“The forecast isn’t great for today,” said our host, Jo, as we ate breakfast. That was a nice way of telling us it was going to be a long, wet walking day. From our table in the sitting room where we enjoyed a healthy breakfast (fruit! porridge! yoghurt!) we watched a steady trail of hikers… Continue reading West Highland Way: Day 8
Tag: hiking
Day 7: West Highland Way
Kingshouse to Kinlochleven We woke up in the Kingshouse Bunkhouse and looked out the window at a bright sunny day outside. It’s wrong to assume you have a right to sunny days while hiking in Scotland in April, but after two days of cold, overcast and only occasionally sunny weather, we felt this was a… Continue reading Day 7: West Highland Way
Day 6 West Highland Way
“Really, it’s a short, easy walk. It won’t take you more than a few hours. I’ve walked there and back in a day. Sometimes I don’t even take a water bottle.” The Lady Owner of the Inveroran Hotel had reassured us that today’s walk to Kingshouse was so unchallenging we should take our time in… Continue reading Day 6 West Highland Way
Day 5: West Highland Way
We had a good sleep a Tyndrum Lodges. Our room was cosy and comfortable and we would have loved to stay longer and avoid the trail that awaited us. But instead we ate our pastries, yoghurt, fruit and juice, packed our bags, put on our hiking clothes (now dried out after yesterday’s rain), laced up… Continue reading Day 5: West Highland Way
Day 4: West Highland Way
It was unbelievable to have such poor sleep after such an exhausting day but Husband and I both woke up tired. As a bonus, Husband had also come down with a heavy cold and wasn’t feeling well. We wobbled our way over to breakfast, where we got some consolation that all other walkers staying at… Continue reading Day 4: West Highland Way
Day 3: West Highland Way
After a nights’ sleep and a full (fried) breakfast, we gritted our teeth, ready to trade country trail walking for the Lochside scramble. We knew this was one of the long days, 13m/22km, and tough walking at that. But the sun was shining, and we were buoyed by confidence of two good days already completed,… Continue reading Day 3: West Highland Way
Day 2: West Highland Way
Drymen to Rowardennan; 25km/ 15m Our Kip in the Kirk breakfast was continental style, and I was happy to not have a plate of fried food. We chatted with the Canadian ladies we had passed yesterday - they were staying at Kip in the Kirk as well, and were also taking an eight day route… Continue reading Day 2: West Highland Way
Day 1: West Highland Way
The journey starts at Glasgow Queen Street on a Thursday morning. I’m on a train to Milngavie. It is not pronounced how it’s written though, it’s pronounced “mull-guy”. I’m heading to the outer suburbs or Glasgow to start an eight day walking trail, the West Highland Way. People are going to work, going to school.… Continue reading Day 1: West Highland Way
46.2022
It's been a while since I wrote one of my weekly missives. Most weeks recently I just don't have the time, the inspiration or the energy to write something entertaining (for me or for you). I know the idea is you show up, you write and that is the work. But I feel like I've… Continue reading 46.2022
The mountain and me (39.B. 2021)
I left you on the train headed to Glasgow. Arriving at night, in the rain, I led my colleague off towards the hotel with extreme confidence which turned out to be misplaced. It's been some years since I lived in Glasgow and my knowledge of the inner city layout has faded somewhat so that it… Continue reading The mountain and me (39.B. 2021)