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.

Southern Highlands

Milngavie – Corrour Station
29^th April – 3^rd May 2013

Introduction

This was the 2013 edition of our annual 100 miles along our end-to-end route from Lands’ End to the North Coast of Scotland. Last year I had finished a traverse of Southern Scotland when I dropped off the Campsie Fells onto the Glengoyle Distillery. Now we were picking up that end point and continuing for another five days into the Highlands. As my daughter and family live in Scotland, I went north early to spend time with the grandchildren, waiting for Mike to arrive for our walk

 

Monday 29^th April       Milngavie – Drymen

A Day on the West Highland Way

I took my grand-daughter to school and then walked on to the station and caught a train to Glasgow Central. Mike soon joined me, having travelled up from Crewe on the Virgin Pendolino. Then it was a descent into the depths of Platform 17 for the suburban train out of town. It was a cold but beautiful spring morning as we left the Milngavie station and walked into the pedestrianised town centre, completely missing the post and sign that indicated the start of the West Highland Way (WHW). However we were soon walking north into quiet woodland beside a small stream (or do I call it a burn from now on). Within an hour we were watching an Osprey fishing in a small lochan and we seemed a million miles from civilisation. We walked for a short while with a group of Americans  
who were just setting out to walk the complete WHW. We then pushed on to the distillery where I had finished last year. Dropping my sack, I jogged the 500 yards to the point on the main road where I had actually reached last year. I then returned the same way to pick up my sack and continue up the WHW. Mike was rather critical of this, arguing that I should for completeness carry the sack everywhere, but I argued that it was me that was doing the end-to-end walk, not my sack (which is falling apart and may not last the course).

In the afternoon we were hit by a series of cold sharp showers, necessitating the donning of waterproofs. The route followed an old railway for some miles before it turned off across a river bridge where a fridge, outside a house, promised ice cream at an ‘honesty shop’. As we sat on a wall eating our choc ices, honestly paid for, a Brisbane couple walked by and we accompanied them for the final two miles along the lane into Drymen. We were later to meet Julie and Jim Woodyatt again in the pub and join them for a meal. There was a long crocodile of folk trailing into town. We had in all the years we had been doing long distance footpaths never seen such a sight. The b&b's were busy, the pubs were full and there seems an industry in driving bags up and down the route. We were the only ones carrying our kit. We were not convinced this sort of regimentation was for us. 

Milgavie dep. 11.25, Drymen arr. 15.45, GPS 13 miles in 4hr 17m 12s

We stayed in the Braeside Guest House on Main Street and ate at the Clachan Inn, the oldest inn in Scotland, lamb burgers and chips, no real puddings and little real ale. The local brew was off and after a pint of Greene King IPA, I turned to red wine. 

 

Tuesday 30^th April 2013       Drymen – Callander

Mort Safes and Cappuccino

It was a beautiful morning. There was not a cloud in the sky and the air was like cold wine. The start of the Rob Roy Way (RRW) was along four miles of road but it was a very quiet road and a relief to be on our own away from the hundreds of walkers on the WHW. We found our first RRW symbols which we followed to the point at which we turned left into the water catchment system. The initial forest road was tarmacked as it followed the line of the aqueduct which carries water from Loch Katrine to Glasgow. The aqueduct was exposed as it crossed side valleys and re-entrants and was at its most spectacular as the Corrie Aqueduct, spoilt rather by the scaffolding of the maintenance team. After this the track became stony and grassy for a while and then became wide a forestry track for the decent into Aberfoyle.  

The lane into Aberfoyle passed an old church, Kirkton Church which had had its roof removed many years ago to encourage villages to use the parish church in the centre. An interesting feature of this ruin was the two steel coffins, ‘mort-safes’, that sat either side of the entrance, designed to discourage bodysnatching. A lovely coffee shop on the main road provided cappuccinos and Victoria sponge. This refuelled us for the climb into the Montheith Hills and a lovely balcony route that gave us splendid views over the golf course and the now distant Campsie Fells. The wide forest track eventually came to an end and the route continued on a narrow and muddy path that ran through forest and meadows and a lovely section of tree-lined lochan. We pulled out onto another wide forestry track for the long descent to Callander. As we hit tarmac, we came across a council vehicle stuck in a ditch. Then we went passed a delightful old river bridge, Gartchonzie Bridge, where another council vehicle passed us obviously on its way to pull out his colleagues. 

