your journey finishes when you reach the outskirts of Largs.
Note: Read the instructions carefully and carry out all that is required of you.
1) Give a map reference for every place mentioned
2) Obtain 4 plaster casts of animal or bird tracks
3) Your Log book should be as interesting as possible and include sketches of objects, trees, birds, animals etc. seen during your hike.
4) Make a strip map of you complete journey.
5) Make a full report on the study of plant life.
The log book and instructions should be given to the examiner within 14 days of the hike.
Unlike the Ardentinny to Sandbank route, the two Largs routes have changed relatively little in their characteristics since the 1960s and anybody following these routes today should have much the same experiences.
Another route is described in a log book written by Michael Nisbet, which describes a first class hike that he carried out with Billy Phillips in 1961 (Fig. 5). The assessor was again Donald King, but it is not known whether he devised this route or whether it was a standard route that had been used for some time. The route involved taking the ferry from Gourock to Kilmun, and then hiking along the main road towards Dunoon in order to take the B836 road along Glen Lean to Loch Tarsan. About a mile west of Loch Tarsan, the hikers took a track to a farm called Ardtorig, then followed a path south along the coast of Loch Striven to find a campsite about a mile from the farmhouse. On the second day, the route continued south along the path to Glenstriven, then Finnart point. A road then led south to Port Lamont where the Scouts were meant to catch a bus back to Dunoon, then a ferry to Gourock. The hike south along the edge of Loch Striven makes this a more demanding route than the Ardentinny to Sandbank route, but there is less risk of Scouts getting lost compared with the Largs route(s). The hike log written by Michael Nisbet can be viewed by clicking here. The account finishes with the Scouts reaching Port Lamont to find that they had missed the last bus to Dunoon. It is not revealed how they managed to get to Dunoon!
​
Figure 5 First Class hike route followed by Michael Nisbet and Billy Phillips in 1961. (Blue dots represent ferries; green dots represent first day; red dots represent second day). It is not stated how the Scouts got to Dunoon from Port Lamont.
The oldest surviving first class hike log involving 70th Scouts is one written by Douglas Brown (click here to see log report). This describes the First Class Hike that Douglas completed with Alastair Duncan in September 1952 and which involved a completely different route from those desrbed above. The examiner was Mr. James Ewart who was an Assistant District Commissioner at the time.
The Scouts were instructed to catch the steamer M.V. Wee Cumbrae (Figure 6) from Gourock pier, and to open their instructions once aboard. They disembarked at Craigendoran pier, which was about a mile and a half east of Helensburgh (Fig. 7). Craigendoran pier is now a sad-looking ruin, but in its day it was an impressive dual pier where passengers could access the railway betwen Helensburgh and Glasgow (Figs. 8 and 9.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
The Scouts were allowed to take a bus from Craigendoran to the foot of Sinclair Street in Helensburgh, where the hike itself began. The route taken (Fig. 10) was on minor roads and the first day involved hiking from Helensburgh to Glen Fruin, then setting up camp about half a mile south east of Strone Farm on a spot that was reported to be the site of an old army camp (Grid ref. 272899). The Scouts collected water from the stream about 300 yards NE of their campsite close to Auchengaich Bridge (grid ref. 274901). Following proper Scouting practice, they turfed the area where they made their fire such that the grass would not be burnt, and returfed the spot the following morning.
The following day, they continued their hike, following the road over the ridge and dowb to Faslane. From there, they headed north into Garelochhead, then went round the head of the loch and followed the road down the east side of the Kilcreggan peninsula until they reached the moor road crossing over to the west side of the peninsula (Grid Ref. 237869). They then followed the coast road to Cove, then to Kilcreggan where they caught the ferry back to Gourock.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
The instructions for the hike are nor recorded and were probably handed back to Mr. Ewart after the hike. However, the hike log itself suggests that the projects may have been as follows.
* Draw a sketch of Auchengaich Bridge and take the compass bearing from Auchengaich bridge to the top of Strone Hill.
* Identify the highest point of the road from Glen Fruin to Faslane.
* Draw a sketch of Garelochhead Church
* Identify any features of interest along the hike route
* Identify any fauna and flora observed during the hike
* Take the compass bearing of Strone point from Cove Pier and identify how far away it is.
