West Highland Way Day 3 (Inverarnan to Bridge of Orchy)

Not everyone slept so well at Inverarnan although this was nothing to do with the accommodation, more about the the roaring snorer in the shared cabin.  Personally I don't know what all the fuss was about, I slept like a log and didn't hear a thing although I did wake up with a few bruises in the shape of Gill's fist.   The four man cabins are perfect for the job, basic but exactly what is required.

You can buy breakfast or use the basic facilities including kfs, bowls and cookers etc.  While talking about the day ahead. Gerard changed his 10th pair of socks and found it amusing that he still didn't have a blister.  We left Beinglas and started over mixed terrain before moving onto some nice ground under foot.  The sheer beauty of the place, at times can really take your breath away.  You could easily think you were somewhere in the rocky mountains if you didn't know otherwise.  I cannot believe that I speak to people who live just a couple of hours away from these areas and have never been.  We climbed to an opening in the woods before we stopped for lunch. 

A few people pass that we've spoken to previously but they always seem to look fresher than I feel.  After eating we start to move downhill (pain) and are a little concerned when we come across the lower half of a deer's leg on the path.  It's like a scene from the film Deliverance.  We take a look around and find nothing but Martin is away into the forest just in case.  Pretty grim but it can't be helped.  We came out of the forest and started to move down to the site of the Battle of Dalrigh and a small loch known as the Loch of the Lost sword.  I was expecting to see excalibur but apparently that's another story.  We descended and came past some old lead mines before moving into Tyndrum forest.

After a couple of km's we came out at the site of the famous Tyndrum and the Green Welly Stop near Crainlarich.  Now i've probably tasted some of the best bacon sarnies around but after so many miles this feels like the finest ever. It's a famous stop so you can't complete the WHW without visiting.  We left Tyndrum and on the track to the Bridge of Orchy the first thing we saw was some pretty amazing Totem's.  God knows how people do this stuff.

The road from Tyndrum to the Bridge of Orchy is around 6 miles long and is relatively flat and easy walking.  Just outside Tyndrum we saw some gold prospecters panning for gold and apparently they find a bit now and then. It wasn't too long before the Bridge of Orchy hotel and station came into site but again it seemed to take longer than expected to actually reach the place.  On arrival we grabbed a quick drink before crossing the bridge, at the back of the hotel to set up our tents for a bit of wild camping.  It's a great little site but I imagine it can get quite busy during the summer months.

The hotel is very accommodating to walkers however it does seem as though they are trying to price walkers out of staying there.  They are building new chalets at the back of the hotel with prices starting from £120 a night and the hotel is pretty much the same now, hence the reason we camped.  There used to be a bunkhouse for walkers but, unfortunately this is gone now.  After eating we went into the bar for a drink and as the night was drawing to an end the drama started to unfold.  Looking out of the bar window we could see, what looked like an older boy hobbling about.  Someone said something along the lines of "oh he looks in a bad way" but we all thought he was suffering from walking.  He sat on the bench outside the bar and collapsed on the deck.  We went to make sure he was ok but he clearly wasn't so an ambulance was called.  We brought him into the bar and Gill was asking some questions and he said he was a hunter gatherer called Tom Tucker.  No one even thought about the nursery rhyme at the time but this was pointed out by Rosie after we finished the walk.

Now i'm not sure what your understanding of a hunter gatherer is but Tommy Tucker had a small chemist in his rucksack along with a brand new looking samsung galaxy s3 with a solar powered charger.  I've never seen Ray Mears pull one of those out of his pocket.  I think Tom needs to have a re-think about his hunter gathering as he doesn't really seem to have Ray's skills at the moment.  The ambulance came and Tom Tucker from Surrey got a bed in Fort William for the night which is exactly what we think he was after because it was pretty brass monkey's that night.  After all the excitement it was time to get our heads down so we took the short walk across the bridge to our camp and crashed.

