Charnwood Forest Challenge Walk, part 2

Saturday 22nd December 2007

Continuing the Challenge Walk around Charnwood Forest, from the top of Bardon Hill I returned to the radio mast and walked down the service road taking a footpath on the left when I reached the wide dirt track to walking between the wood and the desolation at the end of the dirt track. These quarries are not like the remains of tiny quarries that one sees in the Lake District or the Peak District as these are modern quarries: huge, horrible places that have made a right mess of the landscape, and are quite depressing. Emerging from the footpath on the edge of Coalville I walked up the hill to a T-junction where I crossed over to an area of rough country marked on the map as the Warren Hills, and is part of the Charnwood Lodge estate. The walk across this small area of unspoilt ground was quite a revelation. I had never been there before, in fact I didn't even know it existed. There were many outcrops dotted around the area and I had an immense desire to climb all over them, but that would have to wait for another day (like Boxing Day when I returned to the area for a play!). Emerging from the open country I walked a short distance along the road before turning left onto a narrow lane that eventually led me to Mount St. Bernard Abbey, which is the half way point of the walk and a convenient place to stop and have my lunch.

After a good rest I started stage three of the walk, which is probably the least interesting stage and also the point where the miles started to take their toil. Emerging from the Abbey driveway I took a footpath opposite down to the picturesque Blackbrook Reservoir and along a track to a road. Now began a prolonged spell of road walking punctuated by short spells across fields, as I walked to a crossroads and decided to go straight across instead of the prescribed turning right that would take me up the hill to the village of Oaks in Charnwood. This diversion seemed pointless as I would then have to come back down the hill again to this same road, so staying on the road saved me a lot of energy just at a point when I felt I had none left. Soon I turned into Lubcloud Farm and climbed over the hill down to a road (the B591) and passed under the M1. Another long stretch of road walking saw me go down a hill and up again as I climbed towards Beacon Hill.

At the Rippin Memorial Walk near Beacon Hill I turned left onto a pretty avenue of trees as I wearily climbed up the hill to the top of Beacon Hill (at 248m), which is a fantastic place that I have visited many times in recent years, but now I was so weary I just found a chair and collapsed into it, and ate something to get my strength back. Eventually I felt refreshed and able to resume the walk down the hill through the woodland to the lower car park where I diverted from the prescribed route which would have required another walk along the road and instead I walked through the park straight to the Broombriggs car park. The prescribed route bypasses the top of Windmill Hill but with most of my strength back after the rest I rushed off up the hill to the remains of a windmill that gives the hill its name. Heading steeply down the hill I walked into the village of Woodhouse Eaves where I found my first shop in 18 miles which was able to resupply me with liquid refreshment. The onward route passed close to the local school and onto fields where I believe I made another mistake. The directions told me to turn right through a gate by the school but I must have gone straight on, however I didn’t realise my mistake for a while.

I still emerged onto a road as I was supposed to, but there was no path directly opposite, however there was one a short distance away so I took this as it seemed to be heading directly for Rushey Field Farm. However, this should have told me something was wrong as the path I should have been on passes to the north of the large farm. When I found a junction of paths I was puzzled as the Leicestershire Round that I thought I was on was actually crossing my path. My compass also failed to tell me what I had done wrong because I still hadn’t realised that I had earlier gone wrong. Eventually I decided to turn right as required but since I had approached on the wrong path I was now in fact taking the path I should have taken from Woodhouse Eaves. When I reached a lane, the same lane I had crossed earlier, now sporting a footpath directly opposite I realised my mistake.

I could have turned back and returned to the junction of paths but I really couldn’t be bothered. I was tired, I was near the end of the walk and it was starting to rain heavily. After walking along the road past the Brand I took the second turning on the right and soon entered Swithland Wood to walk back to my car in the pouring rain. At least I made it back to the car with plenty of daylight remaining, which was one consolation from the walk, as walking on the shortest day of the year may have made things rather difficult if I hadn’t kept up a quick pace. This was obviously a challenging walk that really tested my stamina in the latter stages, however I don’t think it was really that difficult apart from the distance and in better weather it may have been quite fun. Maybe I should repeat the walk in the spring, for now I’m just glad I managed to get around it.