For much of the hike route, very little has changed since 1952. The road that was followed by Douglas and Alistair through Glen Fruin is still there and is a relatively quiet single track route that would be relatively safe to walk. It is also likely that the roads taken down the Kilcreggan peninsula are much the same. The big difference is the stretch of road between Faslane and Garelochead which has been upgraded and contains fast traffic.
Finally, the earliest 1st Class hike to have been reported in the available Troop Records took place in March 1940 and involved P.L. Ian Munro and Second Nicol Smith. Unusually, they cycled to Arrochar and back - the only known occasion of 70th Scouts completing the 1st Class Journey on bicycles. Details of their journey were not provided, but they may have used the ferry to start their journey from Dunoon.
​
Figure 6 The MV Wee Cumbrae used by Douglas Brown and Alistair Duncan to sail from Gourock to Craigendoran.
Figure 7 Location of the Craigendoran twin piers
Figure 8 The twin piers of Craigendoran in 1963
Figure 9 The remains of the twin piers today.
Figure 10 The hike route followed by Douglas Brown and Alistair Duncan in September 1952.
Blue dots represent progress on day 1. Green dots represent progress on day 2.
4. The Venturer Badge Hike
The Venturer Badge was a stepping stone between the First Class Badge and the Queen's Scout Badge during the 1950s and 1960s, and perhaps earlier. Not a great deal is known about the badge. For example, it is not known when it was first introduced or what the full requirements were in order to gain it. However, it certainly involved a hike. As with the First Class hike, log books were retained by the individuals concerned and only one log book from the 1960s has been identified - that of a Venturer hike carried out by Robin Crawford and Bobby McCallum in 1965. The log was written by Robin Crawford and demonstrates that the hike was carried out over 2 days and involved a number of projects - similar to what is involved in current day Explorer Belts. Moreover, unlike the First Class hike, one of the days involved navigating across open moorland requiring a good knowledge of map and compass. The route started near Langbank with the first day focusing on projects investigating the local history of Kilmacolm. In the afternoon, they visited Duchal Castle (Fig. 11) and navigated their way across the moor to their campsite (green dots in figure 11). On the second day, they navigated across the Renfrewshire Moors to investigate the mines, then returned via the Calder Dam and the Mill Burn to the road and back to Kilmacolm (red dots in figure 11). The full hike log can be accessed by clicking here.
The examiner involved in setting and assessing the hike was Donald King and it is possible that the route described here was a standard one for local Scouts attempting the Venturer Badge. One particularly interesting aspect of the report is the visit to the ruin of Duchal Castle. This was the destination for a cycle trip during the Second World War and it would appear that knowledge of Duchal Castle (especially in Scouting circles) was more widespread than it is now.
Figure 11 Part of the route taken on the Venturer Hike by Robin Crawford and Bobby McCallum. Green dots represent the route taken after Kilmacolm on the Saturday. Red dots represent the route on Sunday.
A Venturer Badge hike log has also survived from the 1950s and was written up by Douglas Brown, who completed the hike in 1954 with Robert (Miller)? (click here to see the log report). Their hike route was set by ADC James McElwee and the Scouts started by boarding the MV Maid of Ashton (Fig. 12) at Gourock pier, then sailing to Blairmore, via Kilcreggan (Fig. 13). En route, they opened their instructions and so they had the opportunity to pick out the hills that they had to ascend that day.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Starting from Blairmore, they ascended the hill to a summit cairn at 1264 feet, then continued north over Kilmun Hill, Cnoc a' Mhadaidh and Meall Dubh, finally reaching the highest hill Beinn Ruadh (2179 feet). The terrain involved was particularly arduous, especially as there was no path to follow and they had to negotiate a mixture of peat bogs, marsh and heath. Even with a day sack, this is a challenging route, made even harder by the fact that they were carrying a tent and food supplies for 2 days in old fashioned Commando-style canvas rucksacks. They were, at least, rewarded with good views including a bird's eye view of the Invereck campsite that had been the venue for Easter camp only two days previously (see Easter Camp 1954). Even from 1500 feet above, it was possible to see where the tents had been pitched due to the lighter coloured grass. After Beinn Ruadh, they continued north to Sligrachan Hill, then made a steep descent westwards to a newly planted forest which they fought their way through by first descending a stream, then making use of firebreaks. Once they had reached the main A815 road from Dunoon, they hiked north to the Whistlefield Hotel and were told that they could camp close to the Loch Eck Youth Hostel. This hostel was opened in 1939, but closed at some point during the late 1950s. It was probably situated between the road and the loch on the flat piece of ground just south of the hotel (Fig. 14).
