Southern Upland Way (Part 2)

Sanquhar – Galashiels,   10^th – 14^th June 2021

Introduction

It was a long time in the planning. The reservations for this trip had been made almost 18 months ago. In early 2020, I put together a schedule for the second part of our Scottish coast to coast adventure. In 2019, Mike and I had walked 90 miles of the Southern Upland Way (SUW), from Portpatrick to Sanquhar. A further 80 miles in 2020 would set us up nicely for a 2021 completion of this, the longest National Trail in Scotland. But man plans and God laughs. The lockdowns in 2020 postponed everything for twelve months. One hotel returned my payment, the others kept the money and changed the year of the booking.

After a two-year break, therefore, we set off for the Borders to resume our challenge in the Southern Uplands. Uncertainties with the train timetables had persuaded us to use the car for our major journey north. The train that we planned to use from Carlisle was removed from the summer schedule a month in advance. We were left with the option of an early morning home departure to catch the late morning train. Using the JustPark scheme, we dropped the car on a private driveway a mile or so from Carlisle station, leaving us time for a coffee and cake on the platform. Then we boarded the train to Sanquhar arriving just after noon. Our new schedule gave us a more leisurely afternoon for our first stage of this year’s walk.

Thursday 10^th June 2021                  Sanquhar – Wanlockhead – Leadhills

Into the Clag

 

Our train pulled into a deserted Sanquhar station at 12.15pm The clouds lay thick on the hills, almost down to ground level in this elevated spot. We walked for a mile south-east of the town to Blackaddie Bridge and the point at which we had left the official SUW route two years ago. A pleasant walk along the River Nith took us to the edge of the houses where the path took an easterly turn and our journey really began. There was a short section along the main road back towards the town centre but we quickly turned under the railway line and up Cow’s Wynd, a track that climbed steeply up the hillside into the clag. We were not to see another view for almost 24 hours. We briefly lost the path near a house called Bogg but were soon back on route continuing our climb over a high col and down to a track and a coniferous plantation. Another steep climb began the traverse of Glencaber Hill. I am sure the views must be beautiful but we saw nothing in this thick fog.

 

Descending down a long grassy track, we finally emerged from the cloud into an industrial landscape of slag heaps and ruins of quarries and mines. Only feet below cloud level, we were now in a gloomy valley with attractive cottages disappearing up the hillside and into the mist. The lane into Wanlockhead passed the walled and tree-filled graveyard and then turned onto a climbing footpath through ruins from the lead-mining age, often with interpretive boards explaining the history of the area. Pulling out into the village at the lead-mining museum, we climbed a set of steps up to the main road and the end of today’s section of the SUW. There was no suitable accommodation for us in Wanlochhead so we turned north down the road towards the next village some 1½ miles away. A signed SUW link path took us down the narrow-gauge railway to Leadhills and our hotel.

 

Sanquhar dep. 12.16, Leadhills arr. 16.55

GPS 11.25 miles in 4hrs 36mins 30secs walking time including a 10-minute stop.

We stayed at the Hopetoun Arms in Leadhills, a fabulous pub/hotel, supposedly the highest in Scotland. A chicken curry, rice & naan was washed down by a couple of bottles of Hopping Hare (4.0%) from Badger Brewery. A sticky toffee pudding & ice cream was to follow.

After the meal, Mike persuaded me to go out once more into the mirk to visit the curfew bell and weathervane in the village centre. Very little else was visible.

 

Friday 11^th June 2021                   Wanlockhead – Beattock

Storming over Lowther

 

At breakfast we got talking to a couple of cyclists, Linda & Tony from Weymouth, who were on a 500-mile journey on electric bikes. Following much of the JOGLE route, they were encouraging support for the Sustrans charity for quiet and safe cycle routes across the UK. The hotel owner was waiting to drive us back up to Wanlochhead so that we did not have to repeat last night’s 1½-mile diversion. As he dropped us back on the SUW route, a storm blew in. Having packed for a warm summer expedition, we were now wearing everything we had brought with us, covered by waterproofs over bodies and rucksacks. The climb up Lowther Hill, the highest point on the trail, was up a straight grassy track with the mast road zigzagging across us. The gale, mist and rain battered our backs. At least it was blowing us up the hill.