The route took a loop around a plantation before it finally dropped into town at the local secondary school just as the students were pouring out. We followed the pupils through the sports fields and over the footbridge which took us into the main street. Calling into the visitors centre we noticed that a video show was available about Rob Roy so we quickly showered and changed at the b&b and returned to watch an interesting, but not particularly informative, reconstruction of his life. Not much is known about the man besides the fact that he kept cattle and was not averse to stealing more. 

Drymen dep. 08.45, Callander arr. 15.55, GPS 21.06 miles in 6hrs 39m 43s plus a 35 minute coffee stop. 

We stayed in the Southfork Villa Guest House in Cross Street, Callender and ate in the Waverley: steak and kidney pie and chips with apple pie and custard and two beers from the Inveralmond Brewery, Ossian (4.1%) and Lia Fail (a darker ale at 4.7%).

 

Wednesday 1^st May 2013    Callander – Killin

A Day on Old Railway Lines 

It had been raining during the night and it was still damp as we left the guest house. So with waterproofs on, we set out westwards out of town and onto an old railway line, now a cycle route. Soon it dried up and we were able to take off some layers and make good time along the side of Loch Lubhnaig. It was not flat all the way. Two sections were waterlogged so the route diverted 100ft or so up the hill to a forest track. It was lovely gentle countryside to walk though, reminiscence of the English Lake District. After nine miles, the way came down to cross the river and crossed another footbridge to reach Strathyre. There is not much there so we were glad to sit outside the village shop and have coffee from a machine.  

Then there was a rather gratuitous loop up the east side of the valley, a loop into the forest to avoid walking up the main road. It made it even more gratuitous to find that the loop was officially closed for forestry activities and we walked through stacks of wood from freshly cut trees. The descent back to the road was down an enormous zigzag that seemed to take forever. Eventually though we were down at the Kingshouse, which is not called the Kingshouse and more. It is now a trendy cafe and b&b. Passing under the new road, the RRW turned along an undulating cycle path, tarmacked in its entirety, that followed the busy road. Here we met three ladies over from Amsterdam, a mother, daughter and friend who were walking the RRW because the accommodation on the WHW was fully booked. We left them as they took the diversion into Lochearnhead. We climbed to a stunning picnic and viewpoint overlooking the loch and sat in the sun and ate our sandwiches. 

It was time for sun-cream as we set off up Glen Ogle on an old railway line giving fabulous views of the valley below. At the bealach, the road had climbed up to railway level. We then crossed the road and went off passed the memorial to the two pilots of a crashed Tornedo. The way through the woods was again closed and a diversion took us on a high level loop round into Killin. We came out into the village right opposite the Falls of Dochart, a marvellous and dramatic end to the day. 

Callander dep. 08.55, Killin arr. 16.45, GPS 23.09 in 6hr 48m 39s plus a 30 min coffee stop and a 20 min picnic. 

We stayed in Breadalbane House an ate at the Falls of Dochart. The food, black pudding for starters and fish and chips, was very good and the real ale was superb. Strathbraan Head East (4.2%) rated in a very high score (8 out or 10) and Fyne Maverick (4.2%). 

Thursday 2^nd May 2013     Killin – Rannoch Station

Trouble with Trees 

We were down before 8am but the breakfast room was locked. We really needed an early start today as we had a very long and desolate section awaiting us. The breakfast took what seemed an age to arrive and even though we had our bags packed and waiting in the hall, it was after 8.30am when we finally got underway. A quick stop at the Co-op secured some butties for a picnic lunch and then it was off up the road, first north and then west to the hydro-power station. Here we turned up a steep tarmacked track that zigzagged up to a power station compound. We failed to find the path marked on the map and spend an uncomfortable half hour contouring into the upper part of the Allt Dhuin Criosg. Eventually we came to flatter ground and a long tramp across boggy ground passed the shielings and over the Lairig Bhreislich. Our decision to descent the left bank was the correct one but it was a long and steep decent onto the easier slopes and it came as a relief to see a footbridge over the river below. We quickly dropped onto this bridge and crossed it to the road. We were soon down in Glen Lyon and, lo and behold, there in Innerwick was a tea shop. It was rather busy with walkers and cyclist but we found a table and had our tea and cake whilst talking to a couple who liked climbing and short wave radio, a strange but interesting combination. 