This is my advert for Osprey.  Their bags are awesome

 

West Highland Way Day 2 (Balmaha to Inverarnan)

There's a few stiff legs in the morning but everyone's up and about, had breakfast and just before leaving we have a brieg chat with Jock the owner of the Balmaha Bunkhouse.  Jock is an ex-squaddie who bought the bunkhouse around 8 months ago and has made some subtle changes.  Jock's intention is to bring groups in for team building exercises, among other things and grow the business although he does want to keep it suitable for walkers as well.  Strangely, before leaving our friend the Robin appears almost as if it's following us along the way.  Now of course it is possible it's a different Robin however it's nice to think it's that same one wishing us luck.  We left Balmaha and there is a short sharp climb to begin with and a change in the terrain.  The ground was now rougher than the previous day and the route is very up and down along the banks of Loch Lomond.  Some of the views along here are absolutely amazing.

The route took us into Sallochy woods where we really started to feel the calf burn as there is some steep steps and gravel.  Even I started to get a bit of a sweat on at this point.  We came through some sparce woods with a fair amount of downhill walking before arriving at the Rowerdennan Hotel.  We stopped for lunch here.  Now the hotel is well known and completely in isolation as the road in comes to an end at this point so cars can't travel any further along the loch this way.  I think the hotel considers itself exclusive because I ordered a latte and 2 cans of Irn Bru and was charged £6.50.  To be honest the latte wasn't that good.  Not wanting to smell the place out we went into the back garden which has a nice view of the loch and, along with ducks, finches and tits the robin joined us again.  We had all made a few rolls which we started to eat but were informed by Steve (manager/owner) of the hotel that we couldn't eat our own food on the premises.  Fair enough but when Gerard went inside and asked for a Mocha, firstly no one had any idea what one was (strange givent he very expensive coffee making facilities they have) but when Gerard explained what it was he got told he could have a cappuccino.  Steve then got very upset at us spending money at his establishment and refused to serve us.  Steve must have got up on the wrong side of the bed that day however due to this he gained the name Steve the ......(a male chicken).  This amused us for the rest of the walk however I am keen to ensure people who want good service know that this is not a place to visit.

 

We got going again across so rough ground with lots of up and down trekking along the way which is pretty sore on the feet.  Gerard had changed into his ninth pair of socks having took a punt on e-bay, purchasing 7 pairs of Merino wool socks for £6.50 or something.  We were all a bit dubious but in fairness he changed his socks more than his pants, fell in love with compede but only had one small blister by the end of the walk.  Obviously we've all now got the e-bay sellers details.  Walking along the banks of Loch Lomond through some woods we heard a noise on the hill and we nearly jumped out of our skins when these lot appeared.

Most people who have walked the way will have read the memorial shown below and maybe even wondered about the story behind it.  I managed to find out about poor old Bill Lobban and we all took time to add to the stack in honour of Bill. 

 

While looking at the memorial Martin had got talking to a chap, also walking the way by the name of Lou.  We stopped to chat to Lou for a bit who, being an experienced walker had also walked the Comino (St. James' Way).  Something Gill dreams about doing and if you're not sure what it is, watch the film The Way with Martin Sheen. If you want to read about poor old Bill you can take a look at this link (click on Bill's name): Bill Lobban

 