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​Due to a local fire risk, wood fires were banned in the area and as stoves were not used on Scout hikes during this period, it was decided to hike south in the hope of finding another campsite where wood fires would be permitted, so that they could cook their meal. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful in finding a suitable site, but they managed to get permission to camp behind a house. The lady of the house was extremely helpful and even insisted that they cook their meal in her kitchen. Remarkably, Graham Patrick and John Tait may have camped on that same spot in March 1968 during their Advanced Scout Standard Hike. They also experienced generous hospitality and the use of a kitchen, and it may well have been the same lady.
Returing to Douglas and Bob, their hike route for day 2 was relatively straightforward and simply involved hiking back to Dunoon using the roads. At Dunoon, they caught the MV Cowal (Fig. 15) back to Gourock. The ferry would have been pretty pristine as it had just entered service that Easter.
Douglas's hike log was passed on the 28th April 1954 and it is clear that thre was another part of the Venturer Badge that had to be completed, in addition to the hike and the hike log. However, it is not known what that involved. A comparison of this Venturer Hike with the one carried out by Bobby McCallum and Robin Crawford reveal significant differences. The 1954 hike was over much more demanding terrain, whereas the 1960s hike had a much greater emphasis on projects.
Figure 12 MV Maid of Ashton.
Figure 13 Route taken for the Venturer Hike undertaken by Douglas Brown and Bob Miller (sheets 53 and 59 of the OS 1" to the mile maps for 1954).
Dark blue dots represent the outgoing route by the Maid of Ashton. Red dots represent the hike route on Day 1. Green dots represent route taken on day 2. Light blue dots represent return voyage on MV Cowal.
Figure 14 An old postcard showing the Loch Eck Youth Hostel (bottom right quadrant)
Figure 15 The MV Cowal
4. Senior Scouts Hikers Badge
​
​
​
​
It is known that a Senior Scouts hiker badge existed during the 1960s. This involved taking part in three hikes and it is possible that a couple of hikes carried out by Robin Crawford and Bobby McCallum might have counted towards this badge. The two hikes were of 20 miles and 30 miles and both were assessed by the Rev. J. McCallum Young. Both hikes were completed in the same year with the 20 mile hike tackled in July 1964 and the 30 mile hike tackled in August 1964.
The available 20 mile hike hike log was written by Robin Crawford and can be accessed by clicking here. The hike involved crossing over the hills from Dunoon to Loch Striven via Bishop's Seat, then camping about a mile west of Castle Toward (Fig. 16). The second day was simpler and involved following the coastal road back to Dunoon. As usual, the hike was carried out in full Scout uniform and was unsupervised by any leaders. Cooking was carried out over wood fires.
​
​
Figure 16 Route taken on the 20 mile hike. Green dots represent the route taken on the Wednesday. Red dots represent the route on the Thursday.
The 30 mile hike took three days and the log written by Robin Crawford can be accessed by clicking here. The route involved a circumnavigation of Bute using a mixture of roads and tracks, with a section of trackless country in the north (Fig. 17).
It is known that other 70th Scouts took part in the hiker's proficiency badge, but details of what they did are not known. The Scouts concerned were Alan Conway, Alistair Cram and Abert Runcie, Ian Fraser,
Figure 17 Route taken on the 30 mile hike. Green dots represent the route taken on the Thursday. Yellow dots represent the route on the Friday. Red dots represent the route on the Saturday.
