West Highland Way: Part Three

"Is the last mile the hardest mile?” – The Smiths

Day Five: Inveroran Hotel to Kinlochleven (16 miles)

It was bucketing down when we awoke that morning, so we decided to linger over our breakfast. They were serving bagels after all (oh yes, tasty Canadian bagels in the Highlands!).

The first half of the walk that day would be through the Rannoch Moor. It is the largest moor in Britain, and is described by our guidebook as “barren, bleak, desolate and inhospitable”. We had been told that the moor was a miserable place in the rain because there was absolutely no protection from the elements. Again, we got lucky as the rain stopped shortly after leaving the hotel and didn’t come back in any proper form for the duration of the day.

After walking through a small, cultivated forest we entered the moor proper. It had a very powerful effect on me as it was indeed a very barren place, complete with small lochans and snow covered hills scattered throughout. The boggy grass and granite rock combined with the grey sky contributed to the sense of isolation, as did the fact we could see the path, both before and behind us, for miles – completely uninterrupted. Despite this, or in fact because of this, I found it to be a beautiful stretch of terrain to walk though. The land steadily rose, and a small cairn marked the peak height of 445 metres. From here we could see fantastic views of Glen Coe, and we both looked forward to returning to this part of the Highlands which we had visited only a few months previous.

After emerging from the moor, we made our first stop of the day at the Kings House Hotel, built in the 17th Century to house troops in King George III’s army. There were two entrances to the hotel, one for guests and another for walkers. Our entrance took us to the decidedly dingier part of the hotel, but no matter as it was full of fellow walkers, some of those we had drank with the night before, and others whom we had seen days previous. We had a lovely brie and cranberry baguette that was pure luxury compared to the usual pub grub.

Shortly after leaving the hotel, the path took us within view of Bidean nam Bian, the peak we had climbed back in March. It also took us to the base of what is known as the Devil’s Staircase. This is a zigzagging part of the trail that goes up a steep stretch of hill, taking you to a peak of 548 metres. This by itself wouldn’t have been too bad, but it was tough going after already having walked over 10 miles that day. We could feel every pound of our rucksacks during the ascent, and as a result the climb was a strenuous piece of business. But the view at the top made it all worthwhile, allowing us take in all the beautiful terrain of the Glen Coe region. In short order we had descended 100 metres and could see the town of Kinlochleven below us where we would be spending the evening. But the view was very deceiving. I was convinced we would be there within the hour, but due to the steepness of the descent, the path took a long and zigzaggy route down the mountain that took a serious toll on our knees. It was in fact another two hours before we arrived at our destination, and each of our knees was loudly protesting upon arrival.

We stayed at the Tailrace Inn that night, where we shared drinks and a meal with two couples whom we had met that day. It was great to hear that other people were experiencing the same pains and delights as we were! As Kinlochleven is home to the Atlas Brewery, we knocked back several of their very delicious pints that night.

Day Six: Kinlochleven to Fort William (14 miles)

And here we were, well rested and ready to embark on our final day of the WHW. I was feeling nostalgic already, and could scarcely believe how fast the previous five days seemed to have gone by. We had heard that the final 14 miles to Fort William contained no especially difficult terrain, so we were happy to take our time and really soak in all the atmosphere of this day.

Shortly after leaving Kinlochleven, we entered a forest and immediately were faced with a 250-metre climb that admittedly was a tough way to ease into the day. We had found that it took a good hour each morning before our stiff limbs would acquiesce to co-operate with us, and they were none too pleased to make this steep ascent that morning. But as with most climbs, the view made it all worthwhile as we were presented with a stunning view of the rocky valley that we would be walking through that morning, a valley enclosed by towering mountains on both sides. The rain was off and on that morning, but I was so grateful for the previous days of good weather that the rain was no bother at all. In fact, I thought it heightened the atmosphere of the place. The path again was an old gravel military road, and it snaked its way through the valley for many miles, occasionally passing through forest plantations.

While walking through one of these plantations, we passed though a clearing where we got our first glimpse of the majestic Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Britain with a height of 1344 metres. The sun had returned at this point, filling the air with plumes of steam as the day’s rainwater began to evaporate. This forest was especially gorgeous, as the trail worked its way through the dense trees and over swift moving streams. The path was busy this day, and the excitement in the air was tangible as fellow walkers discussed the imminent end to their journey.

We came across a detour that takes the walker to the remains of Dun Deardail, an Iron Age fort on the base of a small hill. It took Fiona some convincing to take a detour off the path at this point in our journey (and fair enough!) but it was worth it to see the remains of the fort and for the incredible view of Glen Nevis and the Ben itself.

After retracing our steps to rejoin the path, we made our way through Nevis Forest, and then made the gradual descent into Glen Nevis and towards the River Nevis. The glen was absolutely gorgeous, full of lush farms and herds of bleating sheep. And of course, we were very close to the base of Ben Nevis itself. From this vantage point, the Ben looked very intimidating indeed, with a cloud cover having settled in so that we could not see its peak. To add to the drama, it wasn’t long before we heard the crash of thunder. Literally no more than a mile from the end, and we were going to get caught in a thunderstorm! We hastened down the path, which soon ran parallel to a road that leads to Fort William. It was at this point when the skies opened and all the rain we had been lucky enough to avoid for most of the trip fell upon our weary heads. The wind picked up, and the lightning flashed all around us. I’ll admit it was a little scary to think that we could have been much higher in elevation and exposed had we left an hour later that morning.

After a walk of this duration and quality, one would almost expect the final stretch to be filled with natural delights that could bring a tear to the eye. In fact, the final stretch consisted of no more than a sidewalk along a two-lane road through the outskirts of Fort William. I felt that there should have been a group full of well-wishers with balloons to greet us in Fort William, with the mayor waiting to present us with a medal. In fact, the end consisted of no more than an anticlimactic sign telling us “You have reached the end of the West Highland Way” by the side of a busy road.

Anticlimaxes aside, it was a hell of a buzz knowing we had finished our 95-mile odyssey. We trundled into the first pub we saw, and were pleased to discover the same couples from the night before enjoying their first post-walk pint. We quickly joined them and proceeded to down many a drink and tell tales about each of our trips – a proper end to a wonderful six days.

A nice postscript came on the next day when we took the West Highland Railway back to Glasgow. Many parts of the railway run close to the WHW itself, so we had a chance to relive some of the scenery from the comfort of our train coach.

The West Highland Way was simply one of the most incredible experiences of my life and the memories from it will linger with me always, especially during long days stuck in an office. I have also now been fully introduced to the wonderful world of walking holidays. Up next – hopefully this autumn - will be the Great Glen Way, the continuation of the WHW from Fort William to Inverness. Although next time, I’ll be sure to pack less.