The path to Glen Etive goes either along the valley or you can go over 3 small summits. I chose the climb along a steep but well-marked path and was rewarded with fantastic views. I met a couple of Glaswegians who had just driven up to do the circular walk here - something for us to tackle another time. It must be wonderful to live so close to such fantastic walking areas.
Glencoe from the manager's walk!
From Bernie:Today's walk 9.1 miles : Cumulative 1041.6 miles
Last of the short days on the West Highland Way.... I can't understand why I always feel more tired after the easy days than I do after a tough 15 miles! Probably it's having too much time at the end to relax!
Back on Caulfield's military road for the first stretch & a climb up his famous Devil's Staircase out of Glencoe. Built in 1750, the path zig-zags in painfully extravagant loops to reach a saddle between 2000' peaks. It's difficult to understand why on earth this route was chosen rather than the simpler shoreline track around the hills followed by the modern road; even though it's longer, it must surely have been quicker than trying to move men, animals, supplies & cannon through these mountains
I caught up a gent pushing/carrying his bike up the track - he'd been over half-way up when I started. On reaching the top he clambered aboard, hurtled down the far side, up the next rise & was soon out of sight - I hope the enjoyment was worth the energy expended...... at least he was doing it for fun, unlike the 18th century soldiers!
Glencoe from the Devil's Staircase
Highlight of the Day: reaching the top of the Devil's Staircase & being able to see something! When we did this walk in 2004 we climbed out of Glencoe into cloud & saw nothing at all until we were almost in Kinlochleven! Visibility, today, was far from perfect but last time we couldn't even see the gigantic Blackwater Reservoir: 8 miles long; its dam, built at the beginning of the last century, was the last major engineering project in Britain completed entirely by hand. It's said that each Spring, when the snows melted, the bodies of navvies were found beside the pass & on the staircase - they'd set out for the pub at Kingshouse in Glencoe & never made it back.
Huge pipelines carrying water from the Blackwater Reservoir to Kinlochleven
The reservoir provided power for the huge aluminium works in Kinlochleven & made the homes of this tiny Highlands town some of the first in Britain to be lit & heated by electricity: the works are gone but the turbines continue to generate power.
Mill tail-race in Kinlochleven - scary place to fish!
Short walk but, again, saw lots of familiar faces either en route or later, in the town: several couples, the German girl, the man from Aberdeen in his kilt & we spent quite a while chatting to an American family from Orlando who seemed very happy to escape the heat of home!
Beer of the Day: I'd expected an 'Atlas' ale on draught, not realising that Kinlochleven's brewery relocated to Orkney last year! Back to the bottles & my last 'Wylam' ale - 'Angel', specially commissioned by Gateshead Council to mark the 10th anniversary of 'The Angel of the North' in 2008; a crisp, amber bitter - pleasant but nothing out of the ordinary.
Isles of Glencoe Hotel garden
Just realised why I'm so tired! I forgot all the tourist things we did at the end! Information Centre, shopping, Glencoe Massacre Monument, Glencoe Visitors Centre, a visit to the 'Isles of Glencoe Hotel' & a barbecue! Must avoid these short, easy days!
Stephen: great to hear from you & thanks for your kind & generous donation - there have been some absolutely excellent walks that I'm sure you'd enjoy!
Paps of Glencoe
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