I haven’t written anything in this blog for more than 2.5 years. Why not, I wonder? Well I think it’s because we are back in the UK, very happily of course, and just doing things that other folk do. However our walk of the West Highland Way last week was really special. Not special because we had done it, but special because the weather was fantastic and consequently the views were incredible. Scotland was looking its very, very best. And so I’m adding the diary we wrote – mostly while sitting in a pub after the days walking, or on the train back from Fort William, and will take great pleasure in adding in the photos we took. Of course none of them show the real majesty of what we saw, but is a nice aide-memoire of a very special week.
Day 1
Taxi at 06:25 to Haymarket station and a direct train at 07:11 to Milngavie. Walked the short way to start of WHW to drop our luggage (45 GBP per bag, moved every day to our new accommodation – fantastic value – thank you Travel-Lite) and then started the Way at 09:00. Gentle day of walking through agricultural valleys reaching Drymen at 1:30. Dry at first, then drizzle and then a fair bit of rain. Had an early lunch just sitting at the roadside. However the day dried up and we had a nice sunny walk into Drymen. Walked past a carpenter creating a very special garden shed! Had a small pub crawl ( 3 - Ptarmigan, Drymen Inn and the Clachan Inn) Stayed in the Clachan Inn - oldest pub in Scotland. Definitely the busiest of the various hostelries in town ( the ones that we visited ). Reasonable food and early bed. Note - live music didn’t disturb us, but glad we didn’t stay in the Hayfield B and B next door....the music kept them up until 3!
Day 2
A good hearty breakfast served at 9 and shared with 4 Walk for Jock guys. They were in good form. Have done it 14 times or some such. Raise a large amount for charity each year. We set off at 9.30 to climb Conic Hill. Good walking underfoot through tree plantations and open country. Coffee at the top of the hill at 12 with fantastic views all around. Down the west side of Conic Hill passing weekend walkers on the way up. Reached lovely Balmaha on the shore of Loch Lomond at lunchtime. Our lunch spot was along the loch shore on a beach beside a log with fabulous views over the loch, looking onto a regatta in progress. Slightly annoying hooter as boats went over the finish line! Setting off for Rowardennan on what we thought was a homeward stroll we didn’t realise how tough the following walk would be - up several steep lochside colls which seemed to go on forever. Arrived at the hotel at 4:45 very tired. Drink in the Clansman pub of the hotel outside overlooking the loch with beautiful views. Back for shower and dinner in the Clansman with a fire. Lovely.
Day 3
Good breakfast at Rowardennan Hotel and started walking at about 9:25. Lovely day again. We walked along forest roads, the lower level loch walk being closed for maintenance. Although at that point we were disappointed we were thankful for it later as when the path joined up to the loch side again it became a most challenging and exhausting experience. Passed kerry-Ann and Donna (met them several times previously on the walk) at the Inversnaid Hotel. We had a late lunch at a nice beach selected by Katy with great views south across the water, although we worked long and hard to get there. Finally we came to the north end of Loch Lomand with the way finally getting a little easier. Onwards to Inverarnan via another coll and a hidden lochan and then down to Beinglass Farm campsite where Howard and Katy had an ice cream. It all looked very neat and tidy with a nice B and B and afterwards we were quite envious we weren’t staying there! After some confusion we found the bridge across the river to the Drovers Inn which according to Howard looked derelict. Stuffed animals everywhere. Ghost. Quaint and a bit scabby. All staff in kilts. We stayed in Rob Roy’s room which had 1 large four poster bed which 7 feet high and the small single which was a mixture of a water bed and a marshmallow. Had dinner in the bar with nice food and friendly staff. A quick walk around the inn to the river and then back to bed. Very uncomfy beds!
Day 4
After some sleep a good breakfast looked upon by a disturbingly badly stuffed heron we off at 9:25 on another gorgeous day. It turned out to be a much gentler walking day. We followed the valley and the road for a while. We didn't take the detour into Crianlarach but walked up the hill through the trees to a clearing to have coffee overlooking the moor and trees. We continued down the hill and to Kirkton Farm, run by the Scottish Agricultural College, and the ruins of St. Fillans Chapel. We had lunch on the smallhill overlooking the chapel and cemetery. After lunch it was a short walk to a wigwam farm and farm shop at Auchtergyle then 3 miles through Tyndrum community woodland towards Tyndrum itself. One section of it was bare with nothing growing, signifying the remnants of the old lead mining industry. Our B and B, Tigh-na-Fraoch, very close to the way. Our very friendly landlady, Heather Clement, chatted and gave us tea and scones and a very warm welcome. After a shower we set out buy some supplies for the next few days and to have a drink at the Tyndrum Inn. We decided, since fresh bread was sold out from the first shop we tried, to order a packed lunch each from Heather. We subsequently found bread in the petrol shop but that would keep for another day.