The Charnwood Forest Challenge Walk

Saturday 22nd December 2007

Last Saturday I got up before dawn to do a twenty-five mile walk around the Charnwood Forest, the most wooded and hilly part of Leicestershire. I was using a book I had got out of the library with the above title and written by John Merrill (published by Walk & Write), which describes the walk that starts from Bradgate Park. However I immediately made an alteration to the route as I parked just down the road from the Hallgates car park in the western car park of Swithland Wood where the parking fee is cheaper. The weather was not very good and I would have been better off waiting until the following week to do the walk as it is much better, but instead I had cold and very foggy start to the day and it ended in heavy rain. I knew the weather was not going to be good but I having decided to do the walk at some time during the Christmas holiday I thought I may as well get it over with straight away, and in the end the weather didn't prove to be too much of a problem.

Starting in the dingy mist of dawn I crossed the road and walked up a bridlepath to the edge of Bradgate Park, but, already, I was altering the route as the book recommends an easy start along the tarmacked road through the park that bypasses Old John hill, but to me this was unacceptable so after entering the park at an unorthodox point I proceeded up the hill on one of the many tracks that criss-cross the park, and got lost. Who would have thought that I would need a compass to find my way in Bradgate Park, where I have been umpteen times since I was a baby, but the low mist made navigation a little tricky, despite my detailed knowledge. As it happened as soon as I saw a plantation appearing through the mist I knew I had gone too far and needed to turn back with the compass now merely confirming that I was heading in the right direction. Soon I reached Old John's Tower at top of the hill and passed quickly over to the war memorial on the twin top.

Using my knowledge of the park I was able to head over to a loose collection of trees south of the memorial where I turned right down to a footpath and out of the park. It was interesting to walk through Bradgate Park in these conditions, because I hadn't encountered them there before, unlike on higher hills (Old John is only 212 metres high). Emerging from the footpath in Newtown Linford I continued on with the walk through John's Lee Wood, which has been greatly enlarged in recent years as a result of the National Forest scheme so I passed through young woodland all the way to Tangle Trees Farm, where I made a mistake. The paths diverge at this point and I should have taken the right branch, but instead I took the left branch and once I realised my mistake I decided it wasn't worth retracing my steps. Continuing on this path took me into Markfield, where I had to walk beside the busy A50 dual carriageway until I found a way down the embankment and onto the proper route through woodland beside the road, eventually turning right I climbed gradually up Chitterwell Hill along a narrow lane of thorn bushes.

When I emerged on a road near Copt Oak, instead of heading directly for the village, I was directed back down the hill past Ulverscroft Priory, a ruin in private hands, and up the hill again through Poultney Wood and up very muddy fields to Copt Oak. This was the end of stage one in the book so I took the opportunity to stop, rest and have something to eat. Setting off again I crossed the bridge over the M1 soon taking a path through more muddy fields to Old Rise Rocks, and turning right I headed straight for Bardon Hill, the highest point in Leicestershire. After crossing an avenue of trees I passed over a wide dirt track (a hint of what was to come) and climbed steeply up a rather barren hillside where some wildlife organisation is trying to encourage plants to grow again and animals to return to the area, but they won't have it to themselves. At the top of the hill is a big radio transmitter, and a short walk along the summit ridge brought me to the trig point, and not far from that is a huge fence while beyond the fence, barely discernible in the mist, is the huge Bardon Quarry. Bardon Hill may be the highest point in Leicestershire (at 278m) but Old John and Beacon Hill (seen later) are much more satisfying hills and they have not been exploited. More in  my next post...

