THE WEST HIGHLAND WAY
1/07/00 to 6/07/00
This walk is 93 miles long and starts in Milngavie (pronounced "Mullguy") just north of Glasgow and follows the shore of Loch Lomond, old military roads through Glen Falloch and Rannoch Moor to finish in Fort William. The terrain is fairly flat throughout apart from the climb over the Devils Staircase from Glencoe and the climb out of Kinlochleven.
We completed this walk in 6 days, backpacking throughout although most people take 7 or 8 days.
We left a car outside the Police Station in Milngavie which is a recognised thing to do, told the police of our intentions but they didn't feel it necessary to take any particulars about the car and as we left all they said was "Enjoy yourselves".
A train journey got us back to the car at the end of the walk.
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MILNGAVIE TO BALMAHA 17 miles 01/07/00
Started walking at 5.20am after an uncomfortable nights sleep in the car. Started at the official start outside the train station. Not long out of Milngavie we saw our first red deer and then the mountains in the distance, a foretaste of what was to come. Part of the way was on a disused railway line flanked by wild flowers of ragged robin, orchids and iris. There is a backpackers campsite in Garadh Ban Wood GR 453918 and had we known there was no food shop in Balmaha we would have walked the road through Drymen for supplies.
Came across the first of the no dogs sections over Conic Hill. This was easily overcome by taking the road route through Milton of Buchanan to Balmaha.
Camped at the Oak Tree pub in Balmaha which was expensive, £5 each, but a good hot shower was needed after a very hot long day. Alastair caught the bus back to Drymen for supplies.
Spent a lovely evening by the shore of Loch Lomond.
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BALMAHA TO ROWCHOISH BOTHY 10 miles 02/07/00
Walked all day with Loch Lomond to our left. Passed through two large campsites and was able to stock up on supplies which seem to be in short supply on this walk. We were glad we'd stocked up with packets of dried pasta before setting out. Stopped at Rowardennan for lunch where there is a hotel but we picniked overlooking the loch down by the jetty with Ben Lomond towering off to our right. There is a backpackers campsite at GR 359996 near Rowardennan Lodge.
The road finishes at Rowardennan and after Ptarmigan lodge there is a choice of routes, one taking a forestry track trudge for 3 miles or a lochside path which is the one we opted for. We made slow progress having to pick our way around tree roots, rocks and a few scrambles in between but it was pretty and we wanted to make sure we found Rowchoish Bothy which is just off this section.
Rowchoish Bothy was just perfect. A stone barn with wooden sleeping platform, fireplace, cooking utensils, and a few tables. It has been very well looked after and we did the same. Water we filtered with the Katadyn from the Loch and cooked up a meal partly on the open fire.
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ROWCHOISH BOTHY to near KIRTON FARM 15miles 03/07/00
Got packed up and tidied round the bothy before leaving having collected dry firewood for the next people to use. This mornings walking was similar to yesterday along the lochside route but gets easier after the Inversnaid Hotel. Another backpackers campsite is just north of Inversnaid at GR 356094. Stopped to take off leggings and fleeces and got the worst clouds of midges so far. Passed the Doune Bothy and looked in out of curiosity but it was not a patch on the Rowchoish Bothy. Very dark and untidy with some rubbish lying around. At the end of Loch Lomond the path climbed a little and we lunched on top of Cnap Mor overlooking the loch.
We now started the Glen Falloch section which we had been dreading due to having been told that dogs were not allowed on this part. We cautiously passed the campsite at Inverarnan and the farm at Derrydaroch but there were no signs to say no dogs so we just kept going. The first sign we saw was just after the sheep creep under the railway track where the path crossed the road. It read " No Dogs Even On a Lead". The alternative was a treacherous walk down the A82, so we decided an angry farmer was preferable to to busy traffic and ignored the sign. The whole No Dogs section was only 2 miles long and if we'd taken heed of advice to avoid it by taking the Inversnaid ferry then a train to Crainlarich we'd have missed about 8 miles of the most beautiful walking.