 

I had long been looking forward to crossing the Lowther Hills. The views must be staggering. But not today. In the driving fog, we noticed the slope had flattened out so assumed we were near the summit but we saw absolutely nothing. We must have been yards from the huge golf ball, the radar station on the summit but it was only after we were on the descent and the weather started to clear that we could look back and see the massive structure emerging from the clouds. By the time we had reached Cold Moss and were heading up Laght Hill, the last peak in this range, the sun was breaking through and we got our first views of the trip. These we enjoyed as we bounced down a glorious grassy track to the A702. With waterproofs safely stowed away, an easy level section was ahead of us, through and around plantations on a good forest track. This quickly brought us to Daer Reservoir where we crossed the huge dam with a factory below to our left and one of the largest expanses of freshwater in southern Scotland to our right. Time for lunch.

 

The afternoon walk started with a steep ascent onto another range of grassy hills, Sweetshaw Brae and Hods Hill. The route then took a gratuitous loop to the south around the edge of the forest before turning eastwards again and into the trees. Surprisingly, much of this forest had been clear-felled and it was a bleak path that followed a gas line marked by tall orange posts.  After crossing a stream in the valley bottom, near a bothy, the path up the other side was remarkably boggy, the only time we got mud on our boots in the entire trip. Back on dry ground, we walked over Craig Hill and followed the gas line down to a road. Then it was tarmac for 2½ miles to Beattock with the motorway and railway in full view. The pub was only a few yards from where we emerged on the main street and we happily made our way through drinkers sitting outside in the sunshine. It had been a very long day, a day with all four seasons.

 

Wanlochhead dep. 08.50, Beattock arr. 17.20 

GPS 20.22 miles in 8hrs 13mins 46secs walking plus 20 mins lunch break (12.55 – 13.15) at Daer Reservoir.

We stayed at the Old Stables in Beattock. Steak and black pudding pie was followed by syrup sponge & custard. We were back on bottles of Hopping Hare, the draught beer not being up to our real ale standards.

 

Saturday 12^th June 2021                   Beattock – St Mary’s Loch

I’ll take the Highroad

 

It was a grand morning. The sun was shining, a cool breeze was making it perfect for a good walk. The sun-cream was on and the sun-hat was at the ready. After a huge breakfast at the Old Stables and clutching the more than ample packed lunch, we tootled through the outskirts of Beattock to the motorway junction. Here we found a delightful wooded path beside the river which led under the motorway and onto a quiet country lane that bypassed the town of Moffat some 1½ miles to the north. We had got an early start because of the long day ahead of us and a rendezvous with a pick-up from our next hotel. All we had to do was to get there without a navigation error. Famous last words!

 

Crossing a low ridge, the route followed Moffat Water onto a forest track. We then missed the right turn up the Romans and Reivers route and continued up the wide track into the plantations. This came to end at the eastern boundary of the trees. Well and truly lost, Mike got out map and compass and took a bearing on Croft Head. Following this bearing involved hauling ourselves up steep heather slopes and burnt strips of easier ground. Amazingly we pulled over the crest of the hill to find ourselves back on route, the high-level option of the SUW. We followed a fast-moving walker onto the summit of Croft Head: this fellow was collecting Donald’s, the 2000ft summits of the Lowlands. The descent from this hill was probably the highlight of the entire trip.
 

A glorious grassy ridge led down to a beautifully engineered zigzag path down its almost vertical end. In front was a huge cleft in the opposite hillside. We by-passed this to the south, climbing a narrow trod, crossing an arched footbridge, to reach the col at Ettrick Head. Down into the forest, we followed a shady forestry track to the bothy at Over Phawhope where we stopped for our lunch break. The six miles of road that followed was not so enjoyable. Out of the wind, it was unpleasantly warm, not helped by the need to average 3 mph to make up for lost time. With much relief, we arrived at Scabcleuch and turned north up the burn. After a steep start the route quickly levelled out to pass between the hills and onto the grassy ridge of Pikestone Rig. Another steep descent to the ruins at Riskinhope Hope led to our final climb of the day to gain the wide track down to St Mary’s Loch. As we bounced down the lane to Tibbie Shiels, a red car backed up to the gate, a gentleman got out looking at his watch and announced that we were four minutes early. Not bad for such a long and exciting route and an excursion off-piste. One of those magic days in the hills.