Day 5
Breakfast with fellow walkers Heather and Iain - really good porridge followed by the usual fill – Katy and Howard had fresh trout though. Heather also made us a packed lunch each at 5 gbp per person. Off as usual around 9.30 for what turned out to be a really easy walk to Bridge of Orchy and on to Inveroran which turned out to be surprisingly remote and as heather described it "Gods Country". We followed the line of the road on our right and the railway line on our right. It wound in a long loop into the valley on our right and then re-joined us again at Bridge of Orchy. We stopped for coffee just before Bridge of Orchy, struggling a little bit to find a litter-free spot sadly. There is very little of Bridge of Orchy other than a station and a hotel – useful pee stop - so we marched on towards our hotel at Inveroran over a rise overlooking the loch. We checked in quite early and decided to head out again, to find a nice spot to have our lunch. Walked up to Victoria Bridge and then westwards along the river bank where we had yet more coffee and a spot of stone skimming. Glorious sunshine. Back for showers and a drink or 2 before dinner in the pub. Dinner was very good, if the atmosphere a little stiff. Katy and Howard had excellent vegetable quiche and I had roast beef. Then to the bar where other fellow walkers, the Belgian lads and Kenny and Karen provided some good chat - despite their thoughts to vote yes! Karen came down with a huge bag of trail mix for the boys which they gleefully accepted!
Day 6
Breakfast was good fare again. Karen had more food for the Belgium lads which we passed onto them on our way past. Plus some date balls for us! Also gleefully accepted! We were off around 9.30 again, about an hour after Kenny and Karen, but they had plans to go all the way to Kinlochleven – a long day. There were midges just outside the hotel so Smidge on. It was a fabulous day and our landlady advised us to go up the gondola at the ski resort. I told the Belgian boys to do the same as we passed.
We walked a slow incline up onto Rannoch Moor, with the sun beating down on us. It was good to be walking away from the road again. The views were fabulous. Finally found a nice coffee stop off the road again after we had encountered some litter. It was such a lovely day and we knew we were way ahead of time so all took the midgie free opportunity to have a lie back on the moss, out of sight from the passers by. And then surprise surprise Heather Clement passed us running back home to Tyndrum from Kings House. She'd got the bus up to Kings House and she thought it would take her about 3 hours to run home. The same walk that we had spent two days completing. Heck! She’d just be home in time to welcome her next set of guests!
We continued on over the moor, and then detoured into the Glencoe ski resort. Had a coffee in the super cafe and called Claire to get her news of Japan, safely home from Tokyo. Then we bought chair lift tickets for10 gbp each return and went to the top. Katy caught her feet on the way up so got a bit of a fright. At the top we climbed to the nearest viewpoint for lunch and were joined by a whole load of folk. Great views of Glencoe and Kings House. Down again and the final km or so to Kings House Hotel. There were deer waiting to welcome us. We dropped our bags off and had drink or two outside in the sunshine. After showers we had dinner with Katy having duck and rosti, Kay steak and chips and Howard venison casserole which much nicer than the one he had in Drymen. After dinner we went for a sunset walk but the midges were awful so Howard went in and Katy and I walked half a mile or so down the road and back in the dark. Huge yellow moon. beautiful walk if a little fast to keep the midgies off!
Day 7
Up for breakfast which was amazingly quick and efficient although there was a bit of delay for Howard’s skippers. Borrowed a knife to make tuna sandwiches in the room again. Foggy day but clearing fast. Off around 9.30 into a crowd of folk. Bottle necked right up past the Devils Staircase. Howard steamed up it and Katy and I did pretty well. We kept ahead of the crowd, having passed most folk, but it put a bit of pressure on. We felt relieved at the top but were still keen to reach the summit of the hill nearby. Not the usual route but a detour suggested in the guidebook if the weather was good. Coffee at the top there and the long descent down into Kinlochleven. Howard and I started our vigilante routine of litter picking as it was quite a mess all the way down the hill. Stopped for lunch just before the tree line and then followed the pipes down the hill, some of which were leaking, to our accommodation which a was lovely B and B. However we did find ourselves in the disabled room so it was all a bit too utilitarian, although we had our own front door which was nice. Dad stayed for a chill and Katy and I had a drink in the Highland Getaway with a great balcony west facing overlooking river. Dad joined. Magic. Dinner there – Katy had steak and chips, Howard lasagne and Kay had chicken stuffed haggis wrapped in bacon - yum! Then we headed off the other pub in town to play dice. The Belgian boys were there along with LOTS of US military men ( R and R at the climbing wall maybe). A few pints and dice games but music too loud. Off to bed with a long day in prospect tomorrow.
Day 8
Up early and packed before breakfast. 7:30 breakfast very good. Off at 8:15 and then started the ascent from Kinlochleven. The book describes the route as a walk of two halves: firstly, after the short steep climb, it’s a long walk through the glen on the military road which had lots of loose stones making it slightly slower going than on firmer ground. Lots of felled trees on either side. Stopped for coffee after 3 hours which we enjoyed on tree stumps by the side of the road. After winding our way through the glen we turned a final corner to finally see the massive lump of rock that is ben nevis. In the second half of the day the path winds its way down in to a huge forest which was fairly steep at times and then Into open field again and we made our final if small ascent of the walk up over another ridge which looked over Glen Nevis. Then a looong descent which tested everyone’s thigh muscles down to the Glen Nevis Information Centre for toilet and lunch on a picnic bench for a change! Walked along the road into town. We had a photo at the original end of the Way which was not in town itself. However we walked on through the cobbled streets of the town to end our journey by the Sore Foot statue at the official end of the WHW at end of the High Street. What a week!! Celebratory drink at a pub along the High Street and then off to Tesco to buy Magnums to eat in the park and wave to the rest of the walkers finishing. We said bye to the Belgians but no sign of any of the rest that we've met along the way. Picked up our bag from the Nevis Centre for the last time and Dad lugged it all the way to the station and we sat and waited for the train. A lot of our journey back was close to where we had walked. A tremendous train journey.
Total mileage of West Highland Way 100.48 miles
Total altitude gained 18128ft
