Day 3. 30th July, 2024

Day 3. 30^th July, 2024

Edinburgh → Tyndrum → Victoria Bridge Car Park, Inveroran

16.2Km

Sunny / cloudy 20ºC

Today I hiked!

Honestly, you don’t know how happy that sentence makes me. Yesterday I was VERY doubtful I would even be able to start this adventure. Even as I was packing this morning I was unsure.

I woke up at about 3am and I’m really not sure if it was from pain in my ankle and calf muscle, or anxiety about whether I would actually be able to do this hike. Maybe a bit of both.

I lay there fitfully for about and hour before I gave up on sleep and got up. I slowly got ready, trying to stretch my Achilles as much as I could while packing up. Finally by about 5am, I was all packed and ready to go. I picked up my backpack and immediately swore. With all the shopping I’d done for camping supplies, I swear the pack is twice as heavy as the day before.

All packed and ready to go.

Damn this thing is heavy!

The short walk (600m) to the bus stop, then the slightly longer walk to the bus terminal had me even more worried. I could definitely feel that tendon. But thanks to Virginia’s suggestion of getting the tension bandage, it seemed to be holding… for now. I was already adjusting my goals for this hike. Maybe if I could just make it to King’s House, Glen Coe (2 days hiking) that would be enough. It’s my favourite place in Scotland, so as long as I make it there, I’ll be ok with that…

I caught my 7am bus from Edinburgh to Glasgow and then the 8:45 bus to Tyndrum without any dramas. The last 45 minutes of the trip followed the eastern side of Loch Lomond. 25 years ago, I spent two miserable, painful, wet days hiking the western side of that loch and on the third day, very nearly gave up. I was in so much pain from blisters and bruises. After driving along it today, I honestly couldn’t believe it only took me two days to hike. That loch is HUGE!

We finally pulled into Tyndrum at about 10:40am. Now, I don’t know if I was trying to delay my start for fear that I would almost immediately have to stop again… but the bus stop in Tyndrum where I was dropped off was right next to a coffee shop, so I thought it would be rude not to stop in.

I had a delicious coffee and scone with jam (no cream available though.)

Finally the time had come, and I could delay no more. The first kilometre was on a footpath beside the highway, and my tendon definitely didn’t like it. But just a little further along, I met a young British chap named Rory, and almost at the same time, the cement ran out and we hit a gravel path. Between the better path (my hiking boots were perfect for rough terrain, but horrible on cement), the good conversation and the start of some truly spectacular scenery, I thought less and less about my pain.

The start of my West Highland Way adventure.

One of the typical roads on the Way.

This one was an old military road.

The train I'd be taking back to Edinburgh in a few days.

Some fellow hikers along the Way. It was high season, so there were plenty of people around.

After a while, Rory dropped off and I met up with an Irish guy and his English girlfriend. While I was hiking with them, my tendon warmed up and the pain lessened to the point where I was hiking at a fairly normal pace. By about lunch time, we’d made it to the Bridge of Orchy where we stopped in for another cuppa. When I came through here the first time, the hotel had pictures on the walls of an amazing snow storm they’d had which nearly buried a train. Well, 25 years on, the pictures are still there but they are so faded, you can hardly see what they are. It actually made me feel a bit old. When I mentioned this to my two hiking buddies, they were very surprised when I said I was almost 50. This made me happy again. *^^*

Crossing the Bridge of Orchy.

From the Bridge of Orchy it’s a short hill climb over to Inveroran but that hill slowed me down a bit, so my two friends continued on ahead while I stopped to do some videoing.

Inveroran Hotel tucked down in the valley.

I reached Inveroran Hotel by about 3pm and I figured I deserved a beer to celebrate my first day completed. They had a beautiful little area with tables and chairs outside, by an ancient bridge, over a perfect little brook. It was amazing. I also ordered a soup with fresh baked bread. Also amazing!

A well deserved beer.

I was only on this path from Tyndrum to Kinlochleven.

The Inveroran Hotel

I saw some others eating this and it looked amazing. I have no idea what it was, but it tasted great!

Finally after relaxing for about an hour, I hiked about a kilometre further down the trail and found a nice, if a bit exposed, wild camp site for the night. I’m now just relaxing here and winding down for the evening.

Tomorrow brings us quite a large hill over to King’s House. Let’s see how we go.