Nordic Walking The West Highland Way: Day Five
Auchtertyre to Bridge of Orchy
When: Thursday 17th September
Miles walked: 9.26
Steps taken: 19,832
Moving time: 3:07:21
Elevation gain: 675 ft
Today we are walking from Auchtertyre to Bridge of Orchy
Having decamped from our pitch at Beinglas we set off to drive the 17 minute journey back to Auchtertyre to start todays walk. It is raining and so our waterproofs are donned and we set off down the road to cross the main A82 (again) the Way follows a wet, puddly track through a tree-lined area and alongside the river. We divert slightly to get a better look at a waterfall - obsessed? maybe. There is something fascinating about the power of water and the way it tumbles and tosses its way through rocks and crevices though!
Mighty river waterfall, no less majestic I reckon! We have reached Dalrigh, an area famous for where Robert the Bruce is said to have engaged the MacDougalls of Lorne in battle in 1306 and been defeated. We pass a small pool of water known as the Lochan of the Lost Sword, legend has it that following his defeat at Dalrigh, Bruce cast his sword into the water. It has never been found, which Isaac and I considered for a while, surely in those times a sword would have been made from iron and would have rusted away at the bottom of a pool? Anyway there is also a memorial stone to the Battle of Dalrigh and another to the sword.
Velvet shanks on a old tree stump and the best Penny Bun otherwise known as a Cep or Bolete I have ever seen! Only 1.5 miles to Tyndrum where we will be camping tonight.
On the way into Tyndrum we pass through an old foundry site where lead ore was crushed prior to being transported, there is a stone sculpture of a crucible here. The history of mining in this area dates back to the 15th century when silver was mined for King James I, in the 1800’s lead was mined and there is an active gold and silver mine only 2 miles south-west of Tyndrum. It is still raining and we are following a small river and on the opposite bank is a holiday park with lodges that have hot-tubs…I’m secretly hoping there is an upgrade to our facilities tonight! What a lovely outlook though - if it wasn’t raining! We pass a footbridge that would take you into the campsite and it has a little food/coffee truck, but we have lunch plans! We walk towards Lower Tyndrum Station and pass another campsite, the Way turns off right before we reach the station and heads towards a river.
As we approach a shallow burn it becomes apparent we are to cross it. There are a few stepping stones, but we both choose different routes and I lend Isaac a pole as the stepping stones aren’t flat! See video below
Isaac and I are safely across the burn without wet feet and we continue along our journey - it is still raining. A broad stony track rises up the glen never far from the A82 and ascends gently. Ahead is Beinn Dorain, not that we can see the shapely cone top the guide tells us about! We are still following an old military road, passing waterfalls and crossing raging rivers.
On the way towards Auch we cross over the railway a couple of times and are walking in the Auch Estate, which is a 28,000 acre working hill farm and outdoor destination with self-catering cottages and trail cabins for walkers. I remember the Dutch guys telling us they were staying in Auch (I had not heard of it). There are subtle hints of Autumn in the Highlands and this patch of bracken was giving warm, earthy and rich colours in amongst the green!
We are now on the home straight to Bridge of Orchy and the old military road is next to the railway line and the railway line is next to the A82, so no chance of getting lost! It is still murky, misty in the hills and raining on us! The metal gate down into Bridge of Orchy station is emblazoned with a West Highland Way waymarker logo! We go down under the railway line and onto the road to see Clara waiting for us! I am surprised we are here already, but not disappointed!
After peeling off our waterproofs (Isaac removed his wet boots and socks too, phewy) we set off back to Tyndrum where we plan to have award-winning Fish & Chips at The Real Food Café. We arrive shortly before 2pm and find we have to wait for a table, but it was worth the wait! Especially the giant onion rings! We sat at a high-table and were chatting to a dad and son combo who were wild-camping whilst walking the West Highland Way - the son was one of seven brothers who had drawn the short straw of accompanying his dad on a challenge this year. I hope they completed it! After our delicious lunch we set off to pitch camp in the rain (no hot tub).
