Distillery House Fort William

... through the woods and continued this way for 10 mins or so until I encountered a foot bridge across a small stream. At this point all the layers that I'd thought I might need were being rapidly torn off (a la Snowdon...). The path continued through flatter (and wetter) forest land, until the trees broke up, and I could see the Ben A ...

... phones through to the AA and books a transporter to take me back to take me back to Nottingham (East Leake).

Tow truck 1, turns up at 11:50 to take me on the first leg of the journey home from Fort William to Stirling. This takes approx 3 hours and I get dropped at Stirling service station where I am supposed to be met by the next tow truck. It takes about an hour for the next truck to turn up. Which was arranged for 14:30

... will go out of their way to help a stranger.

Things that made me smile today:

The multitude of frogs and toads enjoying the wet ground
The two couples who gave me sponsorship at Inversnaid
Feral goats at Inversnaid - the book is not wrong about their smell!
All the lovely people I met at the youth hostel
The drying room - it was extremely hot and all my kit is now properly dry!

... pours across the path in numerous places today turning tiny burns into quite fast-flowing streams and I need to keep my wits about crossing on stones in a number of places. By the time I get to the Glen Falloch area the water in the river is so strong that it's not clear which bit is actually the Falls of Falloch - there are several contending waterfalls! I'm getting pretty wet but I console myself with the thought that this is only temporary, I'm not cold and ...

... if I'd never seen one before), and hills.



On this little post-work afternoon stroll I made it as far as Port of Menteith and the Loch Lomond/Trossachs National Park. Then I realised I could actually continue walking for miles, but ...

... that I'm taking it face on. I'm frustrated that everyone I meet coming the other way looks almost dry! Still, my waterproofs and boots are doing an excellent job and underneath I'm not really wet. The moor seems bleak in this weather but on a clear day there are obviously stunning views to be had.

Heading down to Inverornan, the clouds suddenly roll away and the sun comes out. I take my chances and stop for a quick snack, revelling in the chance ...

... by 7pm (6-7 miles away)!

The last two miles follow the road across the bogs and moorland but the traffic is offset by the huge looming presence of Buchaille Etive Mor, an iconic and much-photographed hill that dominates the landscape. I stop to get a couple of shots, sad that the sky isn't clearer and wishing I'd got here earlier!

Kingshouse's only building is an historic droving inn and there is a popular wild camping spot ...

Innocence is a wonderful thing. If I could have foreseen a fraction of the events of today I would have stayed in the warm bunk. Instead I was treking into the base of Ben Nevis at 6am with a head torch illuminating the path ahead. I was at the back of the group and could barely keep up with the punshing pace set by Simon and the rest. I'd borrowed a couple of walking sticks, due to my dodgy knee, and without them I could not have left the car park. To increase the ...

... of the West Highland Way. Despite the fact that Milngavie (pronounced Mill-guy) was the smallest town we'd been in for ages, we promptly managed to get lost, but were thankfully rescued by a very sweet little Scottish lady, who set us right on our way. This will become a pattern in this entry - the genuinely lovely people you meet along the Way (and simply along the way). Purchased a map of the Way - I gasped appropriately at the distances and topographical lines ...