Ben Wyvis

Friday 23rd July 2004

At the end of the last day of my first walking holiday in Scotland I was sitting at a vantage point looking out over the railway depot and the Moray Firth towards the Black Isle and realised that I really like Inverness. It’s a good city, which is why I deliberately ended my holiday there so I could visit it again, and I was sad that I was leaving. Before that, I had taken a train to Garve on the Kyle line and headed off on a walk up Ben Wyvis. The first stage was to walk to a series of cascades along the river that culminate at the tourist stop of Silver Bridge. I had been inspired to visit this stretch of river, Black Water, after seeing it on John Butler's End-to-End web site. I don’t know if it’s just me but I wasn’t particularly impressed by it all, even though John was rather enthusiastic. C’est la vie. This picture is from his web site.

From there I proceeded up the farm track opposite (and I only had to climb over two gates!) up onto the flanks of Little Wyvis. I didn’t go to the top which is a pity because it would have given me a purpose to the route that I had taken. When I eventually ran out of track I found myself at the top of a cliff with a wide boggy morass at the bottom where I had thought to walk. Coming to my senses I retraced my steps to the western slopes of the hill and began a precarious descent to the valley bottom and eventually I reached the bottom wetter and muddier than I had been. Immediately I started to climb the good path on the other side all the way up to the southern end of the enormous Ben Wyvis ridge, on An Cabar. Time was advancing so I quickly headed off to the summit of Ben Wyvis, Glas Leathad Mòr, and finally I reached the trig point at two o’clock. My train back to Inverness was due at 16.42, but a long way from where I was crouching in the shelter against a bitterly cold, gale force wind, and so with heavy raindrops falling I rushed off the ridge. 

Once I regained the valley floor the sun came out and during my descent beside the Allt a' Gharbh Bhaid it turned into a glorious day. Typical, and so I had a very pleasant walk in sunny weather following the burn down to the main road and then a quick walk beside the road for over two miles back to Silver Bridge. I still had to rush as the deadline quickly approached, and indeed on the final stretches into Garve I started either running or walking very quickly, although as it happened I got to the station with plenty of time to spare. With such a gloriously sunny day I enjoyed the whole journey to and from the mountain, but not on the windy ridge. In the evening I went back into the city centre and started buying loads of souvenirs of my holiday in Scotland. Despite the rain I had enjoyed my holiday and a fortnight walking in Scotland was now a regular fixture in my year.

Great Glen Way, part 2

Thursday 22nd July 2004

To continue my walk along the Great Glen Way, the plan that I'd come up with the day before, starting from Drumnadrochit, was carried out, but there was a problem: I overslept again! Having my breakfast sans a cup of tea (and eating someone else’s Cheerios that had been left in the spare food hole thus solving my breakfast problem) and missing my wash meant I was able to get to the bus stop in plenty of time, and without leaving anything behind, which after my poor start to the day I didn’t seem to be doing anymore, God willing. I took the bus to Drumnadrochit and had a look around but at 9 am everywhere was still shut, so with little delay I headed off onto the Great Glen Way along the road. I must say that this walk was very long and boring, and even at one stage I had to walk four miles along a road. By the end my knee was aching and I had developed my first blister of the holiday.

When I finally reached Inverness I headed straight for a bookshop I remembered from previous visits for a browse of their enormous collection. Later, after a look around the rest of Inverness I tried to find a supermarket, eventually finding Safeway (now known as Morrison's) behind the station, and bought my dinner and lunch for the next two days. When I tried to find the hostel I had a few difficulties because although I knew the general area I didn't know precisely where it was. After over half an hour's wandering I asked at a newsagents and was told that I’d almost walked straight past it as it’s close to Safeway! Once finally at the hostel I had a shower and a lovely dinner before heading back out again into the city centre for a wander around the lovely city of Inverness. When I tried to get back to the hostel I had a familiar problem: I couldn’t find it! Retracing my steps I suddenly remembered that it was on Victoria Drive, which is a rather vital piece of information. The next day I was planning on catching a train to Garve and try to walk up Ben Wyvis. If the good weather I was enjoying since I left the West Highlands continues I hoped I will have no problems, we’ll see.

