Challenge Day 6 Wednesday May 16

Today was basically a dry day. It tried to rain a few times but never came to anything.

Leaving King's House and Glencoe, we followed the track east, leaving the West Highland Way. After two miles, we came to Black Corries Lodge. There is now a signed footpath around it instead of going through the grounds. Not a problem. We rejoined the track and continued to its end at NN333549. The mountain views, particularly to the south all morning were beautiful, the tops facing north and east being snow covered. The track then abruptly became a path. We lost it very quickly, losing height gradually until we were closer to some water to the south. We moved uphill to where there was a line of telegraph poles in a line east and then found the path. It wasn't difficult to follow but it was muddy and boggy for much of its route and wet feet became the order of the day again.

Eventually, we entered a fenced forest area and a forest road. It was then a really nice forest walk, ending just before Rannoch Station. In the forest, I stopped to wring the water out of my socks. Frank and Bert went on ahead. Moving on, I came across some folk with four large dogs, fortunately restrained. When I caught up with the others, I was told that the dogs had been loose and one of them had gone for Bert, maybe not liking the look or smell of him (after all, we haven't had showers since Saturday night).

By Rannoch Station is the Moor of Rannoch Hotel. We'd been discussing what we'd have there. I fancied a pot of tea and a scone with jam and cream. It was closed.

From there it was an easy road walk to Bridge of Gaur, our day's end. Bert has been suffering from bad blisters for some time and they have been particularly bad today. He is thinking of getting a taxi to Blair Atholl to get himself sorted out, possibly with lightweight trail shoes. Frank and I will reach Blair Atholl the day after tomorrow.

Frank had been fantasising about finding a nice little B&B, but it was not to be. We have found a very quiet pitch just off route at NN502563 off a vehicle track by a burn, Allt an Fheadain. I've washed my feet in the burn. They feel really nice now but will have to wait for hot water to get rid of all the ingrained dirt.

We've walked 17.6 miles today. It's raining now but very half heartedly.

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A stop for elevenses

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Challenge Day 5 Tuesday May 15

I spent a surprisingly comfortable night, given the pitch. Before settling, I repositioned the tarp by moving it along about eighteen inches as I found I had a grassy clump where it was going to be uncomfortable. When I'd finished, the clump was my pillow and I slept diagonally.

We woke to sunshine and views of snowy mountain tops.

Our rather wet route took us east past Loch Dochard. We crossed Clashgour Bridge at NN418233, waded the Abhairn Shira south of Clashgour to follow the river bank and then a track to Forest Lodge where we joined the West Highland Way.

Clashgour Bridge

We just couldn't go wrong from here. The views all around were clear and stunning. Apart from a quick shower, the weather was kind to us all day. 

Victoria Bridge

We walked up the WHW for the best part of ten miles and are now camped by the King's House Hotel, a popular haunt of walkers, backpackers and climbers.

From Ba Bridge

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Challenge Day 4 Monday 14 May

We woke to more rain this morning but it held off while we packed away, but soon started again for the next hour as we walked through forest. Below a monument, our track and then road followed the route of an old military road into Dalmally. We had hoped to have coffee at a hotel there but it was still closed for the winter. However, as we joined the main road we saw a snack van and had superb bacon and egg rolls and coffee.

Glen Orchy church; Stob Diamh in the distance

 Crossing the bridge over the River Orchy, we took the road to the foot of Glen Strae, following this for a mile before heading north on a wet, indistinct path through the Lairig Dhoireann, climbing steadily for about one and a half miles to the bealach below Meall Copagach.

There was then a long descent into Glen Kinglass and then a search for the bridge over the River Kinglass. We crossed the bridge (out of our way) at NN133357 but the one at NN144362 would have been quicker.    
We then followed the vehicle track along the foot of the glen past Glenkinglass Lodge and then beyond on a clear track. We're pitched on some rough ground by the bridge at Innseag na h-luraich NN402185. At least the water's plentiful with the river close by.

Apart from the odd shower, much better weather than yesterday.
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Lunch stop before going over the top

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Challenge Day 3 Sunday 13 May

The weather forecast for today was incessant rain and so it proved to be. However, we first fortified ourselves with a Full Scottish Breakfast at Brambles which opened at 8.30 prompt. It was first class and washed down with excellent coffee. A place to be recommended (and they do B&B).

We started the day's walk, in the rain, through the grounds of Inveraray Castle which avoided road walking. At the head of Loch Shira, we headed north east along a track on the west side of Glen Shira with forest on our left and the small Dubh Loch and then pasture on our right. We eventually wanted to be on the other side of the glen. There are four bridges along its length. We took the second one by Kilblaan to meet the road on the east side of the glen.

Twinkles having a tinkle

We then followed the road, turning left where there was a bridge over the Brannie Burn. 

The road, which was virtually traffic free, took us up to Lochan Shira reservoir. We passed by the power station below the dam. We'd been with Ian Cotterill thus far but he left us by the dam to follow a track east. We went west and then north, first along a concrete slab track for nearly a mile and when this came to an end, we were able to see two masts at Bealach nan Cabrach which we wanted to head for about a mile away. There was no path and we splashed across the open moorland. Once we were as wet below the knees as we could be, yet more wet made no difference.

The masts in the distance

... and then close up

Upon reaching the masts, where the wind was gale force and the rain horizontal, we went downhill on a vehicle track, eventually passing into forest. We are camped just off the forest track in a glade. It's still raining. The ground is quite soggy but we're very sheltered, as long as no trees come down in the night.

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Challenge Day 2 12 May

Woke up to a lovely clear sunny morning. We were away by 8.45 and were soon following a clear path through forest, wet and muddy in parts but at least no chance of anything knee deep. There was tree felling going on. No chain saws now. Instead, a man sits in a JCB-like cab of a machine which grasps a tree, severs it at just above ground level, then scrapes a section at a time of brash and cuts it so that a tree is cut into maybe four clean logs. It was fascinating to watch.

Cleared forest on the way to Furnace

Double bridge near Furnace

We stopped briefly at the Furnace Inn and then followed the path alongside the north of Loch Fyne. The weather of this morning continued all day.

Loch Fyne

Our companion for much of the day was Ian Cotterill. We went for a meal at The George at Inverary which was heaving. Frank had earlier mentioned having a loose tooth. It came out during the meal and went flying. The hotel staff provided a torch and we scrabbled around under the table looking for it. We thought we'd found it but it was an orange pip. He tried it for size but rejected it. Shame, as it looked much healthier than the tooth itself, which we found a minute or so later. Maybe the tooth fairy will come tonight.

George Hotel, Inverary

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