West Highland Way Part 2
This was evidently to be the one week that Scotland would experience summer, the sun had been out for the first two days and it was shining once more. Leaving Rowardennan I knew there would be rain at some point that day as it was incredibly humid, but I was hoping I would make it to Crianlarich before it started.
Walking without the rucksack on my back was such a relief. It instantly felt better. I can’t help but think that if I had signed up for the luggage carriage on the first day, the previous two days would’ve been a hell of a lot easier.
Between Rowardennan and Inveraran the West Highland Way follows the banks of Loch Lomond very closely. It follows it to the extent that many sections require scrambling over rocks and small ledges hanging over the water down below. The West Highland Way is in general very well sign posted, but at times during this section I was left wondering “have I lost the path?” as I was faced with rocks to climb up and tree trunks to hurdle with no path in sight. Coming across a ladder or a bridge often put my mind to rest.
As I reached the Inversnaid hotel, the halfway point between Rowardennan and Inveraran, I thought I could hear thunder and was preparing for the inevitable soaking. The noise was getting louder and louder, this was going to be some down pour! Suddenly a low flying jet passed overhead and as it vanished into the distance, the sound of the birds and wind in the trees returned. I discovered a few days later that the jet that passed was training for dog fighting and sadly went on to crash moments later at the far end of the loch, killing both its pilots.
Shortly after my lunch break at the Inversnaid hotel the thunder did actually begin, breaking the silence amongst the trees as it echoed in the surrounding hills. The rain started light, but soon became a heavy downpour before I had a chance to put my rain jacket on. Thoroughly soaked I continued, very glad that I had passed the worst of the rocks as they would be treacherous when wet. I managed to slip on several before the rain started so I wouldn’t have liked to encounter them after a soaking. The rain made the birds seek shelter and brought frogs out in abundance, I had to be careful in my step to avoid squishing them.
Despite getting soaked, I was completely dry twenty minutes later, I was pleased to see that my quick drying trousers performed as promised. I was left wishing I had bought gore-tex shoes though as my trail shoes, although breathable, were soaked through and I had no change of socks with me. This was the start of the blisters from hell that made walking extremely painful for the rest of the walk.
After several hours of following the loch, I reached the end, where the roar of traffic on the nearby road broke the peace and quiet I had been enjoying for the majority of the day. A short climb through some trees, and the path opened into a large valley which leads down into Inveraran. Being surrounded by dragon flies of every colour was a nice change to the clegs that I had been attacked by the previous day.
The second I stepped inside the pub at Beinglas Farm in Inveraran the skies opened again. I still had 6 miles to walk to Crianlarich and doing it in the rain was not something I wanted to consider. I was stuck for almost 2 hours until it subsided. On leaving the pub, I met several other walkers who hadn’t been so lucky, they were soaked through and looked miserable. My suspicions about the rocks becoming dangerous were also confirmed as they had fallen a few times due to the slippery surfaces.
With the sun back out and the blisters on my feet throbbing, I left Beinglas Farm. Soon I was confronted by a herd of cows who had decided to congregate on the path and were blocking my way. As I got closer they just stared at me, I wasn’t sure what to do, were they going to charge at me? I had never been so close to one cow before, never mind an entire herd! I continued to approach them and when just over a metre away they started to run in the opposite direction clearing the path for me. I didn’t expect such large beasts to be so timid.
A large portion of the West Highland Way follows an old military road. The West Highland Way first joins it a few miles outside of Crianlarich. Its completely unsurfaced and with feet that were covered in blisters, every step was painful. It felt like I was wearing an old pair of converse as I could feel every single stone as I walked. Unfortunately I had slowed right down, probably taking double the time that I should have to make it to Crianlarich. As a result I got caught in the rain about a mile away from the hostel, typical! The rain started as I entered a forest high above the village. The path down was streaming with water, my shoes were filling and my steps were painful, I couldn’t wait to reach the hostel!
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