June 8: Today, our next to the last day on the WHW, the hike extended about 10 miles (it was suppose to be 8 1/2 miles) up the Devil's Staircase and down into the River Leven Valley to the 'industrial town' of Kinlochleven (think a 'factory town with the factory shutdown'). We ascended over 2,200 vertical feet, reaching the highest point on all of the WHW (about 1,900 feet). The first 2 miles of the hike was along the A82 road at the head of the Glencoe Valley, then we turned away from the road climbing up the Devil's Staircase to the high point. The staircase was not as bad as its name - there were even a few switchbacks that made the uphill parts easier, and is thought to have been named by English soldiers who had to drag cannon and other military armaments up the hillside. The views back into the valley were grand, with the clouds burning off during the morning.
We next had some downhill and then a grand traverse along the south side of the Leven Valley, with a view of the Blackwater Reservoir, which feeds a powerplant in Kinlochleven that was originally used for aluminum smelting. The plant is still operating (it has 5 of the original 11 double Pelton turbines and DC generators remaining; its original capacity was 23 megawatts), though the aluminum smelter is gone. In one of the old buildings on the aluminum smelter grounds, there is the Ice Climbing Center of Scotland, with an actual 14-meter high, indoor ice wall. We visited it after climbing down to just about 100 feet elevation along a steep jeep track and occasionally beside 8 penstocks. I estimated that the penstocks, which feed the powerhouse, were over 1,000 of head.
We checked in to a very nice B&B with good Wifi, showered and gathered at the best pub in town - The Highland Getaway. We sat outside on an upper deck with a full view of the river. As the temperature dropped, we moved indoors and enjoyed a pub dinner. We strolled back to the B&B to get prepared for our longest walking day on the Way - 14 to 16 miles, our final day into Ft. William.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Rest Day in Kingshouse; Trip to Glencoe
June 7: We had a leisurely breakfast since it was a rest day, and most of our group took a taxi to Glencoe on the coast for the day. Betsy and I stayed behind and did a little photo editing before going for a walk on the edge of Rannoch Moor. This moor, of about 50 square miles, is the largest uninhabited area of the UK. Betsy saw a book that suggested that Rannoch Moor is "one of 500 natural areas everyone should see in their lifetime." We walked along a gravel track up from Kings House Hotel about 2 miles past a variety of streams, moors, lochans and bogs. We found a mole trap on a log across a stream (definitely a trap, possibly for moles since we saw one later nearby), flesh-eating plants - the sundew and butterwort alongside some pools (bogs), and some great views of the hills. It was pleasant and peaceful, even though we watched several thunderstorms growing to the west and south of us and fully expected to be rained on. However, all of the storms passed by us.
Mid-afternoon, we took a taxi to Ballachulish , the town next to the Village of Glencoe, to catch up with the rest of our group. We met up at Laroch Pub and Restaurant, then Betsy and I strolled through a historic slate mine, then to the seaside ,and finally around the town. The slate mine operated up until 1950s and its quarry pond was being used for introductory kayaking lessons. We saw a group of youngsters doing drills to get comfortable in their sea kayaks, including standing up and singing "head, shoulders, knees and toes." The seaside had a few remnant shacks made of stacked slates, that were used by 4 men to shape slate - a sign said that they could produce over 100,000 roof slates in a year.
We had drinks with the gang, first outside, then inside because of rain, and then moved to the restaurant area. The food was fantastic -- featuring fresh seafood -- and creatively prepared. We shared starters of a goat cheese salad with apples, pears, hazelnuts and little wild blackberries, and seared Isle of Mull scallops with cauliflower puree, capers and golden raisin dressing. Betsy had mussels with cider and parsley veloute, and I had baked cod with pomme puree, wilted spinach, broad beans and shellfish fricasse. By the time we left, it was raining hard. Eight of us squeezed into a taxi and rode the 12 miles back to Kingshouse, passing the Three Sisters (mountains), Hidden Valley (a trail into mountains), and the access road to a valley containing a manor house used in the filming of Skyfall, a recent James Bond movie. It was mostly dry at our hotel, but the river behind the hotel was almost overspilling its banks.
