Thursday June 13th. 2024.
It had rained on and off during the night so Sheila informed me. It was still spitting a little when I got up at 7.30am. We decided to do this section of the WHW as we hadn't done it before and we happened to be right on the doorstep. We had done the previous section and also the next sections of the "way", so it made sense to do it. I tried to find a good route back from Bridge of Orchy but there was nothing jumping out at me and at 23km I didn't fancy going much further.
We decided it was easier to return the same way and we shouldn't forget the views would be different going in the opposite direction..
First though, breakfast was needed and we headed for The Green Wellie stop. Wow has this place changed over the years. You can now buy anything and they have been extremely diligent at finding ways to empty your wallet. I have to admit though it isn't TAT and the wifi was fantastically fast. They now do overnight parking at £6 and they have clothes washing and drying facilities for all to use. Currently the prices are, £10 for an 8Kg wash, or £15 for an 18Kg wash and £3 to dry. I thought that was reasonable but I was told that the prices had doubled in the last 18months.
Our usual morning porridge was ordered in the cafe and a black coffee. It was excellent. We set off and it wasn't raining. Bonus. A quick call into the Keystone mini-market for a bar of chocolate and off we went.
It doesn't take long to get out of the village and into open country where the views are just superb. There are quite a few good places to do a wild camp between the Dam on From Allt and the Auch Estate.
Beinn Dorain commands your eye more or less throughout the route and what a grand mountain. We had a bit of a laugh about it. It went like this:- There was 2 hikers in front of us and I noticed his tent, so I said to Sheila "that's a Big Agnes". Sheila said "right"! Strange name for a mountain, Big Agnes. I look at her and said "what"?She said "you just said "That's Big Agnes"........ So from then on Beinn Dorain was renamed Big Agnes.
A couple caught us up, said morning and left the track to ascend Meall Buidhe and Beinn Odhar. It was certainly a great day for it. Even though it was a very warm day there was plenty of water around.
We were quite surprised how quiet the route was, it certainly wasn't busy and I guess we saw about a dozen hikers in total between Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy. However there was littering all along the route. Mainly tissues, probably a whole box and a few water bottles.
The views opened up and although the A82 is handrailed it wasn't noisy at all and the wide expanse of the glen is wonderful. Passing through the Auch Estate it was a hive of activity. There was tree removal, large drainage pipes being installed, new offices and visitor facilities built. It must be costing a fair bit of money. There was also a herd of highland cattle and calves.
Soon the first sights of Bridge of Orchy came into view, then the platform of the railway station. We had to go under the railway line and follow the approach road down to the main road and into the hotel. A new pub is being built in the old school house which will be called "The 60 Miles Inn". A very clever name. It is going to be a posh place with Pods and hot tubs etc. The West Highland Way has certainly brought a lot of money to Scotland and if any of you can remember when it was first drawn up many people in the Outdoor world said it wasn't needed. How wrong they were.
The hotel was quiet and we were served straight away with Coffee and a large slice of stunning carrot cake. Then it started raining. Just a shower but it was enough to get us back up and moving on our return journey to Tyndrum.
We had numerous showers but nothing heavy. The skies were laden though and we thought it wouldn't be long before we have a downpour. We had time after about 5km to stop for a coffee and a sandwich. then it started to rain heavily and waterproofs were donned. It rained most of the remaining walk so we had to call into the Tyndrum Arms for refreshments. It would have been rude not too.
Any interesting trip Alan though some of what you welcome I regret! Also, when many of us said that we don’t need the WHW, or indeed a ‘Ways’ we meant because we had the right to ‘roam our native heath’ anyway so didn’t need what you have south of the border. The WHW, as you say, benefits businesses on the route but equally sucks business from those which aren’t. I felt the same about the LRA 2003 in terms being unnecessary and , as predicted, some (by no means all) landowners give ‘access points’ and think they’ve met their obligations under the Act and don’t want you straying on to the open hillside. The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority once spoke of ‘access takers’ and ‘access givers’. This reveals disturbing thinking in my view. Hope your enjoying your holiday if you’re still up here.
ReplyDeleteHi Gibson, I am not condoning or condemning the WHW I was just making the point that it must be the single most lucrative leisure activity in Scotland. With 30,000 visitors on it each year it must bring into the Scottish economy a huge pay day.
DeleteI’m sure you’re right Alan and that’s all to the good.
DeleteI have always shunned the WHW on the grounds of an anticipated walk in a procession but you do make it seem attractive. I doesn't look so viewed from the road. I took my own route from Drymen when I walked my LEJOG.
ReplyDeleteHi Conrad. I didn’t fancy doing the Dryman to Crainlarich section either. But I think from Crainlarich onwards it is quite a lovely walk. To be honest Conrad I expected a precession of walkers but we must have been lucky on our days because it wasn’t busy. I expect my next posting will please you and Gibson a lot more.
ReplyDelete