After several miles of whinging (mostly by Martin) about sore feet we are greeted by the welcome site of the Inversnaid hotel.  We crossed the bridge and sat on the benches outside before going in to get a well earned cup of tea.  I had a vin rouge with Martine, Chateau Nerf du Plonk I think.  This hotel was outstanding and is highly recommended as a place to stop.  The difference between here and the Rowerdennan is astronomical.  Very happy to help us, let us fill water bottles up, brought the drinks out to us and fairly priced.  Before leaving the Inversnaid hotel we were talking with a fella that said we'd be puching it to make it to Inverarnan in the light if we were just leaving because of the ground and the distance.  Some of us laughed him off as a bit mental but Gill confirmed, having researched that this was probably the hardest part of the way.  I will not doubt people again.  Up to this point this section was by far the hardest.  Boots are a must I would say as it would be very easy to hurt and ankle on this section.  Gerard and Brigi had powered on to ensure we would get fed and the rest of us arrived later, using head torches with slightly less light than expected.  We all got fed in the bar at the Beinglas Farm where we were staying.  The bar was great, with live music by Robert Carmichael.  Robert was a folk singer that had a go at any requests, the Jam, ACDC and Gill's favourite the Eagles.  The facilities at Beinglas are superb, hot showers, toilets, bar, food, cabins, shop and breakfast facilities.  Absolutely perfect for walkers and obviously designed for this.  If you have the legs for it you can always visit the Drovers Inn, across the road.  We didn't have the energy as it had been a long day.  You can see by Martin's strained smile how he was really feeling.  You can also see the cabins we stayed in behind.

I have to give a special mention to the bar staff at Beinglas.  The service was outstanding and when I dropped my knife, through exhaustion and not my clumsiness, it had barely hit the floor before the barman replace it.  If i'm ever in this area again I will definitely be using Beinglas Farm.





West Highland Way Day 1 (Milngavie to Balmaha)

The trip was well planned out by the experienced walker amongst us although for some, the realisation of doing 96 miles in 5 days had almost been too much and had caused some apprehension in the few days running up to the start.  Gerard was worried about a little bit of snow and Martin was crying in his sleep with the thought of doing, on average 20 miles a day having only been able to get out for a couple of training walks with Kerry.  The rest of us, the partners Brigi, Kerry and myself just kept quiet and went with the flow.  There was a couple of reasons for us doing the walk, apart from the challenge, one of which was to raise some money for a couple of charities.  Me, Gill, Martin, Gerard and Brigi wanted to raise a few quid in aid of Water for Life and Kerry was raising money for Chest Heart and Stroke, the other i'll go into more about the other reasons later.  Anyway the day was here and we met at the start line in Milngavie to take a few photos before we left.  We finally got under way at 09:55, a bit late but there was still a few others leaving at that time and being a group of finely tuned athletes we were confident we could make up time with our power walking techniques.  You can see the athletic frames here.

One of the great things about taking on this kind of walk is bumping into people doing the same thing for different reasons.  We got talking to a group of 3 women who were also walking to Balmaha on the first day and were walking to raise money for Alzheimer's.  Obviously not in our fitness league, or so we thought until they said one of them, Linda had previously run half of the route.  We let them shoot off ahead but we passed them and them us several times during the day and later in the week.  As we left the town onto the route we moved away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation although we were never too far from a road.  Everyone was on good spirits and having a laugh.  The weather was cold but there was bright sunshine.  There was loads of wildlife to see and during the first couple of miles it seemed like a Robin was going to follow us on the route.  We finally got into the hills after a few miles and saw some Buzzards, a Kestrel and then a Peregrine falcon.  The scenery got better and better the further we went but the one frustrating thing was the amount of litter that had been left at the side of the path.  Why can't people just take it with them until they get to a bin?  We had planned for our first stop to be at Drymen and just a few miles before the stop we came across a table, under a tree with cakes, tea and juice and a sign showing that a young girl, Iona was trying to raise money to travel to Chile to teach English to disadvantaged children. 

A worthy cause and I needed a drink.  Iona's mum was there due to Iona not being well that day and I paused for a brief chat with her before moving on to Drymen.  Just before getting to Drymen there was a bit of disagreement to which direction we should go, on the road or over the fields.  Through the fields is the correct way and you drop down onto the field at the bridge.  There are west highland way signs on the field to make sure you go in the right direction.  It was obvious the team were starting to feel the aches and pains after a bit of road pounding and when we arrived at the Winnock in Drymen people start doing some weird exercises to relieve the pain.  I have no idea where these came from but whatever floats your boat I suppose.  Apparently Gerard and Brigi (seen below) are draining the lactic acid from their legs.  I didn't bother saying anything.

