Day 84 - Kinlochleven to Fort William

A very late coffee this morning; The Walker couldn’t get out of bed owing to knee problems! We eventually sent him off on the last part of the West Highland Way, while I visited the Kinlochleven Information Centre.This has changed and improved since I was there last. The library part of it has moved and there is a fascinating exhibition about the aluminium smelting works, the building of the dam, the hydro-electric plant and the growth and demise of the town. It still looks quite run down, despite the money from Alcan to help the town after the works closed

Fort William is not one of my favourite places and I am not really sure why. I do seem to have spent a lot of time, whenever I have been here, walking around the place. It usually rains (and, yes, it did today, when I finally met The Walker) and is always full of people; mainly lots of foreign tourists, walkers and climbers galore and holiday-makers just wandering about. I counted 3 sets of buskers along the short stretch of the High Street and they all looked about 14 or 15 years old.

It does, however, cater for motor homes in the car parks and the Morrisons is pretty big!

From Bernie:
Today's walk  15.4 miles     :     Cumulative  1057.0 miles

Section 8 completed, all the paperwork signed, The West Highland Way finished for the second time.... & all in cracking weather! A good day!
I've met many walkers who tell horror stories about weather encountered on the Way but, in the 17 days I've spent on the trail (we took a day out to climb Ben Lomond last time), I've had barely a shower - plenty of rain at night, though, & the rivers are still running wild.

Paps of Glencoe & Loch Leven

The route climbs steeply out of Kinlochleven, as tough as the Devil's Staircase, but then the walk is a gently undulating high-level path with mountains rising all around - first time I'd seen this properly as, in 2004, we were bumping our heads against low-cloud all the way along these glens!

Abandoned croft at Tigh-na-sleubhaich

Just over half-way & the pass swings to the north; it used to go through dense, oppressive plantations but much of this area has been harvested &, suddenly, Ben Nevis appears massively above the closer summits - magnificent in today's sunshine. I remembered the American gents from Inveroran who had joined 2 of the stretches together in the hope of being able to climb Ben Nevis before they had to fly home - they'd been lucky!

Ben Nevis

Except for one large group of walkers, who I think were doing a 'circular', & a couple, every other person I passed today I'd stopped & chatted to at some point during the week - it seemed strange to be saying 'Hi!' for the last time.... certainly is 'the friendly Way'.

Allt na Lairige Moire & the Mamores

Highlight of the Day: wandering the rather dull last mile along the road into Fort William I began thinking about today's highlight. What was it to be? The people? Views of Ben Nevis? Finishing The West Highland Way? None of them really seemed quite right.....
At this point a red squirrel popped out of the woods, stood looking at me from the far side of the road & almost seemed to ask, 'Will I do as a highlight?!' Certainly would! I hadn't seen a red squirrel for several years, despite looking very carefully in & around the Borders & Kielder Forest. He appeared quite happy to pose but, as I reached for my camera, a car came around the corner & he popped back into the woods. Special moment!

Blarmachfoldach

The West Highland Way used to finish beside a busy roundabout at the northern end of Fort William; it now finishes at the opposite side of the town, in a shabby square outside the boarded-up 'Royal Hotel'. I suppose the Council have achieved their aim in that all walkers now have to visit the town centre but it seems to me that they've simply exchanged a daft location for one that is totally inappropriate - at least the finishing point is now marked by an amusing sculpure.

New finish of The West Highland Way

Beer of the Day: called in at 'The Ben Nevis' pub in Fort William, as I have on many previous visits, & enjoyed a pint of 'Dark Island' from the Orkney Brewery. Had this lots of times before & I do like it: dark & rich, smooth with a slightly burnt flavour - excellent on draught but good in a bottle, too!

Song of the Day (an occasional series!): 'I Have Seen The Highlands' by Matt McGinn - 'nuff said!

Pam: glad you liked the deer - it might be living wild but it looked quite tame to me!

Everybody at Alec Hunter: hope you all have a brilliant Summer break - however strange it might sound, you're never far from my thoughts! Hope to see you on Results Day.