The Last Day!

The walk takes you along the side of Glen Coe for 3 miles then climbs up and over The Devil's Staircase. We passed an orderly line of...German walkers who moved aside to let us pass. "Which bank have you robbed?" commented the leader. We laughed and said, "We've a long way to go...Fort William."
That is 23 miles and the two steepest climbs in one day as well.

The clouds cleared as we dropped down to Kinlochleven. The first sight of this wee town nestling in a steep sided valley is more industrial than rural, although the contrast of the lush green from the brown and grey of Glen Coe is remarkable. The photograph above is looking up towards the track we followed down, showing the hydro-electric scheme that dominates the entrance to the town.

The climb out of Kinlochleven is spectacular because of the views down Loch Leven. It took us a while to walk to the top of this climb as it grew steadily hotter and I grew steadily more hungry and Sandra grew steadily more tired. When we reached the top where the path evens out, I stopped and attacked my picnic lunch from Kingshouse!

Lairigmor is a steady trek at around 1000' and is very beautiful although exposed and there was a stiff breeze which in the sun was actually quite welcome. It is easy going with a good track until reaching the forestry. Sadly another industrial landscape when the trees are felled, as these were. The chopped woods always remind me of Paul Nash's paintings of war scapes.

It was lovely to enter into the soft paths of the pine woods and have the shelter of the trees overhead and the comfort of pine needles underfoot. Then Ben Nevis...with this strange cloud formation hanging over the dreadful path that winds its way clearly up the side.

Obce Ben Nevis was on our right, we knew we were very nearly at the end of our walk. It would have been nice to finish at the Visitors Centre but there was a a mile and a half to the end...or at least the end as Sandra knew it... Her husband was waiting for her there...mine was still a mile away at the centre of Fort William at the new end. Shame. John could have driven us there but we decided having come so far we would make it to the "new end" and thus ended our West Highland Way walk.

I enjoyed every minute. I loved the scenery, the places we stayed at, the weather, the company of Sandra and our German acquaintances and all the others we met briefly. I would recommend this trip to anyone who is of reasonable fitness but you don't have to be super-fit. There are plenty of baggage transporters which would take the weight off your shoulders and back for sure, but whether that would disrupt your sense of making your own way, I can't be sure.

Scotland is a beautiful country. I have many more paths to explore.