Kingshouse Hotel to Bridge of Orchy

The morning weather looked very unpromising as we approached Tyndrum for breakfast. The grey sky looked ready to empty any minute, making our 10 mile walk an unappealing prospect. First, however, a full Scottish breakfast.

Leaving one car at the Victoria bridge carpark we drove to the Glencoe Ski Centre leaving the second car and started our walk.

The stop for the full Scottish had been time well spent. The weather had cleared considerably and we were met with bright sunshine, blue skies and a gentle rolling breeze.

The path on this part of the West highland Way is "cobbled" making quite easy to walk on, if a little bit awkward on knees and ankles. The most noticeable thing about the walk, apart from the beautiful Black Mount and the always inspiring Ranch Moor was the amount of people out walking. Still, with weather like this in September, who can blame them?

The other thing that was noticeable was the number of Campervans, Mobile Homes and Caravans that were occupying every single car park, pull in and verge side. I had seen reports on Scottish news about the number of them but this was the first time I had experienced so many. Still, as long as they leave no trace.

Soup was taken at about 1pm on a bridge overlooking the Black Mount and a very nice drop it was too. Leek and Potato was the order of the day and the lively noise of the burn after a night of heavy rain was the sound accompanying my lunch. That and the singing of six very exuberant Germans marching along the path.

Continuing along the parliament road of Tomas Teller we got back to Victoria Bridge, pieced top the car and headed to the Kingshouse for a £6 pint before finishing up at our lodgings for the night, the Clachaig Inn.

The Clachaig has changed little over the 25 years I have been going there. That is except the price, £195 for a very dated, very small twin room seems a little excessive. But the shower was quite good despite barely have room to turn around. The extractor fans at the Clachaig seem to have been supplied by Boeing leading to a broken night's sleep, as every pee from our fellow guests was accompanied by the sound of a 737. taking off. The Cairngorm Black Gold was a decent pint, food was Okish and the 18 year old Highland Park sent me off to bed with a nice glow.