Mid-afternoon, we took a taxi to Ballachulish , the town next to the Village of Glencoe, to catch up with the rest of our group. We met up at Laroch Pub and Restaurant, then Betsy and I strolled through a historic slate mine, then to the seaside ,and finally around the town. The slate mine operated up until 1950s and its quarry pond was being used for introductory kayaking lessons. We saw a group of youngsters doing drills to get comfortable in their sea kayaks, including standing up and singing "head, shoulders, knees and toes." The seaside had a few remnant shacks made of stacked slates, that were used by 4 men to shape slate - a sign said that they could produce over 100,000 roof slates in a year.
We had drinks with the gang, first outside, then inside because of rain, and then moved to the restaurant area. The food was fantastic -- featuring fresh seafood -- and creatively prepared. We shared starters of a goat cheese salad with apples, pears, hazelnuts and little wild blackberries, and seared Isle of Mull scallops with cauliflower puree, capers and golden raisin dressing. Betsy had mussels with cider and parsley veloute, and I had baked cod with pomme puree, wilted spinach, broad beans and shellfish fricasse. By the time we left, it was raining hard. Eight of us squeezed into a taxi and rode the 12 miles back to Kingshouse, passing the Three Sisters (mountains), Hidden Valley (a trail into mountains), and the access road to a valley containing a manor house used in the filming of Skyfall, a recent James Bond movie. It was mostly dry at our hotel, but the river behind the hotel was almost overspilling its banks.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Some Photos
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| The Bunkhouse |
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| Dinner in Crainlarich |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Oban Harbor |
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| Oban Distillery and McCraig's Tower |
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| Bridge of Orchy |
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| A Munro |
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| A typical hillside |
Catchup - Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse
June 3 (cont). Dinner was at the inn. Betsy treated the upcoming birthday people (Carolyn, Ron and me) with presents. We were each given a 4 oz. flask, flexible plastic with a canvas cover, with a pithy saying on each one – mine says “Love Potion #9.” They were carried all the way from Portland in anticipation of the rest-day trip to Oban and the Oban Distillery.
June 4: Rest Day. We had a great day trip to Oban on the train, about 35 miles west of Tyndrum, from Tyndrum Lower Station. (There is a Tyndrum Upper Station; trains passing this station go north to Ft. William.) We caught the 8:35 am train and managed to squeeze into a nearly full train (only 2 cars long), for the hour long ride to Oban. We all had individual seats that put us in contact with a wide variety of other passengers traveling to Oban. I sat opposite a father and son (Scots) who were taking a weekend bicycle tour on the Isle of Mull and Iona, and next to a young doctor. We talked the whole way to Oban.
Oban is on the coast; a few islands separate it from the Irish Sea. It is famous for its Whisky distillery, McCaig’s Tower, and Dunollie Castle and Farm. Our group broke up and went different ways, though 5 of us arranged a tour of the distillery. We walked up the hill to see the tower first, a round, double-tiered, rock-arched structure built in the 1880s to put local stonemasons to work.
We next took an hour-long, informative, tour of the distillery. Up to the distillation process, whisky (note, the Scots drop the ‘e’ when spelling whiskey) is produced just like brewing beer. The distillation process boils off the alcohol from the water and thereby increases its concentration. This is done twice to produce ‘raw whisky’ with alcohol concentration of 70%. It is then put into casks made of white oak, purchased from Tennessee and Kentucky bourbon manufacturers, and aged for 14 years. Some of the alcohol evaporates during this period, which is called the “angels’ share” yielding about 55% alcohol. Ionized water is added to bring the final product to 40% or 80 proof. The other interesting fact about this whisky is how the four special aroma or flavors are imparted to the whisky from this distillery. The flavors are smoke, orange peel, sea salt, and honey. The smoky flavor comes from the peat used to dry to the malted barley. Orange peel comes from the larch wood used to make the fermentation vats. The sea salt comes in during the ageing process as some of the alcohol evaporates from the casks. And the honey comes from the white oak wood casks.