 

Beattock dep. 08.40, Tibbie Shiels arr.17.26

GPS 20.72 in 8hrs 22mins 11secs walking time plus 20mins (13.10 – 13.30) for butty break at Over Phawhope Bothy in the Ettrick valley

We were picked up at Tibbie Shiels by Gordon, a friend of the owners of the Gordon Arms near Yarrow. He drove us to the hotel, our accommodation for the night. We ate a lovely meal of fish & chips (Eyemouth haddock) and apple crumble & custard. The beer was Born Amber from the Born in the Borders Brewery in Jedburgh. This brewery has recently changed the names of their beers to be less controversial.

 

We were introduced to Bev and Dave, a couple walking the SUW in the opposite direction. I hope we gave them good advice as to their onward journey.

 

Sunday 13^th June 2021                     St Mary’s Loch – Innerleithen

Fire, Fire: Pour on Water

 

An early start was not required today. This was to be our easy day. After two consecutive days of more than 20 miles, a shorter walk was welcome and it fitted in with the hotels ahead. Our lift back to Tibbie Shiels was fixed to depart at 9.00am and Gordon was ready to drive us on this lovely morning back along beautiful St Mary’s Loch. Back up to the gate we went, no cheating on the official route, at least not by choice. The weather was perfect, with a cool breeze and a clear sky. The three-mile stretch along the shore of the loch was a delight and it was with some sense of regret that we reached the eastern end and had to leave this idyllic setting and cross the main road.

 

We had time today to do some sightseeing. Dunhope Tower, the birthplace of one of Sir Walter Scott’s ancestors, had a metal spiral staircase so we scrambled up to the platform on the battlements and looked back over the loch. As we did so a helicopter flew overhead, dangling a bucket, It filled up with water in the loch and flew back again over us and the hills. It was to pass to and fro all day along our entire route. We could only assume that a fire somewhere, in a forest maybe, was being soused with water from St Mary’s Loch. We followed the direction of the helicopter around a grassy set of hills to reach Blackhouse, a remote farm some 2 miles off the road, where James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd and Scottish Poet, got his first job. In the plantation above the farm, we encountered a bench and an obvious lunch stop.

The afternoon session was short and sweet. Blake Muir was traversed on a pleasant grassy path and a long descent featured views over Innerleithen, our target for the day. But first we had to negotiate 2 miles of road from the church at Kirkhouse, passing the hamlet of Traquair, and along the long straight road into the town of Innerleithen and our hotel for the night. So early were we that we had a pint in the bar whilst watching the afternoon kick-off of the England match.

 

Tibbie Shiels dep. 09.16, Innerleithen arr.15.25

GPS 13.98 in 5hrs 42mins 58secs walking time plus a 20min break (12.35 -12.55) stop in the plantation above Blackhouse.

We stayed in the Traquair Arms in Innerleithen. The sea bass was superb and we finished with stick toffee pudding. The beer was Armadillo West Coast IPA (3.8%) from Tempest Brewery at Tweedbank. It was sad to learn that the Traquair Brewery is closed, probably permanently.

 

Monday 14^th June 2021                    Innerleithen – Galashiels

Two Brethren Meet Three More

 

Before breakfast I slipped out to the local bakers and had some butties made for our lunch. After another full Scottish fry-up, we set off on a cool and windy morning back along the road we had used yesterday and back to join the SUW at Traquair. A tarmac lane continued as a wide track that climbed for nearly two miles, views back to Innerleithen and Walkerburn opening out below. Minch Moor was crested although the diversion to the view point was spurned. It was getting really windy now but this was from behind and we tramped on without donning any wind-proofs. The grassy track undulated along the crest of the ridge, over Broomy Law and down to a stream crossing. Splendid views were to be had in all directions, with the Eildon Hills dominating the view ahead. This high-level traverse ended in the most dramatic way. The last top sits above the steep drop to the River Tweed and the compact summit has three very substantial pillars of stones along with a modern trig point. We had arrived at the Three Brethren.

 

We plunged down into the Tweed valley. Out of the wind the temperature rose markedly. We emerged from the woodland path onto the access road to the Yair estate. This crossed the river to reach a main road, Fairnilee Farm and the start of the last climb of the day. But before we attempted this, a picnic table tempted us to pause a while to eat out sandwiches and cake. The ascending field path was rutted and ankle-breaking, but the underfoot conditions got more pleasant on the descent into Galashiels. We had just enough time to get round the town centre by following the SUW along Barr Road and the continuing track and field path. We descended to the A7 and onward to the banks of the Tweed. After a few yards on the riverside path, it became marginal whether we could reach Tweedbank station in time to catch a train back to Galashiels. We did the sensible thing, minimising the risk of missing the Carlisle bus, and finished this year’s trip at the car park near the end of Tweed Road. 15 miles had been achieved en route and we quit whilst we were ahead.