Great Glen Way, part 1

Wednesday 21st July 2004

On my first walking holiday in Scotland  after doing the West Highland Way, I had planned to do the Great Glen Way, but the previous evening I had considered walking up the Mamores, but in the end, for some reason, I didn’t wake up till 8.40 so I would have found it difficult to catch the 9.25 bus, unless I hurried, which I really couldn’t be bothered to do because the weather was awful; it was raining and there were very low clouds over the hills, so I chickened out of walking in the Mamores and went back to plan A. Frankly, I just didn’t want to be not getting to the Loch Ness Youth Hostel until 7.30 p.m. as I don’t like messing around on public transport at the end of a tiring day's walk. I think a car would be much easier when in the Highlands because the area is so large.

Back to this walk, I headed into Fort William and caught a bus to Fort Augustus, where, after buying lunch, I headed off along the Great Glen Way beside Loch Ness. The weather had improved enormously now that I was away from the mountains of the West Highlands as it was now hot and sunny and I was wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, with loads of sun cream. I had my lunch overlooking Loch Ness and it was just as I remembered from when I was last in the area in 2000: an eerie looking loch with hidden secrets under its surface. No one would call it a beautiful loch, like Loch Lomond, but it does attract your attention. Going further along the trail I descended into the small, picturesque village of Invermoriston before ascending the steep hill opposite and continuing along the trail to the Loch Ness Youth Hostel at Alltsigh.

As lovely as the weather was for this walk it wasn't that enjoyable as it kept largely to forestry tracks so I was in doubt on what to do the next day. I certainly didn’t want to walk all thirty miles to Inverness or get there late, so I was thinking of catching a bus to Drumnadrochit and starting from there.

Ben Nevis for the first time

Tuesday 20th July 2004

The first time I went up Ben Nevis was immediately after walking the West Highland Way and frankly I wasn’t impressed. While considering the ascent afterwards I decided that the problem was that the path is too easy, a bridlepath for tourists and I got very little thrill out of it. There are too many zigzags that mean it isn’t very steep at any point, in fact it took me almost as long to go up as I did coming back down. I was finished in less than five hours! And then there’s the summit: besides the trig point and the well-known ruin of an observatory there is a war memorial, which is good, except that it’s been littered by dozens of personal memorials left by many people over the last five years. It’s beginning to look like a dumping ground complete with badges, banners and the pictures of tragically departed children. The worst thing about these personal memorials is that the older, more important, memorials have been callously cast aside and broken. I was not desperate to go up again. Back down I visited the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre again before heading back to the hostel where I considered what to do for the rest of the holiday. The weather forecast for this walk was for a good start but deteriorating later (it was still raining when I wrote the first draft of this entry in the hostel later in the afternoon, and it actually started raining while I was on the summit). The forecast for the next day looked like it may clear as the day progressed, so an idea occurred to me to do a walk in the hills to the south of Glen Nevis, in the Mamores, before heading to Fort William and catching a bus to Loch Ness. Certainly the Great Glen Way didn't appeal to me, which is what doing the West Highland Way had taught me. I have been up Ben Nevis again since this report was originally written (the picture above was taken on that return trip, in much better weather) and I have to say that I enjoyed the ascent much more the second time as I went up via the CMD arête. The report on that trip is here.

West Highland Way, part 6

Monday 19th July 2004

I had finished the West Highland Way at last, and all I wanted to do now was be able to do some real walking up a mountain. I started my last day on the trail by having breakfast at a nearby inn, which was a very nice place and the breakfast was very tasty. The start of the West Highland Way was a very steep climb through midge-infested woods, which I did not enjoy. Midges have been the worst thing about the trail as even though I did have insect repellent with me, I was most often attacked while I asleep. I had bites in many places but they weren’t gained while walking. The worst places were while walking at the foot of Ben Lomond (between Rowardennan and Inversnaid) and at Kinlochleven, but in the evening anywhere could be bad if you left a window open. It made me wonder how the locals coped, or maybe they're just tough Scots!