Then we set off on our second big climb of the day, this time with the weather closing in. The lower track up the Lairig a Mhuic was wide and well-made but came to a sudden halt and then became a sparse and slippery trod. My route guide for this section was the Scottish Hill Tracks publication. This suggested that we should scale a beallach to the west and drop onto the Rannoch Forest track at its earliest point.  Mike pointed out the advantage of continuing to the east of Meall nan Sac and contouring round to pick up the track lower down. What I did not realise was that Mike was using a 30 year old map which did not have the forest extension that was shown on mine. So we ended up with a mixture of our two ideas, not ideal, but it did avoid 500ft of climbing but entailed a long and tiresome detour along the new forest fence to get back to the forest entrance.  

It was a great relief to reach the forest track and commence the decent into Loch Rannoch. But soon some problems arose. Tree damage from a recent storm had not been cleared and we came to a huge pine, lying across the track, which could only be passed by crawling commando-style under the branches. Mike went first, and then I handed over the sacks and followed as he scrambled for his camera to record the scene. The continuation into the lower forest was surreal. The entire landscape had been clear felled, and it looked for all the world like the scenes from Hiroshima. The logs were piled up beside the track in huge (20ft high) stacks that ran for half a mile.  

As we exited the forest and crossed the river, another choice faced us. We could either turn north for the road and have a 10 mile road walk or go round to the south of Leagag and reduce the amount of tarmac. As the second option was shorter, we turned west into worsening weather and it started to rain and blow. The path round to the Allt a Mheanbh-chruidh became wet and slippery and we were glad to reach the track and get some easier walking down to Bridge of Gaur. As we turned west on to the long lonely road, the weather deteriorated further. We were 90 minutes walking the five miles to Rannoch Station, into a cold and wet gale, with only one car passing us on route. When we finally arrived, the hotel door was locked but it was soon opened to give us a warm welcome, a lovely bath and a marvellous meal. 

Killin dep. 08.37, Rannoch Station arr. 19.30, GPS 31.55 miles in 10hrs 20m 06s plus 35 minutes in the Innerwick tea shop. 

We stayed in the Moor of Rannoch Hotel, on Scott’s first day. He had bought the hotel and had moved in the previous day. He likes to stock bottles of Scottish brewed real ales and, out of his large collection, we drank Bitter and Twisted (4.2%) from Harviestoun and Sheepshaggers Gold (4.5%) from Cairngorm. We easily managed a 3 course meal as our clothes dried by an open fire. 

 

Friday 3^rd May 2013     Rannoch Station – Corrour Station

A Dreich Day on Rannoch Moor 

Listening to the rain driving against the window through the night had convinced us that it might be a good idea to abandon the last day’s walk and jump on the first train home in the morning. However the wind had dropped when we awoke so we stayed with plan A and breakfasted early, paid our bill and ventured out into the rain once again. Back down the road we went, to the track that led northwards across Rannoch Moor. The clag was hiding the high mountains and all we could see was colourless wet grassland stretching away into the mist. The path was wet, made worst in places by attempts to upgrade the route with heavy machines. The small streams of yesterday were now raging torrents and even small side streams provided interesting crossings.  

At breakfast, two ladies from our hotel had been telling us of their plans to take the early train to Corrour and walk back along the route we were taking. So it was no surprise to us when a pair of figures appeared on the track in front of us, moving slowly towards us. A quick exchange of information prepared us for the fact that the track ahead did not get any drier. We at least were now heading down out of the mist, turning left at Peter’s Stone and down towards the loch. Soon the youth hostel came into view, tucked serenely on a peninsula out into the loch. And there in the distance were the white buildings of Corrour Station. 

At the youth hostel, we joined the wide track out to the station and the rain seemed to get heavier now we were totally exposed to the huge expanses of the Moor. A Czech car was parked up at the station. Did this belong to the new owners of the restaurant? The cafe was busy with walkers all waiting for the lunchtime train and we had to slip over the line onto the platform to find a quiet shelter to change out of our wet gear. I only just managed to attain a modicum of decency before the restaurant emptied and they all came over to join us. But I was in dry clothes and feeling a bit warmer when the train pulled in and we were on our way south. It took at least an hour and several hot drinks before I felt fully comfortable by which time the train was running down passed Bridge of Orchy to Crianlarich, surely one of the most spectacular sections of railway line in the country. What a pity the mist and the water running down the windows made it hard to appreciate the scenery. 

It was 3 hours back to Glasgow then a short walk to Central Station and the train to Ayr. Rachel picked us up from the station, took us home, fed us royally (bread and butter pudding) and we slept long and well ready for the drive home.   

Rannoch Station dep. 08.35, Corrour Station arr. 12.05, GPS 11.34 in 3hrs 29m 42s