Aaargh. My legs this morning. Had to remind them how to walk! This is the pain barrier day, once through this and you're ok. With all the climbing and the long walk yesterday, they didn't want to work. Was raining again. Is that all it does? Someone told me 'If you can see the mountains it's going to rain, but if you can't - then it's raining!' How true!
Now remember the steep descent last night - well I now have to climb up it to get to the walk route. Was agony. I really was very tempted to turn round and catch the train (I had just passed the station) to the next possible place, but no, I soldiered on. Shouted at my legs to work, which after a while they stopped moaning.
The first six miles of this walk is through a large conifer plantation. Tall great trees making it dark and creepy. I had my red raincoat on, so I knew how red riding hood felt! Anyway I didn't meet any wolves. Didn't see a soul, had they caught the train?
Eventually descended to the River Fillan, which goes past the ruins of St Fillans Priory and graveyard. Think they must have buried their dead vertical 'cos the stones were so close to each other. St Fillan was an Irish Evangalist who tried to convert the Scots! (I do learn something as I walk).
After a pleasant walk along the river I came to Tyndrum. A tiny village, but it's a big stop off point for travellers' heading to Fort William etc. There you can fill up with supplies, call in the huge Green Welly shop and buy most outdoor stuff. I had to buy a new walking pole, having broken mine the previous day, using it rigorously!
New pole in hand, started off on the next 7 miles of walking. Was quite a fairly level walk, with the railway running parallel, and the road nearby. I was in the slow lane of the three, cars middle lane and train fast lane! It had stopped raining at this point, but the wind was strong and in your face, and it was quite cold.
I did stumble somewhere along the track, but managed to get up quickly, mainly to save being watched by the cars in the layby close by! The shame of falling!!
Followed this old Drovers road until I got to the Bridge of Orchy. A tranquil little hamlet. Then upwards again though another plantation and over the top of the hill. Well I kept thinking I was at the top, but every time I got there, there was another bend and a bit more to do!
Eventually I got there and could see in the valley below the Hotel Inveroran. My stop for the night. Took a while to descend tho, and was further than I thought.
Arrived, got to reception and booked in. The lady was lovely, showed me round. Bar first! Had she met me before? then dining room,then my room. She said if I wanted a drink to ring the bell and she would come, she was running the whole caboodle. Anyway told her shower first then bar. Had a drink then met with Kate and Wilma again. We had dinner together, which was lovely, fore we went back to the bar.
The bars I have been in on the walk by the way, are a step back in time. Very basic wooden room, where you expect to find spitoons on the floor. Two guys came in from the camping field next door ( there is literally nothing near this hotel for miles)
one was a mountain guide, the other was on holiday and doing bits of the walk.
We had some fun that night. With one of the guys from Glasgow, he really was a rough and ready kind of guy, the other was more Corporal material and was based in France. Then six guys came in, who apparently met ten years ago doing this very walk, and now meet up annually to walk a couple of days together.
We had such a laugh, especially when Wilma wanted an Irish Whiskey. (In a Scots bar!!!) Then she had a little too much drink and wanted us to have a sing song! Not a chance. I had three, yes three pints that night! wow! Anyway, decided at ten that I had to go to bed. a long walk beckoned the day after. I had no signal again so updating this blog was impossible.
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