We had a taste at the end of the tour and it was surprisingly good. Ron and I bought a small bottle to share and fill our newly acquired birthday flasks.
After the tour, we walked the waterfront out to the Castle, arriving just as it was closing. Note, Dennis and Leslie reported that the adjacent house was full of artifacts and furnishings going back many years. This is the clan headquarters for the MacDougal family, I think.
We walked back toward the center of town, stopped at a local pub for drinks, and then had a delicious dinner at EE USK, which is gaelic for ‘fish.’ They offered fresh local seafood, including langoustines, mussels, and crabs in various presentations. We caught an 8:36 pm train back to Tyndrum, which we had pretty much to ourselves. We spread out and watched the scenery.
June 5: Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy. We had an easy walk from Tyndrum to the Bridge of Orchy, on an old military and drover’s road. The English military built the roads system initially to move troops efficiently after the Jacobite Rebellion and the roads were later used to move cattle and sheep to markets in the lowlands. The towns we have been staying in were founded to serve the drovers. The walk was just under 7 miles in length and had little elevation gain, although the sun was intense. We arrived shortly after noon.
After an hour break and rehydration, Jan, Ron and I walked up to a saddle between several ‘bens,’ which are called ‘munros’ since they are over 3,000 feet high. I went no further than the saddle at 2,400 feet. Ron hiked with Jan up to the highest peak. and Jan summited several more peaks by herself. We each walked down the steep, rocky slope on our own. Note: trail engineering in this country is pretty simple – straight up, straight down. Switchbacks or contouring is a waste, I guess. The views were stupendous with mountains in all directions. Except for the forest plantations (tree farms), the hills are treeless, but covered in grasses, heather and moss. Scattered boulders tumble down from the craggy mountain sides.
The rest of the group hung out at the hotel, seeking shade, until our rooms were ready. This hotel also has a traditional looking main building and 3 rows of modern attached guest rooms. The rooms seem well designed, with room for hiking boots and backpacks. However, the bathrooms have motion sensitive lights – a mixed blessing, since they stay on quite a while and will probably be blinding in the middle of the night. The views include bare bens to the east and west, forested lower slopes, and the River Orchy, with low granite ledges creating scenic water falls and pools. Other hikers and tourists were picnicking and wading in the water while we idled away the afternoon.
We did our usual stuff before dinner, had drinks in the bar, and then dinner – more good food, and discussed our plans for tomorrow. We have a 12-mile section to Kinghouse, with some elevation gain. The weather was hot today and is forecast for the same tomorrow.
June 6: We had a long hike of over 12 miles today, with about 1,500 feet of elevation gain, so we started early. Carolyn and Tom left Bridge of Orchy at 6:30 am; the rest of us left after breakfast around 8:00 am. (The hotel provided a very good breakfast, with berries, fruit smoothies, and choices of smoked salmon, smoked haddock or kippers.) The walking route was on old military and drover roads mostly, after reaching Inveroran with hotel, manor house, and glassy loch.
The hike went first through a “forest plantation” of Sitka spruce trees. This and many other plantations were planted in the 1960s and 70s with a tree that was easy to grow and low cost. Sitka spruce, from North America, fit the bill but as such things usually go, they proved to have ecological impacts – pests arise, wildlife shun them because no light reaches the forest floor so nothing else grows, and they release acid rain during downpours to the streams, killing small fish and invertebrates. Scotland was covered with forests when the Romans came but now only has something like 14% forest cover (up from 4% in 1900). The original forests were oak and Scots pine. The spruce plantations were supported as a tax shelter for wealthy investors. There is an effort to take out the monoculture conifer plantations and replace them with more native, mixed trees.
