The End - Fort William Comes Into View

Shedding layers! Unthinkable every day earlier in the week.

28/03/13: Kinlochleven to Fort William

Yesterday winter, today springtime. By breakfast the sun was up. Metcheck said it would be so, and it was. It stayed that away the entire day, which was to be a long one, longer, in fact, than we had imagined. More on that later.

First a 45-minute climb out of Kinlochleven. The view back down through the birch wood was glorious with both the village and loch bathed in sunshine. There was scant wind as we entered the long, long stretch through The Lairig, and the walk to picnic #1 in one of the deserted derelict buildings offered Kodak moment after Kodak moment. Despite the overwhelming sense of minuteness in the massive grandeur of the U-valley, the quality of the day made one want to linger.

Ten miles into the walk comes a point where there is essentially a choice between taking a B road for the last 4/5 miles into the west of Fort William, or the recognised WHW track into Glen Nevis on the east of town. We had booked a B&B in Glen Nevis, so were clearly going to use the path. A notice put paid to that by informing us that the path was 'impassable', and instructing use of the road. This tiresome route not only bruised the feet, but took us to the wrong side of town, thereby addiing 2/3 miles of tedious asphalt to get back out again to the B&B. Then, if you please, we discovered from two Polish walkers, who ignored the notice and used the path, that the grave danger was just two fallen trees, both of which were readily avoided. Impassable? It rhymes with rowlocks! Health & safety tosh yet again. A glorious 96-mile walk diminished by a jobsworth.

All done now, though. A hop to Penrith tomorrow, then on home via Manchester Airport for F&D on Saturday. NO RAIN at all during the walk. Amazing.

Kinlochleven village

First view of Kinlochleven from on the top.

If you have seen Skyfall, you'll have seen this view. Buachaille Etive Mor in all its glory.

27/03/13: King's House to Kinlochleven

Forest at the high point of the whole WHW, the cairn atop The Devil's Staircase


After the heartiest of breakfasts at Edencoille, Drew got the Discovery out and ran us back along Loch Leven to the main road, then up Glencoe again to The King's House Hotel, where, at 1010ish we picked up where we left off yesterday. Three-quarters of an hour's walking parallel to the A82 got us to Altnafeadh, where the path turns sharply up The Devil's Staircase to the highest point on the West Highland Way.

The climb was quite tricky in parts, either where the snow had obliterated the path, so that we lost the line, or where feet had polished the snow into an icy slide. Over the top, on the Kinlochleven side the main problem was again trying to pick the best line through the deeper sections of snow. The wind was favourable, hardly blowing at all, so wind-chill was not an issue, and, as soon as we began to descend past the HE Plant, the melt was already considerable. The time taken to get to the village from having first seen it from on high was just as frustrating as we remembered it from last September, an absolute age!

26/03/13: Inveroran to King's House

Great start to the day: I eschewed, for once, the full Scottish fry-up and took the Mallaig Haddock with poached egg instead. Possibly some of you might even be impressed. There was the smallest skittering of snow drifting past the window, but nothing like what might have been, given what other parts of the UK are getting. Certainly there was no longer any suspicion that we wouldn't be getting onto Rannoch Moor today.

The first part, probably as much as a third of the walk, follows what was, until just before WWII, the main highway north. It must have been laid pretty well, because it is still in good order. Only when it has climbed quite high does it lose its metalled firmness. Even then the way maintains the width of a single-tracked road, so is remarkably easy to follow, considering one is crossing Rannoch Moor.

Possibly the briefest stop in the history of the picnic was taken on the descent from the ridge, trying to shelter from the biting wind behind the parapet of one of the very durable bridges which cross the streams up there. Then, in what seemed no time at all, we were down at King's House. We are not staying there tonight; we are merely breaking the walk there. Again, our host at Edencoille B&B in Kinlochleven came out to fetch us. He will run us back there in the morning to continue.

At the end of the day's walk, Inveroran.

Dawn & Shiona above the Inveroran Hotel.

Doing Nanook of the North impressions above Inveroran.

The isolated western end of Loch Tulla.

Chilly tonight. T- shirt AND hot water bottle!

25/03/13: Tyndrum to Inveroran

Some days defy negative expectations, and turn out so much better than anyone dared believe. Today was like that. In Tyndrum, at breakfast time, there was a degree of discussion about the wisdom of walking today. All of yesterday had been a trudge through ankle-deep snow, stumbling over hidden hazards, and it had snowed again since then. As we left the B&B, it started to swirl once more. 

