Moor and more flies!

Saturday 30 June – Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse

Once again we were facing another warm day, with packs to carry, and so we elected to have an early start to our walking day.  Breakfast at the Sleeper was pretty spartan to say the least but it did mean we were on the trail just after 8am and heading out over the actual Bridge of Orchy – an eighteenth century bridge that gives the village its name.

The official route started with a climb through a pine plantation and over a hill. We elected to cut out the climb and take the minor road around the base of the hill – it was going to be hot enough as it was, so we didn’t want to make life too difficult for ourselves! This route also gave us lovely views of a little loch – Loch Tulla – and surrounding hillsides rather than just more pine forests.  Re-joining the official Way at the tiny Inveroran Hotel, we then picked up another old drovers’ road that would take us through to the end of our walking day at Kingshouse.

This drove road has been in existence for centuries and was upgraded by Telford in about 1730, when it began to be used by traveling gentry in horse and carriage as well as by cattle drovers. So it was easy walking in terms of gentle climbs and descents, though sometimes awkward as it was old cobbles in places. Our route took us past the head of Loch Tulla and gradually climbed up to about 450m to deliver us on to Rannoch Moor.

Our guide book describes this as a desolate landscape – it is the most remote section of the West Highland Way, open moorland riddled with tiny lochans and boggy areas and surrounded by some high peaks. It covers an area 50 miles square, (the largest uninhabited area in Britain) and with no shelter on the route for 16km (10 miles) we could quite understand that in bad weather it would indeed be desolate to say the least. Today however it was brilliant sunshine and 25C. The scenery was indeed spectacular.

Our biggest problem was that the pesky horseflies made it very unpleasant to stop and admire the views on the way to the top of the Moor. They really were a nuisance. The national papers here are telling us that the recent weather conditions have been perfect for these flies and that they are out in the biggest numbers for many years. Fortunately for us though, at the top of the Moor we found that the breeze seemed to be just enough to keep them at bay, so we were able to have a lunch break and admire the outstanding views in peace!

The descent down in to Kingshouse and then Glen Coe sweeps down and curves around to give excellent views of a mighty peak called Buachaille Etive Mor (The Great Herdsman of Etive), about 1100m at its highest point, while below us lay the vast bowl-like expanse of the upper Glen Coe valley, dotted with many lochans, brilliant blue in the sun. Having been up on the vast expanse of the Moor, it was somewhat of a surprise to suddenly see a major road carving its way through the valley in the distance, and to hear the traffic noise as we got closer. It almost seemed a bit rude that such a man-made structure should intrude on the wilderness of the Moor.

There is currently very little in the way of accommodation at this point, in Kingshouse, as the old hotel is being completely rebuilt. So we had arranged transport to the village of Glencoe, about 12 miles away. The trip there was absolutely stunning as the road wound its way from the upper glen down through a gorge, mountains closing in on both sides. We later learned that the drive from the high pass to the lowlands is regarded as one of the classic Highland journeys, and we would have to agree. It’s also deservedly popular with hillwalkers, and every parking area we passed was full. You burst out of the gorge into the flat lower part of Glen Coe and the village itself, nestled in a valley with the hills behind it. Almost immediately we arrived at our B&B, Ghlasdaruim.

And very comfortable and welcoming it is too! A lovely hostess, a spacious room, a beautiful garden to sit out in, and two dogs for Val to make a fuss of. Definitely a strong contender for our favourite B and B of the trip!

Distance today:  21km / 13 miles

Path over the moor

Close-up of the drovers’ road – the old cobblestoning:

Ancient ruin on top of the moor:

View from our B&B’s garden!