West Highland Way 2010
May 28th 2010 - Day 4: Inverarnan to Tyndrum (12 miles)
Breakfast was a lively, hearty affair, all around one table in the kitchen. We tried to get away a bit early as we were trying to make Tyndrum in plenty of time to have dinner before Susan had to get the train back to Fort William. The day had dawned grey again, and we only made it back to Beinglas Farm before the sky opened! So we had to stop and haul out the waterproofs so our attempt at an early start really didn’t work out.
On the first part of today’s walk we were accompanied by the River Falloch on one side and the hills on the other. We walkers weren’t the only ones following the river, the road and the train line were there too, but despite the fact they had been distant for the last two days, I was too much in my own world for them to feel intrusive. My main memory of this morning is of water, river, falls, mist and streams and a wide gravel path. As the water levels were low, there wasn’t a dramatic scene at the Falls of Falloch.
The path and the River Falloch
Falls of Falloch
The dramatics were saved for after climbing out of the glen, which involved crossing under the train line by way of a sheep creep (obviously built for sheep and not people to fit through) and under the road by way of an enormous metal tube tunnel. The views up and down the glen as we joined another of the old military roads were fantastic despite the drizzle of the day! At this point my mobile rang – my husband calling to see how I was doing. I said “I’m up a mountain!” (Well, ok, I was part of the way up one) and loving every minute of it! This section until the turn off to Crainlarich is definitely one to where you can drink in the views, despite the uneven and sometimes difficult surface of the path.
Looking back at the path from near the turn-off to
Crainlarich
We opted to skip going into Crainlarich for lunch and instead snagged a picnic table at a viewpoint just up the hill from the turn-off point. On a nice day, I can imagine it’s a great spot. Unfortunately for us it was under the trees, and as the day was damp, the midges were out in full force. They convinced us to make lunch a short affair! We continued to climb up through the woods; occasionally we were offered sneak peaks through the trees to the glen below. On our descent, we were following a stream and there were several walkers opting to cool off in the water as we passed by. We crossed under an impressive viaduct carrying the railway and got exceptionally excited to see a sign advertising a refreshment stop in the near future as our tummies were now protesting our aborted lunch.
We crossed the bridge over the River Fillian and the track crossed a field where there we young lambs, that as a group gambolled along after us! We only stopped briefly to admire the atmospheric remains of the priory of St. Fillian as it was raining again and we were lured on by the promise of food.
On the quest for a tea stop
Auchtertyre campsite was great. The shop had a great selection of cake and other refreshments, the loos were plentiful, and the picnic tables come complete with cheeky chaffinches who are so brazen that they don’t wait for you to offer crumbs...
Not long after leaving the farm there is a short detour to see the ‘Holy Pool’, which was used to supposedly cure mad people. This side trip is worth it just for the descriptions of the healing ritual which is offered on the information board!
The last stretch of the walk into Tyndrum I enjoyed not for its particular beauty, as the land was quite scrubby and bare compared to the more lush pasture land we had been walking through earlier in the day, but for the historical association with Robert the Bruce. I thought the local legends at Dalrigh about the lost sword lent a little magic to the place and if we hadn’t been so intent on finishing the walk in good time, I would have liked to stop and spend a little bit of time here just to soak it up.
Nice place for a rest
The sun had come out and the late afternoon was pleasantly drying out and warming up. Kids were playing on the far bank of the river in the Caravan Park as we entered Tyndrum. We were staying at the By the Way Hostel, and had a private two-bunk room to ourselves which was huge by bunk room standards. We had a tasty and filling meal at Paddy’s Bar and Grill, before seeing Susan off at Tyndrum Upper Station. I finished the evening writing postcards to send to friends and family.