Wednesday 25th May 2022
After several days in Crianlarich and one day later than planned, I set off along the West Highland Way, which is a long distance trail that must be one of the most popular in Britain. My first walking holiday in Scotland involved walking along the trail back in 2004, so it was interesting for me to reacquaint myself with the trail after all those years, even though I didn’t have the best weather. As I left Crianlarich Youth Hostel it was wet and drizzly, which is one reason why I was happy to be keeping to the low ground on the West Highland Way. After passing the railway station, I went under the bypass, which hadn’t been there in 2004, and climbed through the woodland where the trees to my right had recently been felled exposing the trees to my left and resulting in some of them blowing over during the winter storms. At the junction at the top of Glen Bogle, I joined the main route of the West Highland Way, which bypasses Crianlarich, and headed up into a conifer plantation soon getting very hot in my waterproofs. This is a problem with walking in warm and wet weather as despite the claims of many manufacturers of outdoor clothing that their gear is breathable I have found they rarely are, or at least not with the ones that I can afford.
My solution was to put on a wide-brimmed hat, which still kept me dry, but allowed me to cool down. While I was briefly on the West Highland Way two days earlier going south from Crianlarich to Derrydaroch in Glen Falloch, I passed many people coming the other way, but at this point I didn’t see anyone, although I was now going with the general flow of traffic rather than against as before. The rain eased with the gradient and soon I saw some blue sky, which with the isolation within the enclosing wood and a brief opening that afforded with me wider views helped to make this a lovely walk although before too long the trail started to descend and it started raining again. Crossing the raging Herive Burn the walk continued to be enjoyable as I made my way along a narrow undulating path through the conifer plantation that despite being clearly manmade seemed surprisingly wild. I was surprised at how much I was enjoying the West Highland Way. Near the bottom of the hill I came upon an area of felled trees where I was exposed to the wind blowing down Strath Fillan, so when it started raining again my wide-brimmed hat proved useless and had to be removed while I was under the shelter of a railway bridge.
After scampering across the busy A82 road, I crossed the river and the valley floor to reach Kirkton Farm and the remains of St Fillan’s Priory. Although the landscape was now definitely not wild, it is a farm, since the rain had stopped and sun was attempting to come out, I felt good to be walking and this positive mood kept me going past Auctertyre, under the A82 and beside the river into the delightful Tyndrum Community Woodland. Before leaving the river I stopped to take some pictures of the waterfalls near Dalrigh and tried to avoid a mine vehicle that passed by, which was certainly not there in 2004. It was a relief to come off the Mine Road and onto a good path that passes through fabulous scenery decorated with the yellow flowers of broom. Although I had a map with me, I never needed it as the West Highland Way is very well signposted on excellent paths, so I could just relax and enjoy the scenery all around me while blindly following the paths and the signposts that took me into all the way into Tyndrum. On reaching the village the heavens opened so I sought shelter in the shops where I bought my lunch and some food for the next couple of days.
Once the rain had stopped I set off along the wide, tedious track that climbs out of Tyndrym and initially I had good views into a heavily wooded gorge to my right, however the West Highland Way was now finally showing its popularity with many people in sight both ahead of me and behind as I followed the track into the narrowing valley. The A82 road, the railway and the track were all being squeezed together as we headed north in the improving weather and by the time I reached the top of the pass I was enjoying sunshine and good views north. Soon after the start of the descent the trail came off the track onto a narrow, rocky path that was reminiscent of a mountain trail with all its interest, but soon the West Highland Way drops down under the railway and onto another wide track that lacks interest except for the views down the valley that were dominated by the bulk of Beinn Dorain. A long walk followed against a strong headwind and took me down to the Allt Kinglass river and around the tall slopes of Beinn Dorain to reach the railway station at Bridge of Orchy coincidentally at the same time as a train was stopping there.
In 2004 I had stayed at the bunkhouse that is in the station buildings, but now I kept going down to the bridge over the River Orchy and onto a good path that soon became stony and climbs through woodland. Once again I became hot in my waterproofs, but as I emerged from the wood I was rewarded for my effort with good views back to Beinn Dorain and north towards Loch Tulla. When I reached the top of the pass, over Màm Carraigh, the wind picked up and it started raining again so I had a very unpleasant descent down to the road at the Inveroran Hotel, though by the time I reached the bottom the wind had eased and the rain had stopped. From the hotel I walked along the road passing a popular wild camping spot beside the bridge over the Allt Tolaghan until I reached Victoria Bridge near Forest Lodge where I turned left off the West Highland Way. A short walk along the track beside the Abhainn Shira took me to a conifer plantation where I stopped and under the shelter of the trees I put up my new, lightweight tent. This was an amazing, varied walk with some great paths and some tedious tracks; there were some great views when the sun shone, but also heavy rain and strong winds. The unsettled weather was ideal for walking the West Highland Way and I was really surprised by how enjoyable I found it.
No comments:
Post a Comment