A packed lunch had to be assembled at the mini-mart, and we didn't make any forward progress until nearly 1030. By the time Beinn Dorain came into view, however, the snow had given up, the sun was popping in and out, and the paths were absolutely as clear as they had been last September. Uncanny. Today's pace was therefore a tad brisker, and we got along famously. Elevenses (perversely taken at twelve) were enjoyed in the shelter of a railway hut alongside the line we had used a few days ago, and then lunch at a picnic table, in the SUN, on Bridge of Orchy railway station.

A swift call into the Bridge of Orchy Hotel followed, then the brief climb to the ridge above Loch Tulla and the descent to the welcoming sight of The Inveroran Hotel nestling at its western end. Perfect isolation. If location is everything, this will do nicely, thank you.

At half way.

24/03/13: Inverarnan to Tyndrum

Not a great night's sleep at The Drovers, some guests believing it acceptable to bawl to one another about nothing in particular at 0145. Arose a bit earlier to get away a bit more sharpish than yesterday, as we had been finding it tricky to maintain a decent pace along paths constantly covered in 4/5 inches of snow, thereby disguising the streams and uneven rocks which would otherwise be best avoided. Today's route shadowed the A82 and the Glasgow-Fort William railway line much of the way, until at about three-quarter distance the path turned away from the road and headed in a more direct direction to Tyndrum. Our B&B tonight was a cockstride out of the village, so the final few hundred yards had to be along the main A82. The forecast is for plentiful snow, so the prospect of attempting Rannoch Moor in a couple of days' time is less than certain.

23/03/13: Rowardennan to Inverarnan

Oh dearie, dearie me, only in Great Britain. What an embarrassment. There we were at the Inversnaid Hotel, the halfway point of today's 14-miler. It had seemed a little gloomy when stumbling our way to the bar from the 'walkers' entrance' at the back, and it was the little old Welsh lady guest huddled by the fire who first told us that there was a power cut and that hot lunches were off. OK, merde happens. So we weren't going to get omelette, burger or haddock to keep out the cold. That's fine; we all get power cuts.

However, has anyone any idea why a power cut prevents the preparation of a cheese roll, ham sandwich or tuna baguette? No. Nor have I. Would you think it odd to be flatly and curtly refused a bag of crisps on the grounds of power loss? A Mars Bar perhaps? Same argument. The reason: "All our crisps and confectionery are in vending machines". No power, no vending. Would it perhaps be beyond the wit of man to go to the stockroom and retrieve a case of crisps or choccie bars, open the thing and sell me my heart's desire from said carton? Apparently it would, yes. Customer after customer was sent away hungry. Only 7 more miles through deepening snow before another opportunity to take fuel on board.

I'll leave you, dear reader, to judge whether I will be returning or recommending The Inversnaid Hotel to my chums. For those of you wondering whether the concept of hospitality might have slipped a touch in the modern age, it has.

The day was quite demanding. Fourteen miles is not a particularly long way, but much of the middle section of today was, in effect, scrambling. Over tree roots, boulders, loose rocks and fallen trunks, many of such hazards disguised by fresh snow. There were some tired feet around long before the end at the unique Drovers Inn at Inverarnan, which we didn't reach until gone 6 p.m. A gorgeous haggis - massive portion - put things right.

War memorial, Rowardennan.

22/03/13: Balmaha to Rowardennan

We awoke to snow swirling around the conservatory where breakfast was to be taken. It never got more than a swirl, though, so the day's walk was never in doubt. As things turned out, that first hour was the worst it got. I understand that Shropshire had far thicker today.

The day was to be a short one, so time needed to be wasted. We took the latest breakfast possible, and then the shop for building a packed lunch, plus the pub to get the WHW 'passport' stamped, took care of a further half hour. No forward progress was attempted until nearly 1030. Duck-feeding with the leftover bap from yesterday used up another ten minutes. Yesterday I used that very American expression lollygagging to describe the easiest of paces. I wonder whether they have an expression for twice as laid back as that. I have no idea how it took the best part of five hours to get to day's end, barely 7 miles away. Tomorrow will have to be stepped up, big time!

Along the way we crossed paths with a young German student from the University of Mainz, who seemed to be doing different aspects of Scotland in one week. Today was clearly Lomond.

Dawn appreciating her first scrambled eggs and smoked salmon platter for breakfast at Bay Cottage, Balmaha. Thanks, Liz!