Alastair walked off the route into Crainlarich for supplies while I waited with the rucksacks then we had a lovely early evenings pine wood walk, with views to reach the backpackers site before Kirton farm by the wooden bridge on the west bank where the way crosses the river Fillan at GR 358280. Collected water from the river and had a terribly midgy night having to light repellent coils to keep them at bay.
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near KIRTON FARM to KINGSHOUSE 21 miles 04/07/00
Had a terrible time packing the tent up due to midges. Glad to get walking to keep them at bay. Walked past the Auchtertyre camping ground and after about another mile the campsite at Tyndrum. We got supplies from the campsite shop but then found the very well stocked "Brodies" grocery shop and got more. Todays walk was a long one and a lot of people break it up by staying at Bridge of Orchy or Inveroran. Inveroran has an unofficial campsite nearby, just ask at the hotel. The way follows more of the old military road and goes through open country side with mountains all around, the railway and A82 following closely until Bridge of Orchy.
Mam Carraigh is then climbed with superb views of Loch Tulla and Rannoch Moor. After Inveroran we lost the road again and crossed Rannoch Moor, beautifully bleak with wide views to the mountains. The Air Force were out giving us a display that afternoon. Finally came down to the Kingshouse hotel in Glencoe and pitched the tent in a permissive site down by the river. Very midgy again so we spent the evening in the pub just to get away from them:-)))Had a good bar meal here.
KINGSHOUSE to KINLOCHLEVEN 9 miles 05/07/00
Packed up quickly again and walked a mile from the campsite onto higher ground to have breakfast away from the midges. It had rained overnight and the mountains were shrouded in mist so as we climbed the Devils Staircase it was actually raining. At the top which is only 848 feet the route levels off for easy walking and the possibility of the first sighting of Ben Nevis had the weather been good. Stopped to eat winberrys along the way with views remeniscent of the alps.
There was a long steep descent into Kinlochleven a town dominated by the Aluminium Factory which had closed down only a week ago. This being a short days walk we finished at lunchtime and pitched the tent at the Macdonalds Hotel with hot showers and drying room. Not long after the midges found us and it rained on and off all day. A helicopter worked all afternoon carrying wooden poles and cement back an forth up and down the hillside. As walking was preferable to being eaten alive by midges we found two ladies in the church hall were serving tea and biscuits, shopped at the Co-Op and later got chips from the local fish and chip shop. Zipped ourselves into a midge free tent for the evening.
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KINLOCHLEVEN to FORT WILLIAM 14 miles 06/07/00
Again left early to be midge free for breakfast and climbed a mile up the hillside where there was a bit of a breeze to have breakfast. This again was lovely lonely countryside well away from habitation and roads. Passed by two tumbled down farmsteads on route. Walked through sheep pens into a wood which was not too enclosed. At a break in the wood close to a minor road we sat on a bench to take in the view. Back into the wood then out the other side, up a short climb and before the next woods we got our first sightings of Ben Nevis. The sun had come out but there was a little cloud on the summit.
More wood walking and on reaching a fence we took a detour to climb up onto Dun Deardail, an iron age vitrified hill fort. Stopped on top to have a picnic lunch overlooking Glen Nevis with views to Fort William. From here it didn't take long to walk to the Glen Nevis campsite, a very well fascilitated site, the cleanest we've been to in the whole of Britain and not expensive at £8.90p for 2 people with 1 small tent. We put the tent up to get rid of our rucksacks and did the final walk into Fort William and the official finish of the West Highland Way. Took the obligatory photos at the sign along with others finishing at the same time.
We enjoyed the walking but didn't get the same elation as we did when finishing Offas Dyke or The Coast to Coast, perhaps as it was such a short walk we were just getting into our stride after 6 days. The best was to come the next day when we climbed Ben Nevis as part of our Three Peaks Walk that we finished by the following weekend.