The walk joined the old military road through Lairigmór around the side of the valley past the ruins of the Lairigmór house. This part of the Way was a little dull and hard-going under foot with many large stones to walk on until eventually I entered a wood, but not before the weather threw up one of it’s best ones as the early rain cleared and the sun came out leaving me so hot I had to take my waterproofs off, only for it to cloud over within minutes and start raining again. Typical Scotland! The walk through the wood was varied and sometimes interesting but it was just too long so it was with some relief when I eventually emerged on the other side to face the Ben. I was planning on walking up Ben Nevis the next day, but I was not really looking forward to it as I was worried about how difficult it would be. I didn't really want to do it but I guess it is just one of those things you have to do. The weather may not be brilliant for it, but I hoped I would be able to cope.

First though, I had a walk to complete. Wearily I made my way along the road into Fort William and the end of the West Highland Way, but there was no fanfare or welcoming reception for me when I reached the end, beside a busy roundabout. This was my first proper long-distance walk and I was not impressed. I think I’m a much better designer of walks so maybe in future I’ll just do my own. In Fort William I looked around the tacky Highland Centre and bought a card for the parents, plus a miniature bottle of Ben Nevis Scotch. I wonder how many more miniatures I can collect? In the centre of Fort William I bought some food for dinner and lunch for the next day when I was planning on going up Ben Nevis, whatever the weather.

West Highland Way, part 5

Sunday 18th July 2004

The weather for this walk on the West Highland Way was much more changeable than the earlier days, at one moment it would be raining, and the next the sun was shining, consequently my waterproofs stayed on almost all the time. I didn’t leave the West Highland Way Sleeper particularly early because I stayed for breakfast on the station and then once I did get started I didn't go very quickly as I just couldn’t get comfortable! This is very important when walking and I was just not able to feel right, which was made worse by insect bites in just the wrong place and straps that wouldn’t go in the right place. Add to that, for some reason, I had decided to wear my fleece even though the day before I hadn’t worn it, but it had seemed like a good idea at the time. So why did I put the fleece on now? Eventually I took the fleece off and never looked back as I raced past Inveroran Hotel and past the great desolate area of Rannoch Moor. This is an awe-inspiring place, so it is a pity that the path was so busy. 

 

After lunch on the bridge by the Kingshouse Hotel I headed towards the top of Glen Coe surrounded by absolutely stunning scenery that is dominated by the blunt end of Buachaille Etive Mór. At the bottom of the Devil’s Staircase I took my waterproof coat off, stripped down to my t-shirt and raced up the staircase. I timed myself and I took just half an hour, and it didn’t start raining until I got to the top, which was nice of the weather. With my waterproofs now back on I headed down into Kinlochleven on terrain that I can finally describe as real walking, as it is the sort that I’m used to finding in the Lake District. I was hoping for a chance to do some proper walking up a mountain later in this holiday, but the weather on this walk was not too good, so maybe in the second week of my holiday I would find some good weather. Meanwhile I spent the night at the Blackwater Hostel and then I would have just one more day of the West Highland Way to go.

West Highland Way, part 4

Saturday 17th July 2004

It was very wet at the start of my fourth day on the West Highland Way and it was just as wet in the afternoon, nevertheless it was a good day. I do seem to have a serious problem, though, with going slowly, or is it just that fourteen miles is far too short a distance for me to walk in one day? I left Crianlarich late having gotten up later than usual and proceeded up the hillside and rejoined the West Highland Way at the crossroads where I'd left it the day before. The trail continued to climb until from the highest point I had good views over the valley before slowly I began to descend back down to the valley floor.

