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The West Highland Way


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1 hour ago, hearthammer said:

Was talking to one of the guys i did the walk with.  He said Iain Robertson did the whole walk in 12 days (?), but that included, as you say, detours and climbs.  We did it in 5.  Milngavie to Rowardennan day 1, Rowardennan to Beinglas Farm (stayed in a wigwam), Beinglass to Bridge Of Orchy, BoO to Kingshouse then to Fort William day 5.  Stayed in hotels at each stop other than Beinglas.

Like you, i dug out the photos and relived all the happy times after the programme.  If only i was fit/able to consider doing it again.  

He did say it was over that time. I knew of Ian from the early film debut and I think his brother was a pupil where I taught . Yours is a tough schedule and  my good lady and I did it over  a leisurely 7 days:!  Milngavie/Drymen Buchanan Hotel/ 2 Rowardennan Hotel/ 3 Stayed in Rose Cottage  opposite the Drovers/ 4 Short day to Crianlarich/Bridge of Orchy Hotel/ 5 Stopped at Kingshouse but 2 nights in BnB Kinlochleven-pick up and drop off / 6 Kingshouse to Kinlochleven/ 7 Then last day to Fort William. It was during Easter school break and the weather was good .  I once wrote up an account for my mates but lost it due to I/T probs so I might revisit using photos. I hope to get a wee bit fitter after lockdown (!) but might settle for canal walks!   I f I think I have any good photos i will post a few! Cheers

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15 hours ago, Chapelhall chap said:

He did say it was over that time. I knew of Ian from the early film debut and I think his brother was a pupil where I taught . Yours is a tough schedule and  my good lady and I did it over  a leisurely 7 days:!  Milngavie/Drymen Buchanan Hotel/ 2 Rowardennan Hotel/ 3 Stayed in Rose Cottage  opposite the Drovers/ 4 Short day to Crianlarich/Bridge of Orchy Hotel/ 5 Stopped at Kingshouse but 2 nights in BnB Kinlochleven-pick up and drop off / 6 Kingshouse to Kinlochleven/ 7 Then last day to Fort William. It was during Easter school break and the weather was good .  I once wrote up an account for my mates but lost it due to I/T probs so I might revisit using photos. I hope to get a wee bit fitter after lockdown (!) but might settle for canal walks!   I f I think I have any good photos i will post a few! Cheers

Your timeline is more sensible, especially if the good lady was with you.  We decided to get the biggie out of the way on day 1 (27 miles i think), which left the other days more at a manageable and leisurely pace.  The decent food and copious amounts of beer each evening after our walk fuelled us for the following day.

We watched the Celtic v Porto UEFA cup final in the Bridge of Orchy hotel on the Wednesday (day 3).  Better off watching it there as, apparently, Seville had more than 2 million visiting fans so we might not have seen the game 😎😎

Edited by hearthammer
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3 minutes ago, hearthammer said:

Your timeline is more sensible, especially if the good lady was with you.  We decided to get the biggie out of the way on day 1 (27 miles i think), which left the other days more at a manageable and leisurely pace.  The decent food and copious amounts of beer each evening after our walk fuelled us for the following day.

We watched the Celtic v Porto EUFA cup final in the Bridge of Orchy hotel on the Wednesday (day 3).  Better off watching it there as, apparently, Seville had more than 2 million visiting fans so we might not have seen the game 😎😎

Praise to you for that first day! We thought 4-5 hours walking was about right. I was a hillwalker but the good lady was less of one but fit. We practised distance walking around Chapelhall and a wee ascent of Meikle Bin in the Kilsyth hills ! The food was really good wherever we ate especially the Drovers /Bridge of Orchy with good  Red wines. Curious to see you referring Seville as I was at an SQA Markers meeting that day and there were grumbles from some markers desperate to be home for the TV !  I did smile at your last comment. but I hope no one gets upset.

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17 hours ago, hearthammer said:

Only changes i could see from 2003 when i did it was the facade of the Kingshouse hotel.  I don't remember it being so modern looking.

 

It was completely done up a few years ago over quite a lengthy period. When I did it in May 2017 there was no accommodation there but thankfully a few portacabins including a pub and another where I got my first shower in 2 days (we camped).

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27 minutes ago, afca32 said:

It was completely done up a few years ago over quite a lengthy period. When I did it in May 2017 there was no accommodation there but thankfully a few portacabins including a pub and another where I got my first shower in 2 days (we camped).

I don’t like the new kingshouse,just too modern now.

