Walk and Flop on the WHW

Friday past Anne drove me up to Milngavie to start me off on the West Highland Way.

It was a bit spur of the moment decision, I decided to bivvy out eating at hotels or cafes on route and flopping down when the light gave out around 9pm.


Day one.
Nice start through Mugdock park, a lovely place for a couple of hours stroll.
Nice steak pie in Drymen, and worst part of the day was sudden aching feet after cooling them in Mar Burn (Conic Hill).
Lovely cool beer at Blamaha and Rowardenan plus a few nippy sweeties after 25 miles of walking left me with a bit of a hangover next morning, climbing out of the bivvy bag with a headache wasn't much fun.

Day2
Loch Lomond side was very pleasant, Glen Falloch was boring and it rained from Crianlarich to Tyndrum, I took a room to avoid bivvying in the wet.
27miles walked and definitely a low day.

Day3
Fabulous day, Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy a Kingshouse food stop (more beer and steak pie), over The Devils Staircase, then got aching feet after another dip in a burn (I'll need to avoid feet dipping in the future).
It's a long way down to Kilnlochleven and a food stop (beer with chicken pie this time), walked another few miles to clock up 32miles, bivvied in Lairigmor under a beautiful clear sky.

Day4
Nice 11 miles walk through mature pines with lots of bird song filling the air, into Fort William, enjoyed a full breakfast and some window shopping at Nevis Sport before catching the midday train home.

Final highlight was the train journey back to Glasgow over Rannoch moor and along beside the lochs, just wonderful!

Best bit of the WHW is from Bridge of Orchy to Fort William making a nice two day hike and scenic return by train, may take Anne there sometime, although it's not an easy two days at 20 and 15 miles.

Photos of the trip here.