21/03/13: Drymen to Balmaha

Well, the bad news we woke up to this morning was that Conic Hill has been shut down for eight weeks so that the deteriorating path up to the top from the Balmaha side could get some remedial work, before the season begins and many more hundreds/thousands of feet come along to make the situation worse.

Thus we had to exit Drymen by the road, then enjoy just a mile or so of forest tracks, before turning away from Conic Hill and dropping down into Milton of Buchanan. From there, the only option is to follow the B road into Balmaha. Dull. It was already a short day, of only 7 miles, but had been planned that way so that Conic Hill could be enjoyed slowly, picnic to be taken on the top. As things turned out, we lollygagged along the quicker route and still got there just after midday. Much time had to be eroded at The Oak Tree Inn, so that we would not arrive at the B&B too early. The high spot of the day, some of the finest haggis, neaps & tatties to be had anywhere, came later, at that same inn. Cloud. Silver lining!

A better use of his time perhaps?

20/03/13: Milngavie to Drymen

After a bit of a battle to get Forest looking spruce in his new, squeaky-clean gaiters, we did the posed photo at the front door of our B&B in Milngavie before setting off to the town (I use the word loosely) centre to do the other obvious posed photo at the start marker. A quick trip round Sparky Marky's sorted out the packed lunches, and we were off.

It seemed that only one other walker was starting the WHW today, a young whippersnapper from Maine, a countryman of F&D. We passed and repassed each other for most of the day. He is mixing B&Bs with wild camping. The walk today was a flat and undemanding 12 miles to Drymen, the last section being a tedious asphalt drag into the village.

In the region of Killearn, we were amazed to see that the honesty stall, set up by the girl seeking to go to Chile to teach English was still there; she now has to raise £5400 for the privilege, £1400 more than she had thought back in September. In the evening we once again met up with cousin Joe, who lives in Drymen, for a meal and a beer.

20/03/13: Day One to Drymen

19/03/13: The Rail Journey Back Down to the Start

Well, the doom-and-gloommongers got it wrong for one day at least! After a leisurely breakfast, we four strolled into town to do the obligatory photographs, shop in Tesco Express for a packed lunch and get to the station for the 1140 southbound.

Bang on time, it drew away from a platform bathed in sunshine. From that moment the day got better and better. The three-hour rail journey to Dumbarton Central could not have had a more glorious backdrop. Corrour, Rannoch, Bridge of Orchy, all showed themselves at their very best, set against a whiteout glistening in the bright sun. Gradually, as we got further south and lower, the white dwindled and gave way to green. Of course, having done the walk once, we were able to identify the WHW path and point it out to F&D along the way.

Again the train arrived at our destination exactly on time, we picked up a taxi across to Milngavie, and spent a short while checking out the eating options for later. Tomorrow we begin.

Forest & Dawn huddle against the chill wind in Glencoe on the last stage of the drive north to Fort William. We weren't out of the car long!

18.03.13: The Drive North

Early reveille so that we would be up and out of the house by 0600, having told Forest & Dawn that they should expect us at The Radisson, Manchester Airport at about 0730. It was a Monday morning, of course, but the traffic was not too silly. We arrived at the hotel only 10 mins late, and got away again by 0800.

Next stop The Rooster in Penrith for a standard full trucker's breakfast. A gobsmacked F&D were unable to imagine what the 'large' might have looked like. We did extremely well, and only one and a third Cumberland sausages remained on the plates.

Two more hours up the M6/M74 to arrive at Milgavie, where our large bags were dropped off at our second night's B&B. No point humping them to Fort William, only to hump them back down on the train on Day Two.

Finally on from Milngavie to Fort William to check in at http://www.achinteefarm.com/ for the first night. Tomorrow we take the scenic train ride back down over Rannoch Moor and along Loch Lomond to the WHW start.

An Early Re-Run

We loved it so much last time that we are to have a second helping, in spring this time. Forest & Dawn from Owings, Maryland will be joining us on this trip. Forest was a co-rider on Alan's second coast-to-coast cycle ride across the USA in 2008. Both Forest & Dawn were also both in the party which took on the Girona villa in 2011. Obviously, we are hoping that some decent weather shows up for F & D to enjoy the glorious emptiness.

We drive up to Fort William, just to drop the car at the endstop, on March 18th, take the wonderful train journey back down to the start on March 19th and actually start walking on March 20th.