Written at Spean Bridge, 7th July, about 1020 miles.
Edinburgh was 11 days ago but it seems a world away! We left Edinburgh on a bright morning- me, my brother David and his friend Chris. Walking through Princes Street gardens and then the Grand Union canal for 23 miles to Chris and Jean's hospitable house at Linlithgow. A pleasant walk and plenty of interest- Edinburgh people using the towpath on a sunny Sunday, a glimpse of the Craiglockhart sanatorium made fmous by the war poets, the 'bings'- spoil heaps from old oil shale extraction, Linlithgow with castle and palace, Chris' knowledge as local guide all the way. David feels the pull of the world cup and Jean, Chris' wife, picks him up to go and see the goal that might have been.
David stays with me for three varied days. First, round the banks of the Forth- the Antonine Wall, the Grangemouth refinery, old industrial valleys and ending in an amazing B&B in the mansion of James Paton, the old textiles magnate. Another day over the shapely Ochil Hills- last views of industrial Scotland, wind farms under construction and ending in a night at bypassed Blackford in an empty hotel. The next day was of difficult path finding, paths lost to the next Gleneagles course extension, hobby farming, new forest and encroaching gorse. But the afternoon takes us to the banks of the wide clear river Earn, most beautiful, and we reach Crieff with a welcoming B&B, good beer and food, and a look at the 'Crieff Hydro'- a Victorian 'resort' on gothic style at the top of the town. So David's part of the trip is over- a varied journey in its own right from the Scottish border to the gateway to the Highlands.
From Crieff, most of last week has been on old drove routes between Skye and the former cattle market at Crieff. As I passed Crieff, the weather broke for northern Britain with massive Atlantic lows bringing constantly changing days including some heavy rain and strong winds, but bright spells and sharp views in between. So we've had some tough days- wet gear, soggy peat bogs, tricky camping. Chris has joined me for two full weeks- returning for a second stint, very different from the sunny days of Devon.
We started with a short half day to Comrie, a 'shacky toon' where they first measured earthquakes on the Highland fault. For the next three days, each day we needed to move from glen to glen, climbing up a valley, finding the lairig (pass) and then down into the next glen to the north- to Killin, Bridge of Balgie, Bridge of Guar. Great scenery on the way- lovely birchwoods returning to the valleys close to killin, the wide waters of the Balgie massively swelled by overnight rain, ospreys hunting on Loch Rannoch, red squirrels in the woods. Some comforts- scones and tea at Balgie post office- and some rigours- porridge with midges, camping on the lochside at Rannoch.
We left Loch Rannoch on the narrow road west and then headed north on the old track which was the 'road to the isles' round the edge of Rannoch moor. An awesome view of wilderness and a great place to celebrate reaching a thousand miles on the trip- Chris and I mark this with Laphroaig and fruitcake. After five days without meeting a walker, we meet one of several D of E groups from Lancaster- a cheerful bunch and I seem to get a good welcome as the 'thousand mile man'.
The old road takes us to Loch Ossian- a cosy night in the hostel at this remote spot. Next morning, we are threading through the valleys between the stony peaks of the white Corries, just reaching Lairig Leacach bothy before rain and gales arrive. A good night at the bothy, a mix of people from a 75 year old veteran rambler, a young Czech woman trying to climb 100 Munroes, and the Lancaster lads, taking brief shelter as the rain lashed their tents.
And so today in sunshine to Spean Bridge. Shower, laundry, shopping this afternoon- and ready tomorrow for another good tramp and whatever the Highland weather is going to throw at us! Three weeks and some grand wild lands to cross before (hopefully!) Cape Wrath.
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