5. Senior Scouts Explorer Badge
It is not yet known what the full requirements for this badge were, but it certainly included a substantial 50 mile hike. To date, there is only evidence of one such hike being completed by 70th Scouts. Given what has been written above, readers will not be surprised to find that the Scouts involved were Robin Crawford and Bobby McCallum. The hike log written by Robin Crawford can be accessed by clicking here. The hike was carried out during August 1965 and was called The Four Lochs Hike as the route passed alongside the Gareloch, Loch Long, Loch Goil and Loch Eck. In hindsight, it might even have been called the Five Loch Hike as followed the Holy Loch at the end. As with all the assessed Scout hikes, there ahd to be more involved than hiking the route. In this hike, Robin and Bobby chose to find out about the local history of the places they passed through.
​
​
Figure 18 Route taken on the 50 mile hike (Day 1) from Gourock to Garelochead. Blue dots represent the ferry trip. Light blue dots represent the hike route.
Figure 19 Route taken on the 50 mile hike (Day 1) from Garelochead to Arrochar. Light blue dots represent the hike route.
The first day involved taking the ferry from Gourock to Kilcreggan, then following roads to Garelochead and Arrochar (Figs 18 and 19). Nowadays, it would be extremely inadvisable to hike the road from Garelochead to Arrochar. The road is much the same as it would have been in 1965, but the volume of traffic is substantially greater. The public campsite used for their first night is also no longer present.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
In contrast with Day 1, the second day's route was mostly off roads, apart from the initial part from Arrochar to Argarten (Fig. 20). From Argarten, the intrepid duo continued south on forestry roads along the west coast of Loch Long, then crossed over the hills to Lochgoilhead via Coilessan Glen before camping a few miles north of Lochgoilhead. This route would be prefectly feasible today. Even the stretch involving the A83 is acceptable as there is a footpath alongside. To some extent, the route might be slightly easier today as the path over to Lochgoilhead is more visible. Nevertheless, it is a tough hike and it is not surprising that Robin and Bobby fell behind schedule here.
​
​
​
​
​
Day 3 was a bit of an epic as they completed 20 miles to catch up on their schedule. It involved hiking along Hell's Glen then cutting across the hills to reach the main road just south of Strachur (their original target for day 2) (Fig 21). The description provided in the hike log suggests that the main road in the 1960s followed the yellow road shown on the map and that part of the trail which they followed in order to reach that road was built over by the current road. Once they reached Glenbranter, they continued south following the track on the left side of Loch Eck,eventually reaching Benmore, then the campsite at Invereck (Fig 22). At the time, this was the campsite used by Dunoon Scouts and it is clear from the hike log that several troops used it in the summer for their summer camp. Invereck was also very popular with 70th Scouts for Easter and weekend camps held during the 1950s and 1960s, and so it is possible that Robin and Bobby had camped there on a previous occasion (link needed).
The vast majority of the route used by Robin and Bobby would still be feasible today, especially if a small diversion is taken at Strachur to avoid the current A class road in order to follow the original main road shown in yellow.
Figure 20 Route taken on the 50 mile hike (Day 2) from Arrochar to Lochgoilhead. Pink dots represent the hike route.
Figure 21 Route taken on the 50 mile hike (Day 3) from Lochgoilhead to Strachur. Yellow dots represent the hike route.
Figure 22 Route taken on the 50 mile hike (Day 3) from Strachur to Invereck. Yellow dots represent the hike route.
Figure 23 Route taken on the 50 mile hike (Day 4) from Invereck to Dunoon. Yellow dots represent part of the previous day's hike. Green dots represent the hike route on day 4. Blue dots represent the ferry route
The final day was simply to walk into Dunoon and catch the ferry home (Fig. 23) - a route that would have been very familiar to several 70th Scouts as a result of camps at Invereck or First Class journeys.
Other 70th Scouts may also have gained the Explorer Badge. Ronald Morrison is one such example, but details of the hike and Rober's companion are not known.
6. Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme was first introduced in 1956, but it not known when it first became available to Greenock Scouts. The only mention found of the award scheme in the available records was in the First Class hike log written by Robin Crawford. Donald Williamson (the Judge for the scheme) signed the hike off in 1963 as being valid for the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme (Series 1) (see hike log). It is interesting to note that Donald King required modification to the hike report before he signed it off for the 1st Class Badge. It is not clear what is meant by Series 1, unless it indicates that it was in its the first year of running in Greenock.
​