We skirted the western end of Loch Tulla, with a country estate known as Black Mount. The estate is owned by the Fleming family; Peter Fleming died here in 1971. He was a travel writer and the older brother of Ian Fleming of James Bond novels fame.
We then climbed very gradually along the shoulder of Black Mount, with its many munros. The sunshine blasted our backsides for most of the morning. We passed plantations that provided welcome shade on a hot day and crossed numerous small streams, stopping by one to wet our hats, shirts, and bandanas. The mountainsides above the route were rocky, steep and very rugged. We reached a high point on the hike today at 1,460 feet a little after 9 miles and stopped for lunch. As we came around a corner, we could see our destination, Kingshouse, and had a view over the Rannoch Moor. The moor, at 50 square miles, is the largest uninhabited wilderness in Britain and home of diverse wildlife and two flesh-eating plants – sundews and butterwort.
We also passed the access road to the Glencoe ski resort with its chair lifts up Meall a’ Bhuiridh. The most spectacular mountain that marks the beginning of Glen Coe Valley is Stob Dearg, with near vertical rock sides and numerous avalanche chutes. We arrived at Kings House Hotel, in the middle of the glen, at about 1:30, checked in, and immediately began planning our rest day activities while ‘re-hydrating.’ About 2 pm, the gathering clouds erupted into a thunderstorm, with the first rain we have seen in week. It didn’t last long but we were happy to be inside.
Kings House is another historic pub and inn, with a warren of guest rooms upstairs and multiple public spaces (2 bars, dining room, and “residents” lounge on the ground floor. There were several ‘hospitality’ deer on duty when we arrived. The inn looks like it will be a good place to spend two nights. Dinner was a bit slow regarding service, but food was good. Betsy arranged a bottle of Moet champagne for everyone and sticky toffee pudding with ice cream for me. The waiters even included a a tea candle. It was a grand birthday.
June 4: Rest Day. We had a great day trip to Oban on the train, about 35 miles west of Tyndrum, from Tyndrum Lower Station. (There is a Tyndrum Upper Station; trains passing this station go north to Ft. William.) We caught the 8:35 am train and managed to squeeze into a nearly full train (only 2 cars long), for the hour long ride to Oban. We all had individual seats that put us in contact with a wide variety of other passengers traveling to Oban. I sat opposite a father and son (Scots) who were taking a weekend bicycle tour on the Isle of Mull and Iona, and next to a young doctor. We talked the whole way to Oban.
Oban is on the coast; a few islands separate it from the Irish Sea. It is famous for its Whisky distillery, McCaig’s Tower, and Dunollie Castle and Farm. Our group broke up and went different ways, though 5 of us arranged a tour of the distillery. We walked up the hill to see the tower first, a round, double-tiered, rock-arched structure built in the 1880s to put local stonemasons to work.
We next took an hour-long, informative, tour of the distillery. Up to the distillation process, whisky (note, the Scots drop the ‘e’ when spelling whiskey) is produced just like brewing beer. The distillation process boils off the alcohol from the water and thereby increases its concentration. This is done twice to produce ‘raw whisky’ with alcohol concentration of 70%. It is then put into casks made of white oak, purchased from Tennessee and Kentucky bourbon manufacturers, and aged for 14 years. Some of the alcohol evaporates during this period, which is called the “angels’ share” yielding about 55% alcohol. Ionized water is added to bring the final product to 40% or 80 proof. The other interesting fact about this whisky is how the four special aroma or flavors are imparted to the whisky from this distillery. The flavors are smoke, orange peel, sea salt, and honey. The smoky flavor comes from the peat used to dry to the malted barley. Orange peel comes from the larch wood used to make the fermentation vats. The sea salt comes in during the ageing process as some of the alcohol evaporates from the casks. And the honey comes from the white oak wood casks.
We had a taste at the end of the tour and it was surprisingly good. Ron and I bought a small bottle to share and fill our newly acquired birthday flasks.
After the tour, we walked the waterfront out to the Castle, arriving just as it was closing. Note, Dennis and Leslie reported that the adjacent house was full of artifacts and furnishings going back many years. This is the clan headquarters for the MacDougal family, I think.
