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Published: July 18th 2022
Wednesday, 13 July 2022, Day 9 West Highland Way. Kingshouse Hotel to Kinlochleven. 10 miles, 4 hours 43 minutes 1341 elevation gain.
If you are looking for a wonderful luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by beautiful mountains and close to a ski lift up one of the UKs tallest mountains, this is the place. After our walk yesterday, I had a Stella Artois. The lady at the bar asked me if I knew about the hotel. Answering no, she proceeded to tell me that after the fire it was bought and restored to its current condition by the family that owns and brews this beer in Belgium. They come a couple of times a year she told me. The rooms are very lovely with views of the mountains and they have a relatively tame red deer that loves having its picture taken. There are two bars and a nice restaurant. We had dinner last night and our best breakfast with a selection of fresh fruit and all the usual pastries and full hot English Breakfast.
Today we climb the Devil's Staircase up over the mountains and descend 1800 feet into Kinlochleven which is at sea level.
The day started fine but after breakfast the wind and rain moved in. It was a brisk 48 degrees when we started out at 0835, and the hands were cold walking. The first 3 miles were relatively easy walking on dirt and rock along a military road. At a busy curve on the A82 we cross a stream and start up the hill. I am ahead and it is a few minutes before I see Jo. She had fallen and almost slid into a ditch of water. Both of us now on the trail, and recovered, we started up the more than 800 feet climb with loose rock of all sizes. The saving grace was many switchbacks, a rarity in the UK. They like to go straight up and straight down any hill, mountain or other obstacles in their way to where they want to go. The wind and rain continued to blow into our faces as we walk. It was only Jo and me as Lee had developed a sore throat and was not feeling well, so elected to ride the bus with the 3 ladies. I was able to go online and book the four tickets on the
914 bus to Glencoe Village but they had to transfer there to the N44 bus to Kinlochleven.
As we slowly went up the staircase about 12 youngsters came racing by us as they climbed to the pass. A the cairn marking the highest point on the WHW we see the group off to our left climbing to the top of the adjacent mountain, probably Stob Mhic Mhartuin peak.
We continued to the other side of the mountain passing many streams until we meet the Old Military Road near the Penstock for the hydroelectric pipelines on the River Leven. and the 4 miles down to Kinlochleven. The trail was more gentle with many downs to a burn (stream) then up the far side then down to the next one and so on. We did get a wet, windy photo of us at the top with the cairn marking this day's high point before the descent. Just after this we are passed by the same runner who passed us near the end of the day yesterday. At a point the Old Military Road becomes a very steep downgrade, making it tough on the knees and legs going down.
The
only other items of note were the four mountain bikers pushing their bikes up and over the big rocks that made up the steps on the path we were taking down. They had at least 1000 feet more of climbing on this tough trail. Next were the six large pipelines that bring water from a large reservoir to the hydro electric plant in Kinlochleven that was the largest power plant in UK when built in 1906 to power the aluminum smelter here.
Once we arrived in the village we had another mile of circumnavigation via google maps to find our lodging at Tigh Na Cheo B&B. Listed as a 4 star hotel; it is not. But appears it will be comfortable enough. Jo and I arrived minutes before the other four got off the bus and found their way to the B&B as well.
About the town: https://www.kinlochleven.org.uk/kinlochleven-visitor-hub/kinlochleven-area/
After getting to our rooms we walk to the indoor ice climbing wall and have a bowl of soup at their cafe. I talked with them about hiking boots but they suggest we wait to look for them until we get to Fort William. The old aluminum smelter has
been repurposed into an outdoor climbing center with the unique indoor ice climbing wall inside a cold storage locker with 40 foot high walls.
Later, Karen, Norma and I will go out for dinner and then walk to the Grey Mares Tail waterfall. We pass many interesting gardens in the front of the houses. Most of the houses look like company houses that are apartment buildings or duplexes but all quite similar.
The waterfall was worth the mile out and back walk.
Silvertoes notes: Kinlochleven, company town
We trudge back .8 of a mile over the West Highland Way to the junction. We cross the A82 and decide to stand in front of a huge sign for the ski center. The wind is coming from our back and the sign shelters us. Eventually more people come and huddle in the area. There are three young guys and I ask one to take our picture. I then invite them to huddle with us in front of the sign. They are all three from Orkney. Orkney is an archipelago off the NE coast of Scotland. It is famous for Neolithic sites, tall sandstone cliffs and seal lions. Radiocarbon
dating suggests people lived in Skara Brae (Orkney) before Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids of Giza. They love their isle and regale us with tales of being on ferries when bad weather arrives and the skipper will skip the Orkneys and go on to the Shetlands further north. What was to be a quick ferry ride home turns into a multi-day adventure trying to go south from the Shetlands to Orkney.
We have the same bus driver as we had previously and relax as he starts off to go to Glencoe Village. We immediately are wedged in between the mountains of Buachaille Etive Mor and Bidean nam Bian.
The valley has been featured in James Bond’s “Skyfall” and several Harry Potter movies.
The roads are incredibly narrow but ‘our man’ masterfully guides our coach through the outstanding scenery. I witness driving skills needed for this trip, I am on the side of the coach that is closest to the oncoming traffic; the most exciting events are bus meeting bus or bus meeting construction equipment. Passing with only inches to spare, we navigate the pass. It is a beautiful day and the mountains are at their best!
In Glencoe Village we must alight as our bus goes on to Fort William and we need to travel to Kinlochleven at the far end of Loch Leven. We finally decide where the new bus line leaves from. It has a little building, purple, for waiting passengers. Now that we are pretty sure we know what we are doing (Sandy has checked out the different bus line operations with a woman waiting across the street for a bus!) we walk up the little one lane traffic road to town. Norma and I peruse the small general store and then we decide to have lunch at the cafe. It is bustling but we wedge ourselves in at a table with Sandy and Lee. I have soup and the most delicious scone ever.
Back to the bus stop and on to Kinlochleven. It is a wild ride with a young bus driver and I search for the seat belt. People do not eat or drink on the buses and they are very clean. We all arrive at almost the same time at our BnB. It is on a hill overlooking the loch.
I like this former company town. Some of
the guide books deride the town and say it is just fading into history but I felt an energy emanating from this village. It has been 21 years since the aluminum company gave back the land to the local council. It is obviously trying to create itself as a center for outdoor sports and activities. It is clean and just seems to have a nice spirit–so much for guide book evaluations.
Kinlochleven is a company town but unlike many it is neat as a pin and well kept. We were lucky to get food for our dinner. Reservations were not to be had and at one bar/cafe they said we could stay if we ate outside. A little nippy but very doable!
Harlan has mentioned the beautiful waterfall. One would think we had had our surfeit of waterfalls but this was unique–hidden around a corner of an area that had a delightful stream bed that we followed.
We walked around another part of the town and came to two gnome/dwarf landscaped front yards. They are hilarious. The yards are well-kept but you could hardly see the grass for all the creatures inhabiting the area.
The name
of our hotel is Tigh Na Cheo . When I first saw the name I thought a Southeast Asian family had moved to Kinlochleven and wondered why! But after looking at it repeatedly I do believe it is Gaelic Scots! They do have a lovely sitting room with many maps and books that we find to our liking! It is easy to 'while away the time' spending some quiet minutes before bedl
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