 

Innerleithen dep. 08.47, Galashiels arr. 15.30

GPS 17.53 miles in 6hrs 23mins 33secs.

 

Conclusion

 

It was a 1½ mile walk back into the centre of Galashiels, passing the football/rugby ground and university in Netherdale. A coffee shop opposite the bus stop enabled us to sit at a pavement table having coffee and cakes whilst watching out for the X95 bus to Carlisle. The 2-hour journey passed through some delightful countryside and dropped us outside the railway station from whence we walked back to where we had parked the car five days earlier. Road closures led to an awkward diversion round the south of the city but we finally gained the M6 and the way home.

 

So we finally got to complete part 2 of the Southern Upland Way. Another 80 miles towards the North Sea, Getting round the awkward loop round Galashiels, we have set ourselves up nicely for the last 50 miles to Cockburnspath next year, giving ourselves the opportunity to throw in the Berwickshire Coast Path as an encore. Finding that the number 60 bus runs between Berwick and Galashiels makes for a perfect link between the start and finish. Let’s hope that next year’s travel issues are less restrictive.

 

 

West Highland Way

Fort William – Milngavie,   18^th – 22^nd May 2021

 

Introduction

 

The West Highland Way (WHW) is one of the three remaining national trails that would complete my collection of all nineteen such trails in the UK. I had booked to do it last year but my reservations were all cancelled in the light of the spring 2020 lockdown. I had envisaged an early revival of my plans but another lockdown and late opening of hotels kept me at home until well into May. If I had started a week earlier, I would have had to eat outside and face an 8pm curfew. So, on the very day that hotels could function normally again, I set off north from my daughter’s house after spending a weekend with my grandchildren. The plan was to place my car in Milngavie on Monday 17^th May and to catch the lunchtime train up to Fort William, the northern terminus of the trail. I re-booked all last year’s accommodation based of a five-day north-to-south schedule.

 

After dropping off the car just a few minutes’ walk from Milngavie station, a train to Westerton connected with one to Dumbarton. I was in good time so I wandered into the town centre and sat drinking a cappuccino on a bench overlooking the river. Back at Dumbarton Central, I fell into conversation with a party of walkers from Sheffield who were also for the Fort William train. They had been advised to move the previous night’s hotel booking out of Glasgow to avoid the Tier 3 restrictions following a Covid outbreak. The train was on time and thus began a long gentle ride along Gare Loch, Loch Lomond and over Rannoch Moor, one of the great British train journeys.

 

The Fassifern bed and breakfast was basic but I found a great little pub on the High Street, the Grog & Gruel, which provide me with a wholesome meal of stag pie and chips and a couple of pints of Trade Winds (4.3%) from Cairngorm Brewery. I was ready for an early night in preparation for a challenging five-day walk.

 

Tuesday 18^th May 2021                    Fort William – Kinlochleven

Beneath the Ben

 

I had a lovely cooked breakfast before setting off down to the High Street and the start/finish of the WHW. Soon after 9am I was striding back passed the station and Belfort hospital heading for Glen Nevis. It started to drizzle as I passed the original start/finish. I took a selfie in what turned out to be the only rain of the day, in fact, the only rain for more than two days. It was a long and rather dreary walk along Glen Nevis. It was eerily quiet, quite devoid of the normal spring rush of tourists and climbers. I really was one of the first to venture this far north after the lockdowns. The car parks were very sparsely filled, even the largest, Braveheart, which was where I knew I was close to the turn off into the Nevis Forest. A short uphill path led out onto a gravel forest road which climbed for several miles. The clouds had now cleared away and the sun was shining, offering great views back down the glen. At the high point on the track, I diverted for a few yards to visit the iron-aged fort of Dun Deardail.