 

I got to Tyndrum about lunchtime and loitered around having a good look around the outdoors store trying to decide if there was anything I could possibly need. Then I went to the mini-market and did likewise. After eating my just-bought lunch I headed up the path to walk beside the railway line slowly heading towards Bridge of Orchy via the Auch Gleann Horseshoe. It was amazing to see this astonishing railway feature from the ground after previously only seeing it from the train, and seeing it in the rain didn’t lesson it’s effect. Eventually I reached Bridge of Orchy and after looking at the bridge in glorious sunshine (curse the weather!) I returned to the station where I was spending the night, in the bunkhouse on the platform, which is an extraordinary place to stay. The next day I would have another twenty mile walk to do which would take me all the way to Kinlochleven. Sixty miles were already done, and I did not have far to go to Fort William.

West Highland Way, part 3

Friday 16th July 2004

This was a long, tiring day on the West Highland Way, but I still got to my destination before 4.30 so maybe I should have taken things a little slower. I would have to slow down the next day because I was only walking fourteen miles as opposed to the twenty-one on this walk. I left Rowardennan at 8.30 and headed quickly along the forest track. Four miles of my total was passed by in just over an hour on a dull, unchanging trek along forestry tracks, but that was about to change as the path narrowed and the going got rough. The path to Inversnaid was tough but walkable and not even rain and billions of midges could stop me. This section of the Way seemed to have the worst swarms of midges but they didn’t bother me once I sprayed myself with Insect Repellent, which I knew would come in handy eventually! The path continued, rough as ever if not rougher, particularly around Rob Roy’s Cave where a very steep clamber over rocks was necessary, but it was fun in the wet. The tricky path continued along the side of Loch Lomond, until eventually I had to say goodbye to the loch on easier paths over a low hill and down to Inverarnan.

Picture by John Butler:
I didn’t need to go to Inverarnan as it is off the route by almost a mile, but it was lunch time and I had plenty of time so I walked to the Drover's Inn and had a ‘Toastie’ and orange juice. I wasted almost an hour by this diversion and all I succeeded in doing was bringing me back to schedule. The remaining seven miles to Crianlarich was along a good path past rapids and waterfalls until I passed under the railway line and road, and climbed up the side of the valley on an old military road. I don’t know if it is a deliberate gesture by the Scots against a symbol of English domination, but the track was covered with animal mess, which made this one of the trickiest sections of the day as I tried to avoid the muck, which was occasionally unavoidable. Eventually I reached a crossroads where the trail turns left and I went right steeply down into Crianlarich where there is a good hostel even though was full of foreigners. Still, Crianlarich is a good village that I had been to before due to the locality of a railway station. The next day was going to be an easy walk to Bridge of Orchy and the railway would be with me the whole way.

West Highland Way, part 2

Thursday 15th July 2004

My catalogue of losses while walking the West Highland Way continued to build on this walk. As I was packing in the morning I realised that I didn’t have my shampoo, which is not an original occurrence. Checking in the shower, however, failed to find it so I was feeling a little happy to see the last of Balmaha when I left, which is a shame as it’s a nice village and I enjoyed myself there the previous evening, but it was tainted by my carelessness. That is tragic as the village certainly does not deserve it. On this day I walked just seven miles along the West Highland Way passing through woodland beside Loch Lomond and over steep headlands. It was a good walk with plenty of variety, but before long I was at the Rowardennan Car Park at the foot of Ben Lomond, and in the rain.

After a moment to question my sanity I headed up the steep path that climbs through woodland and onto the moorland. Fortunately the rain soon cleared and I had an enjoyable time walking along the not too steep path in open country with tremendous views of Loch Lomond behind me. As I neared the top it started raining, the clouds descended and going became steeper so when I finally reached the summit of my first Munro it was very cold, wet and windy, which was not very pleasant. After eating my lunch I got my gloves out and put my waterproof trousers on, but some idiot had packed them at the bottom of my rucksack, which did not put me in the best of moods. In view of the poor weather, I decided to abandon my plan to descend via Ptarmigan and returned the way I had come. The rain soon stopped (naturally) and I had a pleasant descent until I started overheating in my waterproofs. It eventually started raining again, though only lightly, before I reached the wood, which did not help.

