In this part of my West Highland Way travelogue, I encounter the legendary monster of Loch Tulla, am offered help from friendly Scottish walkers, find a luxury en-suite accommodation right next to the way, finally meet some Scottish natives of a different kind and have 2nd the best fish & chips on the planet.
Rain ahead,
Rain behind,
Cannot trouble the walker’s mind.
In a spontaneous attack of inspiration this cheeky verse has come to my mind. Why? Both, behind and above the distant mountains above Rannoch Moor ahead of me dark rain clouds were hanging in the sky.
On this day I made the acquaintance of Scotland’s famed liquid sun, climb the highest point of the West Highland Way, peek into the entrance of the famous Glen Coe and go back to the beginning. Read on…
Tigh-na-sleubhaich, that’s the name of a picturesque cottage ruin on the West Highland Way. It is situated right in the middle of nowhere about 5km away from the village of Kinlochleven. Being the only structure of its kind, it has been photographed to death and even though I haven’t checked them all, I think it is safe to say that you’ll find a photo of this house in most (if not all) travel guides on the West Highland Way. Read on to learn about the steps I took to get from the rather dull original image to the final photograph.
Join me on this first leg of my walk along the West Highland Way, as I start out in Fort William, walk through Nevis Forest in Glen Nevis where I tackle my first ascent of about 250m before I bypass Dún Deardail, an old fortress. Then I reach the lovely lake called Lohan Lùnn Dà-Bhrà and from there head south along the Old Military Road which takes me westward around Meall a’ Chaorainn, in impressive mountain of 910 meters, into Lairigmór, the great pass with the picturesque ruin of Tigh-na-sleubhaich, bypassing several mountaintops before it finally goes down again into the valley of Kinlochleven. All in all the Way spans 24.5km on this leg and also features a combined ascent of 1130 meters. Not too shabby for a first day.