 

On the south side of the pass, the track descended steeply beside the Allt nan Gleannan. I had all sorts of problems finding the high-level route to Blar a’Chaorainn. It was only later that I realised that the WHW is basically route-signed for south to north walkers and is not so easy to follow in the reverse direction. I made for the Old Military Road to avoid having to clamber back up the mountain-side and was soon back on route and gently ascending into a forbidding-looking mountain valley. As I turned eastwards into the valley of the Allt na Lairige Moire, I was amazed to find myself on a level track that passed straight through the mountains with the ridges of the Mamores soaring up to my left. I passed ruined farms in this remotest of situations and the traverse went without very much effort and far more quickly than I expected.

 

I fell into step with a couple who were, like me, heading for accommodation in Kinlochleven just a few miles ahead. This pair lived in Ayr, not far from my daughter, and their grandson played for the same junior football team as did mine. This was not to be the only incredible coincidence of the trip. Great views of Kinlochleven were to be had as we dropped down a tricky little descent on a rocky path into the village. On my way passed the pub, I called in to reserve a table for the evening’s meal then I continued to the far end of the village to gain my accommodation.

 

 

Fort William dep. 09.08, Kinlochleven arr. 15.45

GPS 17.61 miles in 6hrs 36mins 11secs walking time plus a 10-minute in the glen of Allt Na Lairige Moire.

I stayed at Tigh Na Cheo in Garbhein Road, a little out of town but I was pointed towards a short cut down some steps to speed me back to the Tailwinds Inn where I enjoyed fish and chips followed by stick toffee pudding. The beer was the ubiquitous Belhaven Best.

 

Wednesday 19^th May 2021           Kinlochleven – Bridge of Orchy

The Staircase to Glen Coe

 

An 8am breakfast set me up for the early start that I felt was required to comfortably complete a 21-mile route. Stopping briefly at the Co-op to buy a sandwich and doughnuts, I return to the bridge at the centre of the village and walked up the south bank of the river. In some ways the start of the day was similar to yesterday’s, with a road and valley section followed by a climb up to a forestry track. This track wound around the hillside for three miles to gain the top of the pipeline feeding the hydro-electric power plant below. It was a relief to leave this track behind and take to an undulating footpath across the open moorland. After several stream crossings the path reached its highest point, a magnificent viewpoint looking over Glen Coe and Rannoch Moor. After several hasty photographs, I plunged into the long and spectacular descent of the Devil’s Staircase.

 

It was really warm in the shelter of the Glencoe mountains. I was glad I was wearing my sun hat, something I had not bothered to do yesterday leading to unexpected sunburn. Most day walkers were in shorts but I was stuck with the winter gear that I had pre-packed. The road in the valley floor was very busy and I was glad that an off-road path was provide across the bleak flat moor. Passing below the Buachaille, I asked two girls to take my photo in front of this iconic mountain. It was many years since I had ice climbed on this and the surrounding peaks. The view ahead opened out and the Kings House and ski centre were clearly visible some miles ahead. After a brief encounter with a Northern Irish man wearing a small teddy bear, I scooted across Rannoch Moor and out onto the old road and the famous Kings House Hotel. Here I sat in the sun eating a sausage roll and quaffing a superb pint of real ale.

 

I dragged myself away from this perfect setting and walked further along the old road until it crossed the line of the new arterial highway. I was tempted by another café at the ski centre but the route veered away to the south onto Telford’s road across the Black Mount, a glorious nine miles running parallel to the old military road of the previous century. Stopping briefly near Ba Bridge for an energy bar, the generally downward gradient brought me to Forest Lodge and the hamlet at Inverornan. A parties of walkers sat in the sun outside the country hotel, relaxing after a long day. But I still had a further 2 miles over a low ridge, before I could look down on my accommodation for the night. A steep woodland path descended to Bridge of Orchy. The white-painted hotel and surrounding cottages looked a picture astride the road below. At last, rather later than I had envisaged, I crossed the bridge and checked in at the rather imposing hotel

 

Kinlochleven dep. 08.43, Bridge of Orchy arr. 17.21 

GPS 21.59 miles in 8hrs 07mins 04secs walking with 25 mins at Kings House for a sausage roll and pint of Red Revival (4.3%) from Glen Spean Brewery, then 10 mins near Ba Bridge.

I stayed at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. My meal was fish, chips and mushy peas. The draught beer was Bitter & Twisted (3.8%) from Harviestoun followed by a Schiehallion IPA on keg (4.8%).