By the time I reached the car park I was seriously overheated, so it would have helped if I’d had any water left (!), but I suppose I also should have walked more slowly and taken breaks during the descent, but that's just typical of me. When I recovered I went to the Rowardennan Hotel, where I had a couple of drinks and by the time I returned to the nice, secluded hostel the sun had come out, which is just typical. The next day was going to be a big walk: twenty miles to Crianlarich over what is considered to be the toughest part of the West Highland Way. I couldn't wait! It sounded like fun.

West Highland Way, part 1

Wednesday 14th July 2004

My first walking holiday in Scotland was three years ago and began with a walk along the West Highland Way, but it did not start well, though there were some good moments. Before starting the walk I got some money out of the bank as I would not reach another bank until I got to Kinlochleven, but I had already spent half of it!. When I got to Milngavie it was raining so after buying a sandwich for my lunch I donned my waterproofs and started the West Highland Way. Initially, I made very good progress over almost flat country with the first six miles being covered in one hour forty minutes, but then I stopped off at the Glengoyne Distillery, since, well, I couldn’t resist it. I had a wee dram – very nice, good thing I wasn’t driving – and bought a miniature bottle to add to my collection. Last time I was in Scotland I bought a Highland Park Scotch, and now I have a Glengoyne.

I resumed my walk along the Way along a disused railway line for another three miles until I came off onto a road where I encountered some gradients and my mileage dropped. I reached the twelve mile point, in Drymen, at about lunch time so I had something to eat, and by now my legs were beginning to ache, but after eating I kept going and climbed into the Garadhban forest. The rain at the start of the walk had quickly stopped to be replaced by intermittent sunshine that was really good walking weather. Coming out of the forest I got my first real look at Loch Lomond while on the trail and it took my breath away. I had a fantastic view along the line of islands on the Highland Fault that could be easily seen stretching across the loch. This is what it is all about. There followed a highly pleasurable moorland crossing over to Conic Hill as I passed on to and around the hill. [The picture below was not taken by me, unlike all the other pictures featured in my blog. When I walked the West Highland Way I didn't have a camera with me so I have none of my own pictures to use. The picture below, of the scene across Loch Lomond from Conic Hill, was taken by John Butler and features on his excellent web site End to End Walk. It is being used by kind permission.]

The descent down to Balmaha was easy, and it had taken me less than seven hours to do the whole nineteen miles. It was a good, enjoyable walk, so what was wrong with it? Well, at the end of the walk is a visitor centre wherein I managed to lose my maps. An extensive search failed to locate the missing maps so I had to buy replacements. It was fortunate that they had them there, but it was a huge expense that I hadn’t anticipated. And then there was where I stayed: Bunkhouse Lodge. I didn’t really know what to expect so I was surprised to find a room all to myself, although admittedly it wasn’t very big! My next cockup was with some cans I had bought from the local shop for dinner only to find out that there no kitchen facilities are provided in the bunkhouse. Oops! Instead I had to have something to eat in the nearby pub, which was much more expense, and since the bunkhouse did provide breakfast and packed lunches there was even more expense. Therefore I had already spent £37 from the £50 that I had taken out of the bank in the morning. I supposed that the cans would do for the next day and for now I had just treated myself to eating-out, so it’s just a pity that I hadn’t planned it that way.

The day actually ended quite well as I took a walk along the banks of Loch Lomond to Craigie Fort. It was wonderful watching the sun setting over Loch Lomond while listening to Runrig through my earphones (who were incidentally also being played at the distillery shop). When I returned to Balmaha there was a Highland band playing so I just sat under a tree watching the proceedings in the glorious evening sunshine. All in all it was not such a bad day, except for one or two things.