Amazing scenery

Feeling somewhat refreshed after our rest day, we were ready for 3 days of the West Highland Way. Graeme has now joined us until the end of the week.

We left Fort William (Scottish Gaelic: An Gearasdan meaning “The Garrison”). and headed for the West Highland Way. Fort William was originally a settlement and the town grew in size when the fort was constructed to control the population after Oliver Cromwell’s invasion during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and then to suppress the Jacobite uprisings of the 18th century.

We started out on the Old Military Road. This is part of a network of military roads, sometimes called General Wade’s Military Roads, that were constructed in the Scottish Highlands during the middle part of the 18th century as part of an attempt by the British Government to bring order to a part of the country which had risen up in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. Ben Nevis decided to come out from the clouds and show itself and we were blessed with such a lovely day to enjoy the views.

More spectacular scenery as we headed towards Kinlochleven (Scottldi Gaelic: Ceann Loch Lìobhann). We also passed another milestone (we love a good milestone) – 200 Miles completed. The descent down into Kinlochleven was very steep and a rough path so not as enjoyable as the previous few hours.

Steep climbs up through the forest above Kinlochleven and then a short bit of level walking before the climb up towards the summit of the Devil’s Staircase (550m). This was given its name by the soldiers who were part of the Military Road building program, because of the difficulties of carrying building materials up that stretch of the road. Later, however, the road lived up to its name when workers building the Blackwater Dam chose to travel to the Kingshouse Hotel after they had been paid, rather than walking down to Kinlochleven. The journey to the pub often proved to be more difficult than they realised and on the return trip, after a few drinks on a cold winter’s night, the devil often “claimed his own.”. The descent down the Devil’s Staircase was steep, uneven and very long!

On the last leg of our days journey we walked across Rannoch Moor (about 50 square miles of boggy wetland) before finally getting to our hotel in Bridge of Orchy.

Today was a very tough day – we walked 55km, ascended approx. 1,400m and (the hardest bit) descended the same amount on often steep and uneven surfaces. But the views and the weather made up for it in the most part. Tomorrow is forecast to be rain all day so day 2 of the West Highland Way will be a different experience.

Thank you to Chigwell Construction for kindly sponsoring todays leg