 

Thursday 20^th May 2021                  Bridge of Orchy – Inverarnan

St Fillan’s Priory

 

For the first time since Glen Nevis, the sky had clouded over. As there was no sun today, the sun-hat was stowed in the rucksack. But the rain was holding off as I left the hotel and walked up to the station and under the railway line. A wide track ran parallel to the railway, downhill for much of the way with magnificent Munros to the left. The railway crossed the walking route and set off on a wonderfully winding contour over a series of viaducts. The track, railway and main road came together at the head of a low pass. I almost missed the turn under the railway, the route not being signed at this point for the north-south walker. A steady stream of walkers passed me heading north and many commented that I was the only through-walker on the route going the ‘wrong way’. After a rocky section climbing up the hillside, I dropped onto what must have been an old road running beside the railway directly into Tyndrum.

 

It was too early in the day to a stop so I forwent the fleshpots of Tyndrum and continued on a poorly signed path around the edge of town. I was momentarily lost around Tyndrum Lower Station but got myself back on what I assumed was the correct route through a featureless heathland of regenerating woodland. After a mile or so of narrow paths, I emerged onto a wide track at a WHW finger-post. I followed this track to a bridge across a small stream and came upon a set of way-marker posts from a different direction. Less confusingly, there was only one signed route from this point so I was able to proceed with more confidence. Crossing a busy road on a northerly loop through some farmland chosen, I assume, to keep the walker off the road, I stopped at St Fillan’s Priory, an atmospheric ruin in a copse of trees. As I photographed the adjoining graveyard a drizzle began to fall, my first rain since the very start of my trip.

Back on the south side of the road, the WHW clambered up steep paths through a pine forest. The climbing seemed to go on forever. After three miles or more in an easterly direction, the ridge was crested and began to descend out of the forest. This tiring section ended with a steep drop to Crianlarich Crossroads, a major junction of footpaths. A superb path then contoured across the open hillside, eventually descending to the road and under the railway. The route down Glen Falloch was relatively straight forward, although a foot-bridge was missing at one point necessitating a diversion up and down the steep-sided valley. Views of the Falloch Falls were hard to obtain, so I hurried on to Beinglas campsite where I left the official route and sought my accommodation at a pub on the nearby road.

 

Bridge of Orchy dep. 08.40, Inverarnan arr.16.15

GPS 20.66 in 7hrs 36mins 13secs walking time (no stops), 20 miles on-route.

I stayed in the Drovers Inn, my bedroom being across the road in a rectangle of out-buildings.  My meal in the bar was chicken and veg, very disappointingly cooked and presented. The beer was Deucars IPA (4.4%). I retired to bed without a pudding.

 

 

Friday 21^st May 2021                        Inverarnan – Balmaha

Beside the Loch

Breakfast times were either 7.30 or 8.30am. The earlier start was an attractive option so I slipped quietly out of my room and crossed over the main road to the pub on what the locals would call ‘a dreich morning’, drizzle from a heavily laden sky and little or no wind. Amazingly the couple in front of me were Peter & Joyce, members of my local running club who live less than half a mile away from me. We chatted long and hard through the full Scottish fry-up. They were on a 7 or 8 day south-to-north schedule a more gentle pace than mine. They warned me of the difficulty in keeping up a fast pace through the rocky sections on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond. Bearing this in mind, I made my excuses, retired to my room and quickly packed my rucksack.

 

I was well on my way through the Beinglas camp site and back onto the WHW before 8.30am. Progress was fine at first. The rain had stopped and the path undulated through pleasant grassy fields. Then suddenly the character of the route changed. The steep hillside ahead dropping straight into the water and was traversed through a jungle of tree roots and rocky scrambles, mostly on an uncomfortable gradient. At one point near Rob Roy’s Cave, I found myself climbing huge boulders high above the water. The time seemed to melt away and the 2.5 mile an hour schedule that I had set myself seemed more and more impossible. But all things, good or bad, come to an end and the underfoot conditions gradually improved, the pace increased, and I exchanged words with two girls who had been swimming in the loch. Suddenly, there was Inversnaid in all its splendour. It was much bigger than I expected, a fine building operating as a hotel in its own grounds.

