Over General Wade’s Military Roads

Day 5 – Thursday 14 May 2009 - Tyndrum to Kingshouse - 20 miles

Today we planned to catch up our friends Gerry and Linda Bindless, who had set off a day before us and were to take two days to reach Kings House, the hotel at the head of Glencoe, whilst we were going to do the 20 miles in one go. Except that Val’s feet were still a bit tender so we decided that I would walk the seven miles to Bridge of Orchy on my own, and Val would catch the train from Tyndrum from where we would do the remaining 13 miles together.

After breakfast with a young couple from Cologne (Andreas looks like Matt Damon) I started at 8:15, leaving Val to shop for lunch as the train wasn’t until 10:30. Yet another glorious morning and the scenery was superb, following the military road out of Tyndrum, parallel to the railway for a while, with the massive conical shape of Beinn Dorain rearing up in front. The road was soon left behind and the route was just delghtful, passing Auch Farm and following the valley north. I arrived at Bridge of Orchy in two hours, somewhat early, and ended up having a cup of tea with the guy who runs the bunkhouse which is the old station waiting room (you can find it on www.westhighlandwaysleeper.co.uk) and talking about why he took it over, and also catching up on the three amigos who had stayed there the previous night, blisters and all.

When Val rang in a panic to say that the train hadn’t arrived, my host reassured me that it was just late (because the south bound train had been late) and so I passed this information on to her – I could tell she was baffled by the fact that I was so confident with my info! She arrived a little later, accompanied by two men – one a local, the other a genuine American Indian who had met on a cruise and the American was now back paying a visit. They’re a friendly lot up in Scotland. None of them had seen a conductor or been asked for a ticket so couldn’t pay for the privilege of travelling on this wonderful section of railway!

Past the Bridge of Orchy Hotel, over the hill to the sound of Cuckoos to the Inveroran Hotel where Gerry and Linda stayed last night, and then on to Victoria Bridge (north of Loch Tulla) and the incredible military road over Rannoch Moor – not tarmac, but a genuine Macadam-built road built in the early 19^th century (I think) with not a pothole in sight. Apparently this was the only road north to Fort William until 1933, so presumably everyone went by train! The road runs to the north of Loch Tulla but has no views of it, because the line of sight is blocked by Forestry Commission plantations, which is a shame. On the opposite side, however, the views towards the the Stob Ghabhar group and the Black Mount are excellent as the road climbs gently but relentlessy on to Rannoch Moor, and after Loch Tulla is left behind the view south opens up over the vast moor towards Schiehallion.

A couple of years ago I was guest speaker at the annual dinner of the Rannock Sheep Breeders annual dinner. Note the spelling – I thought they must have something do do with Rannoch Moor, but instead ‘rannock’ turns out to be a derisory term for a useless sheep – it’s a group of (mainly) Yorkshire Farmers and they have a reet good neet aht once a year. I’m now an honorary member and it’s an annual event I look forward to.

I digress. We met a German couple, Sabine and Heiko, who had been up to the snow line on Meall a’ Bhuiridh. They had stayed last night at the Inveroran and had met Gerry and Linda. So after passing the White Corries ski resort and Blackrock Cottage (it’s on every Scottish Tourist Board advert) we arrived at the Kingshouse Hotel. I’ve been in the Walkers’ Bar and wasn’t expecting much (unlike the Rowardennan). Instead I was pleasantly surprised – the hotel has bags of character, a great atmosphere and superb views of Sron na Creise and Buachaille Etive Mor.

We met up with Gerry and Linda and had a beer outside with Sabine and Heiko, and talked about the possibility of climbing Buachaille Etive Mor tomorrow, if the weather would hold. The Canadian group reappeared for dinner, but of the three girls, the three amigos or Jeff there was no sign. There was a fairly large group called the Walking Women, but whilst their intra-social skills may have been great, there was little in the way of inter-social, if you see what I mean. Fabulous sunset.

Photos: 1. Beinn Dorain from near Auch; 2. The old station at Bridge of Orchy, now a bunkhouse; 3. Fantastic! On General Wade's military road; 4. Peace and quiet shattered!; 5. Blackrock Cottage and Buachaille Etive Mor; 6. Sron na Creise from Kingshouse.