Tulloch Farm Roybridge

... side. Loch Katrine peak was higher, I figured, so this was the best place to take my summit conquering shots from. Sure enough I saw no-one at all on the climb up, and the summit was deserted and windy but wonderfully peaceful. It was cloudy climbing all the way up, and I wondered if the views would be distorted. Thankfully not - it was a ...

Today, I was planning to go to the youth hostel at the castle, but the Land Rover had other plans!!!

Oh dear, game over! I popped out to start the Land Rover this morning at around 9am and the engine was smoking like a trooper and sounding a lot worse than it normally does. I called the AA at around 10:00 and they turned up at at around 10:45 from a local garage. He told me that the engine is fairly terminal (piston problem ...

... 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!

... will be the opportunity for a hot shower at the end!

By the time I reach Beinglas Farm, a campsite just outside Inverarnan, and discover that the link path has turned into a thigh-deep stream necessitating walking back through the campsite, I retire to their bar/cafe for a bowl of hot soup and a cup of tea! Refreshed, I head to the Drover's Inn on the main road to see the famous taxidermy menagerie (including a "haggis") and catch the bus back to Crianlarich ...

... on this road, and infact noone ever seems to walk on this road, so I looked like a bit of a muppet walking up the road to take these pictures. Luckily things like that don't really bother me, and so I proceeded to take multiple pictures of cows ...

... 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 ...

My planned rest day in Fort William has been scuppered by a real lack of accommodation for the next couple of days. The only way I can find anywhere to sleep on Friday night is to walk 23 miles to Kingshouse and then head off the West Highland Way (WHW) by taking a bus to Glencoe.

This section of the WHW has a reputation of being challenging due to the "Devil's Staircase" - a steep climb outside Kingshouse. Doing it backwards I've made it harder for ...

It was a day of rest today. It rained all day long and it was actually a welcomed respite. We have been going every day since we arrived nearly 2 weeks ago. We did attempt to go into Aberfoyle to the local market, however, the roads had a different idea. When we arrived at the edge of town, the road was flooded and we could not go any further. We simply turned around and came back.

... on the whole trip, in addition to being twisty and curvy. It took us quite high, and to another of the moorland pastures up in the mountains. I found that walking through heather and moorland is not so easy. The ground is rough and uneven and sometimes unexpectedly sucks your foot down. Walking through it involves paying a lot of attention and lifting your feet high, trying to step over it or through it. I think of heather as flat and close to the ...

... as said that even though his feet had been wet before at least they had been warm and this water was icy. Very rocky path and slippery underfoot as wet, so being careful. Sticks coming in very handy. Emergency Snicker stop for energy. Starting to get late(ish) but have to be nearly there. Came off the moorland and could sort of see buildings in the distance. Went past a hydro-electric station and now on a proper road again, so can't be far. Surprising though the road just kept going ...