 

It was still too early in the day to have a refreshment break so I pressed on along a less taxing part of the loch-side path. Even this had its moments though as rocky ups and downs had to be negotiated. There was a route choice at one point and I went for what looked the easier and faster option, a wide track that climbed high above the loch. This re-joined the lakeside path near Ptarmigan Lodge from whence a good track led to Rowardennan, a peaceful little hamlet with lovely views along Loch Lomond. The weather was fast improving and the day was getting warm. Dehydration was becoming an issue that I had not thought possible at breakfast-time. I was much happier with my pace on this section but the efforts of the morning and the increasing heat were taking their toll. I was seriously tired when I arrived at Rowardennan Hotel. Joy of joys, the Clansman Bar was open for business and I was certainly ready for a bite to eat and a chance to slake my thirst. A snack and drink disappeared in record time and I was thankfully then to be able to face the last leg of day.

 

The route to Balmaha started through open forests, native trees rather than pine plantations. It was not short of a few climbs and I was approaching my pre-stop level of exhaustion as I reached the road that was to take me to Balmaha. The daily mileage was adding up to more than the guidebook had indicated and, even though I missed out a gratuitous loop round a headland, I clocked 1.5 miles further than expected. It may have been ½ mile back onto route in the morning but otherwise I added nothing to the official route so I suspect that the 21-mile distance given in the guidebooks was at least a mile under actuality. I was very relieved to reach the lovely harbour at Balmaha and see the huge oak tree shading my target for the night. The hotel behind the tree was worth all the effort.

 

Inverarnan dep. 08.19, Balmaha arr.17.40

GPS 22.48 in 8hrs 46mins 27secs walking time with a 35min (14.30-15.05) stop in the Clansman Bar of the Rowardennan Hotel for a tuna & mayo wrap and 1½ pints of Belhaven Best.

 

I stayed in the Oak Tree Inn in Balmaha. I was delighted with their recommendation of the lasagne and really enjoyed a couple of pints of Conich 4 lager (4.0%) from Williams Bros. of Alloa. An apple pie and ice cream supplied a nice conclusion to a lovely meal.  I retired early to my attic room in the roof of an outbuilding with a great view over the loch. I loved this inn.

-

Saturday 22^nd May 2021                  Balmaha  – Milngavie

Conich Hill and the Highland Boundary

 

The morning was a beauty. The view from my roof window over the loch filled me with enthusiasm for this, my last day. I packed before breakfast and was able to enjoy a leisurely ‘full Scottish’. I called at the village shop for my sandwich lunch. I was back under a sun hat as I crossed the car park opposite the pub and located the start of the good quality gravel path up  Conich Hill. Magnificent views over Loch Lomond opened up as I gained height. There were several very steep sections to struggle up but I finally pulled myself onto the summit and asked a couple to kindly photograph me at this amazing viewpoint. I was standing on the Highland Boundary Fault Line, the line that divides the volcanic rocks of the highland mountains from the softer soils of the lowlands. Conich Hill and the line of islands across the loch illustrated this perfectly. Then I turned my back of this corner of paradise and descended to the east.

 

A wide track, mainly flat, threaded its way for four miles or so through Garadhban Forest leading eventually out onto a very busy road with fast moving traffic, A path running behind a hedge kept the walker away from danger; then crossed the road about a mile before Drymen. A field-path led to a long section of quiet lane where I sat briefly on a bench to eat a snack bar. The lane brought me to the course of an old railway. Here I turned south along the disused line and towards the prominent peak of Dumgoyne at the end of the Campsie Hills. The whisky distillery at its foot was an old friend, having terminated one of my LEJOG sections at this point several years earlier.

 

The line of the railway was blocked by the largest terminal moraine I have ever seen, a conical lump across the gap in the hills. A good track led round the impasse and out onto a road for a short while before turning into a beautiful track alongside Craigallian Loch. The finish was in sight and the number of walkers noticeably increased. I could hear children playing in the surrounding woods and the wildness melted away to parkland and civilisation. Suddenly I was there, at a huge notice board describing the West Highland Way. A lady who took my photograph pointed out the way into the main street in Milngavie shopping centre. Here was a monument to the route, the southern terminus. After more photographs, I retreated out of town to retrieve my car.

 

Balmaha dep. 09.02, Milngavie arr. 16.20

GPS 19.49 miles in 7hrs 07mins 48secs..

 

Conclusion

 

I had completed my 17^th National Trail, my 3^rd in Scotland. I had amazing luck with the weather, the north getting much better weather than back home which was having the wettest May for many a year. I had walked, with the off-route excursions and conservative mileages, a total of 102 miles which, for a five-day trip, I was pretty satisfied with. All I had to do now was find the Clyde Tunnel and I could head south to see family and friends.