Crianlarich to Tyndrum

June 3:  Another day of great weather and easy walking for most of us.  The hike was a little over 7 miles and a bit more than 1,000 feet of elevation gain.  The paths were well graded and even.  We arrived at the Tyndrum Inn before 3 pm, after a lengthy stop at a campground/farm about 2 miles from Tyndrum.  We had drinks, visited with other walkers, and fed grass to 2 bunnies and 2 guinea pigs in a cage.  Tyndrum is another gateway to the highlands, with more amenities, including a big shop full of Scottish souvenirs and camping supplies.

Most of our walk was through planted forests of larch.  The first half was up and over hills; the second half was along the St. Fillan River,  the A82 autoroute, and railroad tracks.  We had good views of several 'munros' - those are mountains or 'bens' that are over 3,000 ft high.  We also passed some farms with new lambs, a couple of nice stone bridges over the river, the Holy Pool (a wide, slow part of the river that is believed to cure insanity - "we would be crazy not to visit it."  I baptized myself with a few drops of water and am now sane),  a 'kettlepool' Lochan (or 'The Loch of the Legend of the Lost Sword' - where Robert the Bruce's sword is reported to reside; circa 1317), a battlefield where Robert the Bruce was defeated, and some barren ground of a lead smelter area, where nothing has grown for over 150 years.

Three of our party (Jan, Kathy and Ron) hiked a diversion up a munro of about 3,500 feet, north of the WHW route.  As of 5:40 pm, they have just arrived at the inn, fatigued and suntanned.