With the exception of Gill and Brigi everyone's answer to the pains were to have an alcoholic drink or in Martin's case, have a drink and a whinge.  Being upper class, I went for vin rouge but whatever we all drank it tasted amazing and well earned however we still had a way to go on the first day.  There were some diversions in place from Drymen, Sherpa (Gill) Wilson led us out completely the wrong way and then almost lost her map.  Luckily she realised about both and got us back on track towards Balmaha.  With Conick hill being closed there was only about 7 or 8 miles to go from Drymen.  After a couple while we came off the road and into the forest or what remains of it.  There had been some tree clearing going on which allowed us some stunning views of Loch Lomond but also meant a few diversions.  These were well sign posted and led us to a farm track which was the scene of Martin's collapse on a previous failed attempt around 3 years ago.  Martin re-enacted the collapse but I can honestly say, the only thing i've ever seen as funny as the original was when Del Boy fell through the bar on only fools and horses.  Everyone was lifted by Martin's acting skills and at the end of the track we turned right on the road for the last couple of miles to the Oak Tree Inn, Balmaha.  We stayed at the Balmaha Bunkhouse which is virtually opposite the Oak Tree.  The accommodation is run by Jock the ex squaddie and is reasonably priced, has hot showers and cooking facilities if you want them. 

Balmaha Bunkhouse

We headed for the pub for a couple of shandys and a feed.  The food was good, as was the service and a good atmosphere but we were all pretty hanging so didn't stay too long after we'd finished eating.  Now there's many ways to try and look after your feet and Gerard decided he wants to buy shares in Compede after trying them for the first time between Drymen and Balmaha but Martin had his own methods.  He sat at the side of Loch Lomond, took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his trousers and dropped his feet into the water which must have been at minus temperature even though it wasn't quite frozen.  The robin appeared again and I think it was thinking, he's mental. 

Martin the Gnome

Unfortunately Gerard and Brigi's night is not so good as some other walkers decided to party into the early hours before allowing people to get some sleep.  The rest of us managed a better night's sleep in spite of mine and Martin's fits of snoring.  A swift elbow from the missus stopped it every time.

The elite team

From left to right, bottom row: Gerard, Brigi, Kerry, Martin. Top row: Gill, Me(Gav)

Not a clue what Gerard's doing here

Melrose to Edinburgh Day 3. West Linton to Edinburgh

Another beautiful, sun kissed day as we set off up the track opposite the Gordon Arms Hotel.  A short climb up to some farms and along a well marked route.  Passing one of the farms we were greeted by the sound of a ferocious killer, although it actually turned out to be a soppy looking retriever carrying it's rabbit teddy bear.  It must be something about the breed because mine has a monkey teddy bear and Dylan, my sister in laws old dog had a teddy as well which they look after like a child with a comforter. 

We passed through some more amazing scenic hillsides before passing the North Esk reservoir which indicated we had finally reached the Pentland hills.  I've walked some parts of the Pentlands previously but hadn't realised how stunning the whole area really is.  It was icy in areas with some patches of snow which only added to the beauty.  The ground was boggy in parts but not too bad and we came across an entire track made from logs laid side by side.  Due to it being wet this was a bit difficult and we had to take care not to slip.  This road had obviously been laid to allow vehicles up to the higher points.

After moving across the Pentlands we dropped down to join the Water of Leith walkway which tells us we're close to the finishing point for this leg but we're not silly enough to start to relax just yet as there is still a good few miles to go. There's a lot more people on this part of the walk which tells you you're getting closer to the city.  We soon picked up signs for the canal and the visitor centre which marks the end of this part of the route.  There are regular signs, with mile markers on so we knew exactly how far there was to go before we arrived at the canal.  Until now any walking I had done was always to the north however this truly stunning walk has changed my thoughts and will certainly make me think about heading south in the future.  The only downside to this entire walk for me was with Edinburgh council or more realistically Edinburgh and Lothian buses.  Standing, in pieces after the walk, the bus arrived only for the driver to say "I can't take that £5 note for a £4 journey, we don't give change".  What he failed to mention was that he could've taken the £5 without giving us any change, which I would have gladly done.  I then had to walk around another 3/4 mile to find a shop for change only to be told by the next driver that they could've taken the £5.  Not happy however I didn't let it ruin my memories of the walk but this really seems like a way to rip off un-knowing tourists to me which contribute a massive amount to Edinburgh's economy.  I certainly won't be using the bus in future unless I have to.