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23 hours ago, MONKMAN said:

I’m meant to be doing it April, so hopefully it still goes ahead. Plan is;
Day 1 Milngavie to Rowardrennan
Day 2 Rowardrennan to Tyndrum
Day 3 Tyndrum to Kinlochleven
Day 4 Kinlochleven to Fort William

Hope you can get to do it, and that's a fair old mileage each day. Best wishes

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I’m meant to be doing it April, so hopefully it still goes ahead. Plan is;
Day 1 Milngavie to Rowardrennan
Day 2 Rowardrennan to Tyndrum
Day 3 Tyndrum to Kinlochleven
Day 4 Kinlochleven to Fort William



First day will kick your arse. That second half between Balmaha and Rowardennan is a windy boring path that seems to go on forever. There’s also a few buildings en route that look like the hotel, they aren’t though.

Get through that and you’ll be fine. Scenery will keep you going.
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I’m meant to be doing it April, so hopefully it still goes ahead. Plan is;
Day 1 Milngavie to Rowardrennan
Day 2 Rowardrennan to Tyndrum
Day 3 Tyndrum to Kinlochleven
Day 4 Kinlochleven to Fort William



This is the route we did. First two days are tough gojng. Third day is a piece of piss. Last day is tough but easy to get through as kts the last day
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Only difference for us was Tyndrum-Kinghouse on day 3. The big slog for me was Rowardennan-Inverarnan on the 2nd morning but that's probably largely down to the dismal weather. Devil's Staircase at 8 on the last morning, absolutely sensational.

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I’m meant to be doing it April, so hopefully it still goes ahead. Plan is;
Day 1 Milngavie to Rowardrennan
Day 2 Rowardrennan to Tyndrum
Day 3 Tyndrum to Kinlochleven
Day 4 Kinlochleven to Fort William



Sorry day three was tyndrum to kingshouse hence why a piece of piss. Day 4 was tough coming into kinlochleven.
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The idea of continuing to Kinlochleven did sound mental. Having a shorter day going over Rannoch Moor is sensible to account for bad weather as well. 

Slightly OT but has anyone also tried doing the Rob Roy Way? I'm looking into doing it over four days (stopping at Callender, Killin, Kenmore and finishing at Pitllochry) but I'm not 100% convinced that itinerary would work in practice. 

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The idea of continuing to Kinlochleven did sound mental. Having a shorter day going over Rannoch Moor is sensible to account for bad weather as well. 
Slightly OT but has anyone also tried doing the Rob Roy Way? I'm looking into doing it over four days (stopping at Callender, Killin, Kenmore and finishing at Pitllochry) but I'm not 100% convinced that itinerary would work in practice. 


Yeah the only issue was we finished about 3pm and got on the beers. It was either the euros or the world cup so sat and watched that. As it was the last day we assumed we would be fine so some of us sat up till 6am getting absolutely pished. Got to 6am and decided, rather than get two hours sleep, we would just start walking. It was all fun and jovial for about half an hour but the rain was mental and we basically walked the rest of the way in silence until we got to fort william where we had a sleep and then did it all again that night. Raised almost £20k for charity though
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2 hours ago, virginton said:

The idea of continuing to Kinlochleven did sound mental. Having a shorter day going over Rannoch Moor is sensible to account for bad weather as well. 

Slightly OT but has anyone also tried doing the Rob Roy Way? I'm looking into doing it over four days (stopping at Callender, Killin, Kenmore and finishing at Pitllochry) but I'm not 100% convinced that itinerary would work in practice. 

I did it a couple of days after my final university exam as a way of mentally unwinding and relaxing. I did it via the stop offs you mention.

It was fine. Pleasant enough but not a patch on the likes of the West Highland Way or Great Glen Way

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I'd heard that the GGW was boring shite tbh but would be happy to be corrected on that from experience. The appeal of the RRW to me is that it covers a part of the country (i.e. Loch Tay) that is just too out of the way to justify visiting without a car. I might see if I can rope a few others into doing it as well when lockdown ends. Doesn't look too dramatic in terms of the route, though the West Highland Way isn't wall to wall scenes for large parts of the route either. 

The Kintyre Way looks fun but that would probably be better done over two or more trips, as getting over to Tarbert is easy enough from the Clyde Riviera. 

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4 minutes ago, virginton said:

I'd heard that the GGW was boring shite tbh but would be happy to be corrected on that from experience. The appeal of the RRW to me is that it covers a part of the country (i.e. Loch Tay) that is just too out of the way to justify visiting without a car. I might see if I can rope a few others into doing it as well when lockdown ends. Doesn't look too dramatic in terms of the route, though the West Highland Way isn't wall to wall scenes for large parts of the route either. 

The Kintyre Way looks fun but that would probably be better done over two or more trips, as getting over to Tarbert is easy enough from the Clyde Riviera. 

I've done the GGW three times, once the week after the RRW, a couple of years later with a friend and 2 years ago with my wife. I enjoyed it every time. 

I liked it because it's a nice mix. The canal towpath walking is very pleasant and easy going and having fish and chips by the lock system at Fort Augustus is great lunch stop. You gain a bit of height above Loch Ness and get good views. It's not any great endurance achievement but has some nice stops with good food and beer. 

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