We woke up to the sound of our alarms at the crack of dawn – Day 5 had arrived! The longest day on the Way with 19 miles until our next bed was filling us with a large dose of excitement and a tiny bit of dread. I don’t think either of us had ever covered such a distance before in a single day? We had no doubt we could do it but nevertheless took extra precautions aka leaving as early as we could and covering the sensitive parts of our feet in tape!
Our B&B hosts were the absolute warmest and dearest and fed us the most delicious breakfast we would have all week. From muesli to just caught trout and freshly baked scones, we filled our bellies and chatted with the other early risers about the road ahead. The hosts mentioned how just last week they had a snow storm (April is crazy unpredictable indeed!) so we truly felt the nature gods were smiling on us this week. Yes, it was yet another incredibly gorgeous morning….
We made a good start just after 7am under crazy blue skies and quickly crossed the village stream.
The last house in Tyndrum had beautiful wood carved statues lined up along the Way, bidding us adieu and wishing us good luck I’m sure of it.
Once out of the village, the stunning scenery quickly emerged. The invigorating morning air and worn cobbled military road we were following made for a pretty fast stride.
The mountains were surrounding us on all sides, taking varying shades of green as the sun started to rise. Straight ahead was the conical shape of Beinn Dorain (3529 ft) getting increasingly bigger as we followed the valley.
Finally out of the shade, a small stone bridge connected the Way to a wide track we’d follow until the Bridge of Orchy.
It was a peaceful, bucolic morning…
… with the surprise apparition of the Fort William to Glasgow train speeding by in the opposite direction. This West Highland Line is known to be the most scenic rail journey in Scotland, and some even say the world! Next time, I was glad to be walking it. 🙂
Bridge of Orchy
After a few hours we arrived at Bridge of Orchy which consists mainly of a single, imposing hotel, a bunkhouse, a few camping pods and a railway station.
Crossing of the River Orchy on the eponymous bridge only took a few seconds but the views on both sides deserved at least a few minutes to take in.
Looking back at the easy morning walk as the clock hit 10am, we didn’t linger for too long admiring the iconic bridge. The “superb and challenging” next 13-mile stretch lay just ahead of us and it was going up, up, up…
We climbed steadily away from Bridge of Orchy through a plantation to reach a small and scenic ridge.
The gain in elevation and tree clearing gave us glimpses of the vast wilderness beyond.
A small cairn requiring a few extra steps marked the spot for some of the finest views of the entire Way and possibly Scotland.
Such rewards don’t come around often so I took my time to admire the panorama made up of Loch Tulla, Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount.
Black Mount is the name of the mountain range in the background as well as of the impressive Victorian Lodge you can see in the bottom right. Interesting fact – the lodge is owned by the Fleming family, yes of James Bond fame.
A short and very pleasant descent (views like these tend to quiet down your creaking knees and squished toes) slowly brought us down to the valley floor once more.
Inveroran
Unmissable, the stark contrast of the white Inveroran Hotel with the otherwise uninhabited landscape acted like a beacon for the weary walkers.
The tranquil hotel setting by the stream was perfect to break for an early lunch. While the outdoor bar wasn’t open (what?!), we had free use of the picnic tables and most importantly restrooms.
We all knew and had read the notes – this was the last stop for a piece of civilization/shelter/food before we were to venture out into Scotland’s true wilderness for the rest of the afternoon.
Fed and mentally prepared, we embarked on what is arguably the most scenic and wildest section of the West Highland Way. Leaving Inveroran was easy enough along a paved road for a few minutes before the Way joined an old cobbled track.
A fine stone Forest Lodge marked the end of the public road and the beginning of our long and slow ascent.
Into wild moorland – the crossing of Rannoch Moor
We were properly on Black Mount now, a rising high moorland between large mountains to our left and the vast expanse of Rannoch Moor to our right.
We were to follow this track for the next 10 miles across this desolate landscape – the Way’s remotest and wildest landscape. Rannoch Moor is actually the largest uninhabited wilderness in Scotland at 50 square miles. So thankful for the incredible weather since this entire stretch ahead of us was completely exposed with no shelters in case of bad weather (which is usually pretty cruel around these parts!).
For the next few hours we were enthralled by the inspiring, lonely, and true Highland scenery. This entire area was once covered by a giant icecap and is today covered in bog with a few plantations dotted along the way.
Shallow lochs and tiny stream crossings distracted from the seemingly never ending road ahead.
We had to occasionally look back just to make sure we were indeed progressing, and what a sight to behold!
Reaching the stone arch of Ba Bridge meant you were halfway done with your crossing of the moor and could rest a bit with beautiful views all around.
Right after, the trail started rising gradually towards an unknown destination. Would we only see more of the moor beyond or were we nearing the final stretch? Even on such a nice day your head can play tricks on you especially in such wild surroundings.
The ascent had the benefit of giving us an impressive view looking back over the large swath of isolation we had just traversed over the past few hours – quite an achievement!
Way down to Kingshouse
Finally we reached the top of the climb and… more nothingness ahead! Granted there was a busy road we could hear down below with heavy traffic but still no signs of living quarters or any structure whatsoever. Still, the track was finally going down which our sore feet (I could definitely feel a blister or two!) were immensely thankful for.
Straight ahead was the unmissable pyramid of Buachaille Etive Mor – Scotland’s most photographed mountain and a fitting reward for our final descent.
Down on the valley floor, still surrounded by bog, our legs were struggling to keep up the pace even though our isolated hotel for the night was finally in sight. The final 2 miles felt like they would never end. The hotel seemed to appear and disappear like a mirage in a parched landscape and never get any closer…
Just past 4pm and we finally made it! Glorious Kingshouse Hotel looked magnificent from up close and I even caught a sight of a deer just off the parking lot. Time to get those boots off, air the undoubtedly damaged feet, and take a delightful hot shower.
The bar area was the ideal place for a pint of Scottish beer and some well deserved R&R.
Equally stunning views were served alongside dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.
A celebratory meal of estate venison loin followed by a warm treacle sponge made my heart sing – such luxury on a walking holiday!
We all went back out for the final show of the day, thrilled about the full-on day we just had…and the prospect of a lazier morning tomorrow.