Melrose to Edinburgh Day Two (Traquair-West Linton)

Early rise on Friday 01st March after a cold night in the tents and interesting body odour from under the arms although I can't blame the wife as we had seperate tents.  She, as always smells of roses due to her odourless merino top.  A quick brew, pack up and on the road walk towards Cardrona which looks big enough on the map to have more than the 3 houses and a phone box in the beautiful village of Traquair.  Not a huge fan of walking on the road, especially the type where people fly round blind bends however we cover the 3 miles to Cardrona and are greeted by houses and a small play park but no sign of any shops however just when we thought the nearest pit stop was going to be Peebles we turn right at a sign post for Cardrona Village and just on the left, at the roundabout is a lovely village store.

If you go into the store, apart from being able to get plenty of supplies and a lovely bacon/sausage roll and a cup of tea/coffee you will be able to meet Linda the owner who was a lovely lady that looked after us well.  Linda also gave us a bit of info about the local area.  She told us the path and bridge were just about complete and she was expecting the path to get a bit busy with cyclist and walkers in the future.  We set off from Cardrona along the freshly laid path making one little detour onto the golf course to avoid the workmen laying the tarmac.  The next 7 to 8 miles is mainly flat and follows the banks of the Tweed but be careful just after the odourless, merino sewage works there is a path leading up to the road and if you don't take it you are met by someone's garden gate which is triple padlocked with a sign saying no walkers.  If you jump it and run really quick the chap is not fast enough to catch you.  On the other side of his garden is a field which leads you into the start of Peebles where you are greeted by rugby pitches and sports fields.  We stopped in Peebles for a short time and were lucky enough to see the golden postbox in honour of Olympic showjumping winner Scott Brash.

We left Peebles, heading out past the Rosetta camp site and follow the old drove road signs for West Linton.  This takes you along the east side of Hamilton hill.  We took a bit of a detour at this point to save a little time and dropped down west to the kidston burn and followed the path next to the wall to the east of white meldon, rounding the hill before dropping down to the car park at harehope forest.  The was plenty of wildlife on the walk with loads on white meldon.  Hares, birds and I got a bit peckish so ate a sheep and all that was left is shown below.

For fear of a law suit I'd like to point out I was only joking and in fact found the skull laying on the hill.  From the car park follow the forest track to upper stewarton farm and then back into the forest which is clearly marked with posts as the drove road to West Linton. 

We stopped for lunch when we came out of the forest onto a landrover track overlooking an old farmhouse that was only housing sheep now. The path falls down to a river and again it is well sign posted to work your way up the side of the hill before snaking your way through the hills with some stunning scenery.

 

 

A long stretch through the hills before dropping down to Romanno Bridge.  At this point it should be a short road walk to a track leading into West Linton however we were unable to find the track however hard we tried.  The traffic hurtles along this road as well so take care.  Disappointingly we had to take the last two and a half miles by road into West Linton which played havoc with the aching feet.  We arrived in West Linton where we booked into the Gordon Arms Hotel for a well earned meal, shower and bed for the night.

The hotel charges for B and B and a twin room cost us £75.  The food was outstanding and very reasonably priced.  The only misfortune we had was that a stag night was on which we heard in our room until at least midnight.  Again the food in the morning was excellent and the path for the start of the next day is directly opposite the hotel.