We walked back toward the center of town, stopped at a local pub for drinks, and then had a delicious dinner at EE USK, which is gaelic for ‘fish.’ They offered fresh local seafood, including langoustines, mussels, and crabs in various presentations. We caught an 8:36 pm train back to Tyndrum, which we had pretty much to ourselves. We spread out and watched the scenery.
June 5: Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy. We had an easy walk from Tyndrum to the Bridge of Orchy, on an old military and drover’s road. The English military built the roads system initially to move troops efficiently after the Jacobite Rebellion and the roads were later used to move cattle and sheep to markets in the lowlands. The towns we have been staying in were founded to serve the drovers. The walk was just under 7 miles in length and had little elevation gain, although the sun was intense. We arrived shortly after noon.
After an hour break and rehydration, Jan, Ron and I walked up to a saddle between several ‘bens,’ which are called ‘munros’ since they are over 3,000 feet high. I went no further than the saddle at 2,400 feet. Ron hiked with Jan up to the highest peak. and Jan summited several more peaks by herself. We each walked down the steep, rocky slope on our own. Note: trail engineering in this country is pretty simple – straight up, straight down. Switchbacks or contouring is a waste, I guess. The views were stupendous with mountains in all directions. Except for the forest plantations (tree farms), the hills are treeless, but covered in grasses, heather and moss. Scattered boulders tumble down from the craggy mountain sides.
The rest of the group hung out at the hotel, seeking shade, until our rooms were ready. This hotel also has a traditional looking main building and 3 rows of modern attached guest rooms. The rooms seem well designed, with room for hiking boots and backpacks. However, the bathrooms have motion sensitive lights – a mixed blessing, since they stay on quite a while and will probably be blinding in the middle of the night. The views include bare bens to the east and west, forested lower slopes, and the River Orchy, with low granite ledges creating scenic water falls and pools. Other hikers and tourists were picnicking and wading in the water while we idled away the afternoon.
We did our usual stuff before dinner, had drinks in the bar, and then dinner – more good food, and discussed our plans for tomorrow. We have a 12-mile section to Kinghouse, with some elevation gain. The weather was hot today and is forecast for the same tomorrow.
June 6: We had a long hike of over 12 miles today, with about 1,500 feet of elevation gain, so we started early. Carolyn and Tom left Bridge of Orchy at 6:30 am; the rest of us left after breakfast around 8:00 am. (The hotel provided a very good breakfast, with berries, fruit smoothies, and choices of smoked salmon, smoked haddock or kippers.) The walking route was on old military and drover roads mostly, after reaching Inveroran with hotel, manor house, and glassy loch.
The hike went first through a “forest plantation” of Sitka spruce trees. This and many other plantations were planted in the 1960s and 70s with a tree that was easy to grow and low cost. Sitka spruce, from North America, fit the bill but as such things usually go, they proved to have ecological impacts – pests arise, wildlife shun them because no light reaches the forest floor so nothing else grows, and they release acid rain during downpours to the streams, killing small fish and invertebrates. Scotland was covered with forests when the Romans came but now only has something like 14% forest cover (up from 4% in 1900). The original forests were oak and Scots pine. The spruce plantations were supported as a tax shelter for wealthy investors. There is an effort to take out the monoculture conifer plantations and replace them with more native, mixed trees.
We skirted the western end of Loch Tulla, with a country estate known as Black Mount. The estate is owned by the Fleming family; Peter Fleming died here in 1971. He was a travel writer and the older brother of Ian Fleming of James Bond novels fame.
We then climbed very gradually along the shoulder of Black Mount, with its many munros. The sunshine blasted our backsides for most of the morning. We passed plantations that provided welcome shade on a hot day and crossed numerous small streams, stopping by one to wet our hats, shirts, and bandanas. The mountainsides above the route were rocky, steep and very rugged. We reached a high point on the hike today at 1,460 feet a little after 9 miles and stopped for lunch. As we came around a corner, we could see our destination, Kingshouse, and had a view over the Rannoch Moor. The moor, at 50 square miles, is the largest uninhabited wilderness in Britain and home of diverse wildlife and two flesh-eating plants – sundews and butterwort.
