Scotland Summer Trip 1999 – West Highland Fling!

The Summer 1999 trip saw a group of 8 Explorers head up to Scotland to walk the West Highland Way. This Long Distance Path, one of the first Scottish paths, starts on the outskirts of Glasgow and travels up through the Highlands to Fort William, passing Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe on the way. The total distance is 97 miles (156 km) and we were aiming to complete it in 7 days.

The West Highland Flingers!
(l-r) Simon, Ian, Howard, Dan, Ed
Helen, Blossom, Suzy

The trip got under way when we met at Temple Meads, some of us having spent most of the early hours packing! After suffering slightly at the hands of Virgin Trains, whose timetable went a little awry, we arrived in Milngavie, in Glasgow, in torrential rain. After a half-hour trudge through said rain, we arrived at our first campsite, hoping that the weather would improve over the coming days.

The first campsite at Milngavie

The first day of actual walking saw mainly blue skies, with light showers at times. The road was easy, and fairly flat, with the route taking in gently rolling hills. The way itself threaded between the hills, rather than over them - a characteristic of the Way that continued for much of its length. A relaxed pace, and a sensible distance broke us in gently for the days to come.

Day 1: Walking up toward Drymen.

The next couple of days saw us walking up the banks of Loch Lomond. We camped by the Lomond and got our first taste of Scottish midges. These insidious insects manage to get everywhere, and we discovered to our dismay that they can even penetrate the fashionable midge head nets we had equipped ourselves with. Our only defence was to find areas which were breezy, as they can't fly under these conditions. Where we camped had a nice little beach, with a good breeze, and stunning views across the water. We lit a camp fire with drift wood, and watched the sun drop over the mountains surrounding the Loch.

Ed contemplates Loch Lomond.

From the northern end of the Lomond, the Way winds up a picturesque valley, passing through Crianlarich, Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy. Unfortunately, Blossom had been gradually becoming unwell, and reluctantly had to leave us at Crianlarich. She went on to stay in hostels for the rest of the Way, meeting up with use at various points throughout the days.

Lunch at Crianlarich – We're weren't the slightest bit bothered by the midges!

The mountains surrounding Tyndrum provided us with our first opportunity for a wild camp. We found a superb spot on the top of a hill with 360 degree views - fantastic!

The wild camp above Tyndrum.

The character of the Way changes yet again from Bridge of Orchy, where it crosses Rannoch Moor. This large, and very wet moor extends eastwards from the Highlands, with the Way following its western edge. Another wild camp was held, after a mammoth day where we covered 27km. A magnificent, snow capped mountain towered above our campsite, and the temptation proved too much for Ed, who got up at 4:00am to climb it, before the next stage of the Way!

Walking down towards Glen Coe

The section from Rannoch Moor onwards travels down the stunning Glen Coe valley. The highest climb of the Way was out of this valley, up the Devils Staircase, with our first view of Ben Nevis to greet us at the top. We camped that night in Kinlochleven, with a less than fantastic view of an aluminium production plant, which emitted turbine noises, and loud crashes throughout the night - a bit of a shock after two nights of wild camping.

Sitting on the hillside above Kinlochleven

The final day of the Way took us up the western edge of the Mamores, the group of mountains to the south of Ben Nevis. The day was warm and dry, with forested valleys leading us to Glen Nevis, and a slap-up meal in the restaurant there.

Glen Nevis

Although we had now finished the West Highland Way in our alloted 7 days, there remained one final challenge - Ben Nevis. The weather took a turn for the worst, and rain and low cloud forced us to take the tourist path to the top. We were joined on our final walk by two guys we met in Glen Nevis youth hostel, who decided that it was safer to walk up with us, than to do it on their own. We topped out after 3-1/2 hours, and a grand photo shoot ensued to mark the event.

At the top of Ben Nevis

Overall, walking the West Highland Way was a fantastic holiday. The character of the way changes a lot over its length, from the lowlands around Glasgow, through thick forests, mountain passes and across great tracts of open moorland, making every day a unique experience. The weather was good, the company great, and a memorable time was had by all.

The final proof that we made it!