Karrimor Orkney III Mens Walking Boots

As a novice walker with a number of challenges pencilled in for this year I thought it was essential to get some decent boots for the walking I was going to do.  On advice from the long haired general (The Wife), who is a more experienced hill walker I went with the Karrimor Orkney III Mens Walking Boots.  I'd never had leather walking boots before and was looking forward to trying them out.  The unfortunate thing was the boots only arrived two days before taking on a 50+ mile stretch of the Scottish National Trail which left no time for breaking them in.  In my infinate wisdom I thought, what better way to break them in than to wear them on the walk, how much pain could they possibly cause over 3 days?  Well let me assure you I won't be making the same mistake again but I think it's fair to say they are well worn in now.

 

The boots have a strong, sturdy look about them and much better grip than boots I had previously owned.  The uppers on the boot are, as expected, quite stiff, initially and after around half a days walking I have to loosen the top part of the lace to allow a little more freedom for my ankle but the rubbing around my achilles gets a little sore as the days go on.  At the end of the first day I feel like I have got the boots set up as I need them and I only have one blister.  The boots themselves have remained completely waterproof and given me great protection over stones due to the solid sole.  Having walked over a number of hills over the 3 days on lots of different terrain I am proved right about the tread on the bottom of the boot.  Where I may well have slipped previously these boots give tremendous grip, even on the most slippery mud when the tread is filling up with dirt.  My feet can breath in the boots and they are exceptionally comfortable and appear very well made.  On my return home I find the boots are so easy to clean, as expected for leathers and easily treatable.  Despite the pain over the three days the boots are nicely worn in now and on the last day were really comfortable and I felt as though I could walk further in them if I had new legs.

 

Definitely a boot I would recommend but if you do go for these or any boots for that matter, make sure you break them in before going out into the wilderness.

 

 

Melrose to Edinburgh Day One

The day has finally arrived to start the first section of the Scottish National Trail although we are doing the second section first which is Melrose to Slateford (Edinburgh).  Melrose is a beautiful village, hidden in the hills in south east Scotland between Galashiels and St. Boswells.  Steeped in history it is the home of Sir Walter Scott's home (Abbotsford House) and the wonderful old abbey is the final resting place of Robert the Bruce's heart.  We arrive and leave Melrose on Thursday 28th February.  It's a cold, crisp morning but the sun is shining brightly and it's obviously going to be warm later on in the day.

You could spend the day in Melrose visiting historical venues however this is our starting point and we have a lot of walking to do so we leave Melrose, with the abbey on our right, heading towards the chain bridge over the river Tweed.  This is clearly marked as part of the Southern Upland Way.
The first leg starts off gently along the Tweed, meandering up to some steps up to a point that overlooks Skirmish Hill, the scene of a small battle which was overlooked by a 14 year old King James V.  A couple of miles later and you are approaching Galashiels.  I didn't have any need to go into Galashiels so rather than follow the Southern Upland Way around the north of the town we walked around the south and re-joined the path further on which saved a little bit of time. It's only after leaving Galashiels that we start to feel as though we're leaving civilisation behind for the first time. We made our way up Hog hill and pause for a while to have some lunch, next to a cairn which, strangely didn't seem to appear on the map. Following the way down to a car park at Yair we then moved into into some woods where we were shielded from the hot sunshine which hadn't let up all day.  The climb up to the three bretheren brings on a bit of a sweat and zaps the already tiring legs.

Past Minch Moor we begin to descend as the last of the daylight is closing.  We can see Traquiar down below where we intend to camp.  We finally come across the first people we've seen since leaving Galshiels earlier in the day.  A couple of young kids out walking their dogs.  I ask what is in Traquair and they simply say Traquair house but nothing else which makes me laugh.  As the light fails we pitch our tents in a field and get some food on the go with a brew.  The tents are up in minutes and the beds are ready, it's only about 7pm.  After eating we are both shattered so we tend to our slightly blistered feet and get our heads down for the night falling asleep almost instantly.  We would be up and away by about 6 the following day as it's a long leg ahead.