We also passed the access road to the Glencoe ski resort with its chair lifts up Meall a’ Bhuiridh. The most spectacular mountain that marks the beginning of Glen Coe Valley is Stob Dearg, with near vertical rock sides and numerous avalanche chutes. We arrived at Kings House Hotel, in the middle of the glen, at about 1:30, checked in, and immediately began planning our rest day activities while ‘re-hydrating.’ About 2 pm, the gathering clouds erupted into a thunderstorm, with the first rain we have seen in week. It didn’t last long but we were happy to be inside.
Kings House is another historic pub and inn, with a warren of guest rooms upstairs and multiple public spaces (2 bars, dining room, and “residents” lounge on the ground floor. There were several ‘hospitality’ deer on duty when we arrived. The inn looks like it will be a good place to spend two nights. Dinner was a bit slow regarding service, but food was good. Betsy arranged a bottle of Moet champagne for everyone and sticky toffee pudding with ice cream for me. The waiters even included a a tea candle. It was a grand birthday.
Friday, June 3, 2016
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.
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.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Inverarnan to Crianlarich
June 2: Today was an easy day at a little over 7 miles, on good, well-graded trails with a few gradual ascents. So, Jan, Kathy, Ron and I had to make it more difficult by climbing up a side hill to a high point overlooking the valley that the trail ran through. We added about 500 vertical feet to our day's total and had to pick our way down through grasses, bracken, marshy ground, and a few half hidden rocks. It was fun and didn't add very much distance. Unfortunately, we didn't see any wildlife except a 3-inch lizard and a few sheep with lambs (not wild).
The weather continues to be "brilliant," one of our new Scottish words. The other one that has stuck is "complete rubbish" which we heard spoken by a tour guide at Edinburgh when describing the movie Braveheart. Anyway, we walked today in clear skies and bright sunshine, with a strong enough breeze to keep the midges at bay. No rain in the forecast for a few more days.
After arriving in Crianlarich, we had to wait to get into our B&B and for our luggage, giving us time to rehydrate at the Rod and Reel Pub. Crianlarich is a wide spot in the road where 2 highways and a railway line meet. It's a gateway into the Scottish Highlands so gets lots of tourist traffic.
We cleaned up, went for drinks at the Ben More Inn, got a brief Scotch whiskey lesson, then walked back into town to the Crianlarich Best Western Hotel restaurant. Lamb shanks (well cooked and very tender) were the popular choice for dinner, although Phil had baked salmon and Betsy had a tart of roast vegetables. We had a cute, young waitress, who was very good at marketing, and talked us into a round of desserts. She sold us on a trio of ice creams - Irn Bru, tablet and mint chocolate chip. The first two are obviously Scottish flavours that were subtly distinct and hard to describe. Apple crumble was also a favorite.
The weather continues to be "brilliant," one of our new Scottish words. The other one that has stuck is "complete rubbish" which we heard spoken by a tour guide at Edinburgh when describing the movie Braveheart. Anyway, we walked today in clear skies and bright sunshine, with a strong enough breeze to keep the midges at bay. No rain in the forecast for a few more days.
After arriving in Crianlarich, we had to wait to get into our B&B and for our luggage, giving us time to rehydrate at the Rod and Reel Pub. Crianlarich is a wide spot in the road where 2 highways and a railway line meet. It's a gateway into the Scottish Highlands so gets lots of tourist traffic.
