Tag Archives: Bridge of Orchy

photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way, Writings

Hiking the West Highland Way: Day 8, into the land of the gods via lochs, munros and moors

Scotland’s most photographable structure: Black Rock Cottage (now known as The Ladies’ Scottish Climbing Club). Behind it rises the formidable-looking Bauchaille Etive Mor (“Great Herdsman of Etive”).

In Scotland, there are beinns and munros (hills and mountains). Hills are most anything below 3,000 feet and that is what we’ve been mostly skirting on the West Highland Way. They are impressive as you walk trails carved into their lower regions. They form majestic, sloping walls on either side of gentle glens.

Today we are heading into munro country but to reach it, we must cross 50 square miles of the Rannoch Moor, a boggy region of grasses and heather and scores of small ponds and lochanes. I don’t think anyone who wanders off across the moor would ever be heard from again. It is a beautiful and unforgiving place.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way, Writings

Hiking the West Highland Way, Day 7: I’m no Ansel Adams

The infamous Green Welly for all your laundry, camping, and souvenir needs in Tyndrum.

I spent way too much time in the Green Welly mega-plex yesterday. It is right next door to our hotel, The Tyndrum Inn, and among other enterprises, it offers two coin-op washing machines and a dryer. By the end of Day 6, I was badly in need of both.

Surprisingly, the machines were available — maybe because they are outdoors and the wind and rain were formidable or maybe because the bigger washing machine charges 10 pounds per load. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures — or maybe just digging in deep for some cash.

The washing machine quickly ate the money and refused to work. (That begs for a joke but I’ll refrain.) The shop’s maintenance man, Frank, was there in minutes and got my load spinning.

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photography, San Miguel de Allende, Scotland - West Highland Way, Writings

Hiking the West Highland Way: Day 6, ‘Wouldn’t be Scotland without the rain’

Crainlarch to Tyndrum: 7.5 miles, Degree of difficulty: Magical

Yesterday, we all marveled at our good fortune. Five days of walking the West Highland Way with absolutely sublime weather – crisp Autumn mornings, cool afternoons, scattered clouds – perfect for hiking.

So, of course, Day 6 would start in a misty drizzle. It stayed like that off and on all day.

“A perfect Scottish morning!” I replied to one hiker’s greeting.

“It wouldn’t be Scotland without rain,” she replied with a laugh.

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