West Highland Way July 2022

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Tuesday 12 July 2022, Day 8 on the West Highland Way (WHW) Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse Hotel, Glencoe. 12.5 miles by Garmin, 1601 elevation gain by All Trails, 5 hours 30 minutes walking. This is our fastest rate of walking on the Way.

The accommodations at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel were new, small, modern rooms that have recently been added outside the main hotel in the photos. In Scotland there is no cooling, only heating of rooms. So on a relatively warm day there is no cooling air circulating in the rooms. Opening the windows runs the risk of midges. Plus we have to remove the inside of the duvet and sleep only under the cover. In spite of this we both had a good night's sleep.

We had our breakfast at 0730 and for the first time we had spinach with our poached egg. Jo wanted to be on the trail by 0830 as this was a 12 mile day. It was raining and windy as we crossed the Bridge of Orchy (built by Major Caulfeild in 1751) to join the WHW trail. Karen was the photographer for the departure. We climbed steadily for the first mile. There were some nice views of small lakes and we walked through pine forests until we got above the trees. Now the wind was much stronger and cooler. But we could see a patch of blue sky ahead. The rain stopped and the skies cleared and we had a beautiful day to walk. We are walking across the Rannoch Moor.

The second mile was down hill and we passed a young lady camping and asked if coffee was ready. She said in a few more minutes but try at the bottom of the hill at the Inveroran Hotel. We got to it and it did not open until 12:30 so on we walked. The dead end road from Bridge of Orchy past the hotel stops at the Victoria Bridge. It is a mile from the Inveroran Hotel. The WHW then follows the Parliamentary road built in 1805 by Telford. He built these roads following the Roman road building principles with large stones filling the route and smaller on top to allow the livestock to use the roads and not have their hooves penetrate into the mud. It worked as the road through the Rannoch Moor land was all very good footing.

The route was also a gradual climb and we made very good time as we walked. After six miles we stopped for something to eat at 11:30. Then continued on. The landscape is filled with wet patches, bogs and water made ravines that the streams flow through. It is surrounded by green hills and mountains. After 9 miles we reach the highest point on the WHW in this section and start the 3 mile descent into the Glencoe Ski Center and on to the Kingshouse Hotel. It is about 1350 when we arrive. Karen, Norma and Sandy had taken the bus but spent several hours at the Ski Center before walking down to the hotel so they had just gotten there as well.

We spend several minutes photographing the red deer. One seems to pose for any photographer that comes its way.

While awaiting our rooms to be ready we had a drink in the bar. I had a Stella Artois. The lady at the bar asked me if I knew about the hotel. I said I did not. She informed me that the owners of the hotel who completed the renovations were the same family that own the brewery in Belgium.

Silvertoes notes: Rannoch Moor—Glencoe Mountain Resort—views of Glencoe, particularly Buachaille Etive Mor—Kingshouse Hotel

Rannoch Moor-it is landscapes like this that divide peoples’ passions! I am unhappy to miss this day of walking as I love open spaces ringed by mountains. This moor is about 50 square miles of boggy moorland. It is considered one of the wildest areas in Europe. Peat deposits pose major difficulties to builders of roads and railways. When the West Highland Line was built across the moor its builders had to float the tracks on a mattress of tree roots, brushwood and thousands of tons of earth and ashes. The Corrour railway station is the highest, and one of the most remote being 10 miles from the nearest public road. The station was featured in Train spotting (1996). The film covers the ‘low life’ of the Edinburgh drug scene and the efforts of Renton, as he tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends. It has been rated, by Scots, as one of the most significant films in their film library. Difficult to make the link between train spotting as a hobby and train spotting as used in the drug world!

The moor has many surprises. In 1999-2003 the Corrour Lodge was rebuilt on the same site as a previous lodge. Designed in a modernist style the entrance drive is 11 miles long. The designer was Moshe Mafdie and built of Portuguese granite, steel and glass at a reported cost of 20 million pounds. When not in use by owners it is let out. Pricing for a fully catered stay for two nights and three days for up to 14 adults is 25,000 pounds. Supplement for children.

The three gals bus to the junction of the Glencoe Ski Resort and the short segment that leads from A82 down to Kingshouse. We have an older bus driver and he indicates the path across the road but we will do that later. We clamber up to the ski resort, just under a mile, and enjoy the sunny day for some time. We make a few purchases. I buy a six pack of shortbread cookies—from Campbeltown. Norma is becoming a connoisseur of shortbread brands. She says they are good but not as good as Brodie’s!

Now it is a return down the road to the junction, cross the busy A82 and we find the Kingshouse Hotel. The inn is at the east end of Glencoe. The name came from the days when it was used by the British army during the subjugation of the Highlands following the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Parts of the former military route are now used as West Highland Way.

After several years of expansion and remodeling the hostelry reopened in 2019. Another hotel reopening just in time for covid.

We had a delicious dinner in the dining room. Our server is a young man and quite charming. He lives at the hotel; living facilities provided as it is in a remote location.

The room is spare as is the bath. The rooms are late in being ready and items are missing such as tissues. Lee reports a used bar of soap in his shower. Oh, but they do provide washcloths. A plus as we do carry quick dry small towels but they are a pain to wash out every night!

Facilities are so short-staffed and the staffs they have are overworked. One can get upset with travel these days or just be happy one is out and about!

The hotel has a stellar view of Buachaille Etive Mor- the “great herdsman” guarding the junction. This is the area of, probably, the most famous massacre in Scottish history— the Massacre of Glencoe occurred. The MacDonald Clan was late in delivering its oath of allegiance to King William in 1691. Deciding to make an example of the clan the king plotted to murder every MacDonald under the age of 70. For 10 days in February, 1692, the government troops were housed and entertained by the MacDonalds. Government troops were led by Robert Campbell of the Campbell Clan. It is generally thought that all highland clans opposed the English government. That is not the case.

There had, historically, been many skirmishes between the clans. The government troops awoke early and killed 38 of the MacDonalds; others died of exposure while fleeing. This aroused public outrage because of the callous abuse of the ‘hospitality’ to be observed between clans. The incident became a propaganda disaster for William of Orange. The memory lingers on - –.

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