Dan's Adventure

The water is crystal clear and the beach is deserted, the only people around are those atop a nearby hill watching seals basking in the sun. The beach, composed of countless pieces of broken coral, glistens in the sun, which has made its only appearance of the day just as we arrived at Coral Beach. Its hard to believe that this beach is actually in Scotland. Normally when one thinks of Scottish beaches, images of Ayr or Aberdeen beach come to mind, neither of which I consider pleasant, never mind …

Neist Point is the most westerly point on Skye, giving excellent views of Moonen Bay, the cliffs of Hoe Rape, and across the Minch to Lewis and Harris.
A short walk from the end of the road, down the steep steps, leads to the lighthouse. The lighthouse is now privately owned and signs seemed to indicate that the buildings around it had at one time been open as a bed and breakfast. It did not however look like the lighthouse has been inhabited for quite some time. The rest of the …

Eilean Donan Castle is situated near Dornie on the main road to Kyle of Lochalsh, the gateway to Skye. The castle’s picturesque location on its own islet in Loch Duich has made it one of Scotland’s most filmed and photographed monuments. Over the years the castle has appeared in numerous films including Highlander, The World Is Not Enough and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
I stopped off at the castle on my way to Skye on Friday, took the tour and learnt a little about its history. Upon arrival dark clouds above …

Between Kinlochleven and Fort William there is absolutely no where to stop for food or drink so before setting off on the final 14 miles of the West Highland Way I made sure to get some food for lunch and snacks to keep me going throughout the day. I should also have bought another bottle of water to take along as my Sigg bottle was empty about 3 hours before reaching Fort William.
The day began with a steep climb out of Kinlochleven affording great views over the village with the …

The Devil’s Staircase had been built up to be the most challenging part of the West Highland Way. It’s situated just passed the King’s House Hotel, around 13 miles from Bridge of Orchy where I had spent the night. Not only was I about to cover the most challenging climb, but it would be the longest walk of the week at 21 miles.
I limped away from Bridge of Orchy at around 7.30am, making my way towards Rannoch Moor. The first few miles were along a minor road, a nice change …

Almost every toe is wrapped in a plaster, my heels and the balls of my feet are covered in compeed; my feet are destroyed! Once the shoes are on, they don’t come off until the end of the day as I fear that I won’t be able to get them back on again. My lack of preparation for the West Highland Way is evident and I am suffering.
As time passes I manage to block out the pain and start to enjoy the beautiful scenery that surrounds me. Crianlarich to Bridge …

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 West Highland Way is billed as Scotland’s premier long distance walk. Officially its 95 miles long, but according to the GPS recordings of fellow walkers, its a fair bit longer. I started the walk last Tuesday in Milngavie and arrived at the end point in Fort William on Sunday. I started alone but finished with five others. Six days of fantastic scenery, sunburn, blisters and bites, what more could you ask for?
The West Highland Way begins in the centre of Milngavie, sign posted from the train station the start …