WHW Day 6 - May 7, 2019 - Glencoe to Kinlochleven

WHW Day 6 - May 7, 2019 - Glencoe to Kinlochleven

Distance – 14.90 k; Total Time on the Trail – 4:36:35;  Avg Overall Speed – 3.4 kph; Walking Time – 3:34:20; Avg Moving Speed – 4.2 kph; Elevation Gain -  353 m; Temperature - 5 C; Trail: Mostly on Military Road - stoney and rocky surface; some ups including Devils Staircase, and some downs including the final descent into Kinlochleven; Overnight – Kinlochleven Guesthouse

Our taxi pick-up was 9:25 this morning. We had a return drive through the gorgeous Glencoe and by the time we arrived at Kings House, it was raining….so we started out in full rain gear. The rain didn’t come to much and we hardly got wet. It sprinkled at various times during the day, and fortunately, once again, no significant rain. The temperature varied: when we were on the windy side of the mountains it seemed freezing, and when we were on the “no wind” side of the mountains it was warm – about 5 C.

Most of the day our path was on military roads, which means, rocky and stoney! We started walking along the side of Glencoe but you don’t get the same beauty you get when driving through at the bottom of the tall mountains so we were really happy that we had the taxi ride to the B & B ....both ways!! Although you do feel like a “spec” on the hillside and the immense power of the mountains. Its amazing that in a small country like Scotland there is so vast a territory without any ...or very little...habitation by man!! We turned away from the road through Glen Coe and headed up the mountain to the Devil’s Staircase, so named by the soldiers of General Wade when they were building the road and had to carry the building materials up the hill. And this name was perpetuated by the builders of the Blackwater Dam at Kinlochleven who travelled to the nearest pub, Kings House, after their wages were paid out. The journey over was difficult enough, but the journey back after a few pints was treacherous. It is told that some didn’t make the return journey and on a cold winter’s night, “the devil claimed his own.” The path switchbacks up and rises above the plain of Rannoch Moor. It is no where near as daunting as it's advertising promises!! The views of the moor and of the surrounding mountains are stunning!

From the top, we headed down, across a burn with huge stepping stones (nice!!), and with views of the Blackwater reservoir, the largest reservoir in Scotland. The reservoir was built for the aluminium smelter at Kinlochleven.

We continued down the path and came to the pumping station where “the pipes to the smelter start the high pressure build up for the turbines in the generating station.” The last part of the descent seems to have suffered a wild fire over quite an extensive area. You can still smell the smoke!! We learned at dinner that the fire was quite recent, around April 23. Our server told us they haven't really established how it started but it has sure covered a huge area and destroyed a vast area of mainly heather and  bracken. You can see a very small part of the destruction in the photo.

Eventually, we arrived at Kinlochleven. Although not exactly a pretty town, it is an interesting town!! There is a Ministry of Defence mountain training centre. It has the "world's biggest indoor ice climbing wall, rock climbing and aerial adventure course - The Ice Factor!! It is an important tourist centre especially for outdoor sports, and it has some important environmental projects and a whole new program for revitalisation.

The views today were not so varied as other days, but none the less, being in the midst of the huge expanses of “nothing” except mountains, wilted bracken, and flowerless heather, is awe inspiring and beautiful.