We cleaned up, went for drinks at the Ben More Inn, got a brief Scotch whiskey lesson, then walked back into town to the Crianlarich Best Western Hotel restaurant. Lamb shanks (well cooked and very tender) were the popular choice for dinner, although Phil had baked salmon and Betsy had a tart of roast vegetables. We had a cute, young waitress, who was very good at marketing, and talked us into a round of desserts. She sold us on a trio of ice creams - Irn Bru, tablet and mint chocolate chip. The first two are obviously Scottish flavours that were subtly distinct and hard to describe. Apple crumble was also a favorite.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
The "toughest" part of the Way
May 31 (continued): Dinner proved to be quite good, with great service. Most folks had starters of either cauliflower
soup or smoked salmon salad, and our main courses included chicken salads,
penne pasta, chickpea “madras,” and beef stew.
Only Betsy ordered dessert, which was sort of odd but tasty – crumbled oatmeal,
cream and raspberries. The server was
unflustered by our group, even though the ‘nave’ was full.
After dinner, I walked to Whitney/West’s and Schmidt’s lodgings at a
farm about 1/3 of mile further up the road.
The owners have free-range chickens, two pigs in a pasture, a friendly
dog, and are fostering a Canada Goose gosling, who follows the owners around
and sleeps beside their bed. I wandered
back to the Inversnaid Bunkhouse and crashed.
Tomorrow is forecast to be tougher, with more undulating, rocky, and
tree-rooted trails.
June 1: Today’s hike was a
bit challenging but I thought easier than the guidebook’s warnings. We had an early start from the bunkhouse, as
did everyone else who was staying there.
There was not enough space for breakfast – everyone showed up when the
dining room opened at 7:30. We picked up
pack lunches and walked the ¾ miles back to down to the loch side and the Way
trail. From there, we hiked a total of 7
miles from Inversnaid to Inverarnan, mostly along the side of Loch Lomond. We went by Rob Roy MacGregor’s cave. Rob Roy was Scotland’s version of Robin Hood
and known for cattle rustling. After
acquiring lots of land, he became something of an outlaw and consequently used
the cave as a hideout. It was a bit of
scramble to get to the entrance and we decided not to explore inside the
cave. Except for a little undulations
and lots of stepping carefully over rocks, the hike was quite pleasant along
the water.
We had warm, sunny weather all day and great views across Loch
Lomond. One other interesting note - we
passed the powerhouse for the Sloy Hydroelectric Plant, the largest powerhouse
in Scotland. It has 277 meters of head
and total installed capacity of 152 megawatts.
About 1½ miles from Inverarnan, we left Loch Lomond for the final
time, climbing over a saddle and into the valley of the Falloch River.
We reached Beinglas Farm, our accommodations for the night, at 1:30 pm and re-hydrated (beer and soda). The rooms were not ready for check in until about 3. And very nice rooms they are. I am sitting on a deck, having tea and gazing into the green hills while writing this, with a gentle breeze blowing. The washing has been done.
For dinner, we walked over to the historic Drover's Inn, built in 1705. The saying about the inn is that '"everyone has a story to tell about the Drover's Inn." Our dinner was uneventful, so no stories to tell.
We walked back through the idyllic valley surrounded by the mountains, in glorious sunshine. The weather we are having is just remarkable. We got Magnum ice cream bars at the camp shop (the inn we are staying at serves tent campers, too) and watched the sun set.
Tomorrow should be an easy walk of just over 7 miles along a much tamer path.
We reached Beinglas Farm, our accommodations for the night, at 1:30 pm and re-hydrated (beer and soda). The rooms were not ready for check in until about 3. And very nice rooms they are. I am sitting on a deck, having tea and gazing into the green hills while writing this, with a gentle breeze blowing. The washing has been done.
For dinner, we walked over to the historic Drover's Inn, built in 1705. The saying about the inn is that '"everyone has a story to tell about the Drover's Inn." Our dinner was uneventful, so no stories to tell.
We walked back through the idyllic valley surrounded by the mountains, in glorious sunshine. The weather we are having is just remarkable. We got Magnum ice cream bars at the camp shop (the inn we are staying at serves tent campers, too) and watched the sun set.
Tomorrow should be an easy walk of just over 7 miles along a much tamer path.
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