Nordic Walking The West Highland Way: Day Eight - The Final Day
Kinlochleven to Fort William
When: Sunday 20th September
Miles walked: 15.48
Steps taken: 26,402
Moving time: 5:16:10
Elevation gain: 2279 ft
After sharing a delicious Chinese in our Mini Lodge with a couple of Isaac’s friends last night we had a somewhat better nights sleep, however Steve isn’t feeling well and has developed an annoying cough which disturbed us overnight a few times. Other than that it was much quieter and warm, I can’t remember the last time we all slept in one room! Isaac complained that we both snored, but so did he! After breakfast and making up our packed lunches we packed Clara up and set off for Kinlochleven and our last day of walking, 15 odd miles to Fort William. We set off in sunshine just after 10am passing an honesty box called The Wee Midgie, can’t help but have a look inside, but there wasn’t anything tempting us today. Walking back through the village and we soon turn off into woodland and immediately the path goes up.
The path is stony and wet in places and there is burn with stepping stones to navigate.
A second burn crossing has no stepping stones and is flowing much faster - careful foot placement is required! Along the climb there are views to be had of Loch Leven and eventually we can look back at Kinlochleven in the distance below us. The sun is also shining! It is a beautiful location.
After a while the narrow stonier path gives way to a wider path with the rolling hills and increasingly broodier skies as a backdrop or blue skies in the other direction - will we get a soaking?
And the answer is yes! Full waterproofs on!
One thing I have noticed while I have been writing up these blogs is the lack of rainy photos, when the rain is lashing down I am less likely to get my phone out and quite often it doesn’t look as bad on a photo as in real life. So don’t be reading these thinking it doesn’t look that bad, I can assure you the turnaround between dry and wet multiple times a day can get a little wearing! Thankfully the rain doesn’t last too long, it is just passing through and on its way to dampen someone else’s spirits! We are back on an Old Military Road again and there is quite a lot of standing water to negotiate and the land around the water is usually squishy and just as wet!
We pass by a ruined stone cottage marked on the map as Tigh-na-sleubhaich sitting below the towering peak of Stob Ban, it was inhabited until the 1970’s. It is said to be one of the most photographed ruins along the West Highland Way.
The walking through Glen Lairig is easier than previously today and it’s nice to let my Nordic walking poles carry more of the weight and get into a nice rhythm.
There are a few more folk on this stretch and some familiar faces we have seen over the past eight days, not surprising when you consider it is estimated that around 50,000 people walk the West Highland Way each year, it certainly is the busiest National Trail I have completed. I am ready to stop for lunch, but Isaac wants to wait until 1.30pm and so we push on a bit further.
Finally we find a spot to perch and even Norbert is allowed out of his rucksack pocket! I have taken a flask of tea with me every day and nearly always forgotten to drink it until it is almost too late. Normally when I do a multi-day walk I would usually stop for a tea-break mid morning. Tea of choice is a cup of Tea India Masala Chai with milk - usually semi-skimmed cows. Snacks on these kinds of multi-day walks range from Snickers, salted peanuts, pepperami, trail mix to pickled gherkins. Things that can be easily consumed on-the-go (not the gherkins when you have poles!)
We cross over this wooden footbridge and I lose the apple core I was trying to finish trying to take a photo -too many things in my hands! If there is an apple tree growing by this burn in the future…
The weather has taken a turn for the worse again and it’s time to put the waterproofs back on.
Thankfully it is only a passing shower and soon the sun is shining and blue skies are back for the start of the descent towards Fort William. I think that is Ben Nevis in the middle photo.
What follows now is a long descent down a wide forest trail leading down into Glen Nevis, We get a second wind on the downhill and pick up speed.
Passing a number of other walkers we come to a point where we have to make a choice, turn left and follow the original route down onto the A82 and walk beside the road into Fort William or continue straight and take the new route around Cow Hill.
We chose the Cow Hill route, following the forest track to the Braveheart Car Park, then the path ascends (yikes, wish I had read that bit in the guide) to a high point overlooking Fort William and Loch Linnhe.
Shortly after the high point the track descends, quite steeply in zig-zags through beautiful woodland to the rear of the Leisure Centre before taking us to the A82.
The West Highland Way now takes us through a municipal garden known as The Parade past a statue commemorating Donald Cameron of Lochiel, the 24th chief of Clan Cameron, Member of Parliament for 37 years. We continue down the High Street looking for the end point. Steve has appeared and is struggling to keep up with Isaac who is striding ahead trying to beat the 6 hours mark. Half of the sign is hiding behind a bush, but the statue of the Man with Sore Feet is easy enough to spot. After congratulatory hugs we get our photo taken on the bench with the statue and then I have a chat with a passer-by and his parents (who turns out to be Sam R Culley who I follow on Instagram!)
We pop into a shop sporting West Highland Way merchandise in its window and although I don’t find any merch I like, I do find a new duck for Clara. Nevis is a Highland Cow duck! We also get a final stamp for our passports.
We walk to the car park where Clara is to relieve ourselves of our rucksacks and have a congratulatory Chocolate Choux Bun! We then decide to get walk back to get pizza at the Black Isle Bar, highly recommended! After this we drive Isaac to Kinlochleven as he is staying with friends for a few days before returning to Glen Nevis Caravan & camping park for the night.
So that’s it, the West Highland Way is complete, we have survived!
Total miles walked: 99.98
Total time moving: 36:11:58
Total steps: 184,260
Total elevation gain: 120,61 ft
