WHW day 3, Sunday 17/06/18: Rowardennan to Inverarnan

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Day 3 - Sunday 17/06/18; Rowardennan to Inverarnan - 13.5 miles ( 15.12 actual)
Felt a wee bit stiff when I first got up but soon wore off - Michelle on the other hand was saying ouch the minute her feet touched the floor! Had breakfast about 8 then set off about 8.40. Spent about 15 mins trying to shut the case - hope the zip doesn’t burst & hope Ginger Routes employ strong drivers! ?
Soon became apparent the walk was going to be a tough one. Walking alongside Loch Lomond, one minute we were high up looking down on the water, then a few minutes later we were practically walking on the shoreline., and so it continued - sharp ascents followed by steep descents. Tree roots, big boulders, small waterways with stepping stones & uneven ground making sure progress was slow!
Day 3 had the dreaded alfresco pee scenario forced upon me. Jiggling about on the rough terrain had my bladder sloshing about until fit to burst, so after checking & double checking no other walkers around, I found a spot relatively close to the path because ground was very marshy even before I added to the moisture! Now what I didn’t factor into the equation was how weak my legs would be after a hard 2+ days of walking and on hearing the dreaded words “someone’s coming” from Michelle I hastily tried to stand up quickly only to have my legs buckle under me & land me in a snotty heap on the ground! My legs felt like jelly after my little squat & just wouldn’t take my weight - 3 times I tried to get up & fell again, as those bobbing heads got closer and closer! A fit of the giggles really didn’t help either & after a few choice words aimed at Michelle in case she thought a snapchat would be funny, a panic induced burst of stamina had me back on my feet, all zipped up & trying to look innocent. The smirk on the 2 guys faces as they walked past told me they knew EXACTLY what I’d been doing! ??.
We managed another burst of speed when we had the hotel we planned to stop for lunch in our sights, and it looked like a boat trip of tourists were about to dock right at the hotel meaning we’d have to wait ages for the lunch we had been drooling about for the last hour ?
After a burst of risky power walking, turned out the boat didn’t dock and we managed to reach the lovely Inversnaid Hotel before most of the other walkers as it was very quiet. There is also a lovely waterfall outside the hotel - very picturesque and def more enjoyable after a comfort break!
Quite a posh hotel but obviously used to WHW trade as they didn’t bat an eyelid when we trudged through the main guest lounge area, with a very obviously new carpet (lovely smell!) with our clumpy & very muddy boots! They are currently building a new entrance to bar area for walkers to use, but still a work in progress when we were there.
Place was practically empty when we arrived but by the time we got our delicious bacon butty & sausage butty, a steady stream of hungry walkers filled the place. Was just great to get weight off our feet for a while before facing the next 7 miles to Invernaan. This proved just as slow and arduous as the morning walk & by the time we reached Inverarnan we had practically lost the will to live. Some spectacular scenery tho and even with some low cloud the views were breathtaking at times. We passed Doune Bothy which is still used as basic shelter. Had a peek in & 3 lads sitting there having a beer. The whole place was dark, musty & depressing and maybe if you were caught in the vilest storm this century you might, just might be glad of the shelter, but why 3 lads chose to sit there drinking their beer when it was lovely outside with fantastic views is beyond me. Hey each to their own tho.
Spoke to a young lad from Australia - doing the walk on his own with a backpack to rival our massive suitcase - with his permission I tried to lift it but could barely get it off the ground never mind carry it up those steep slopes! Respect to him - he must have muscles like Arnie Swarzzenegar! He kept a good pace too! Made me sooo glad we booked accommodation & baggage transfer! At that point I couldn’t think of anything worse than having to pitch a tent after a long day walking then take it down and pack it away again next morning!
We finally reached the Quirky Drovers Inn at about 5pm. I say quirky but mean it in the loosest sense of the word! It reminded me of an Alton towers attraction the had deliberately been made to look like an old old pub, only the rotten wood, peeling wallpaper/paint & worn decor was through years of neglect not modern retro manufacturing! Having said that I did enjoy our stay. Our room was clean & had an ensuite. I wouldn’t like to stay there in winter tho as the rotten single glazed sash & case windows had a 1/4” gap at side - be quite a wind whistling through there in winter, and ensuite had no heating. Our meal was lovely tho & the staff were really friendly. They all wore kilts and Scottish music piped through the speakers, which was a nice touch I thought - & the foreign visitors would love that.
I had a really restless sleep & was awake from about 4-6am. Probably because I was in bed before 10.30 pm which is unheard of for me. I’m sure it wasn’t the resident ghost that kept me awake! Thankfully we weren’t given “the spooky room”! It’s supposed to be haunted!

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