Keswick Day 3

After a slow start we headed out to Glenridding to get the Ullswater Steamer to take us up the lake to Howtown from where we would walk the 7 miles back to the start. Nice weather today after a cold start. Lovely walk with many people doing the same route as us.

We headed home in the car view the Castlerigg Stone Circle which we had missed the previous day.

A fairly standard pub meal in the evening and I was certainly running out of steam on the beers.

Headed home on Monday morning by a couple of buses as the trains were off for bank holiday engineering works.

Keswick Day 2

We headed out for a walk from Lake Derwent along the short for a couple of miles before heading inland towards Castlerigg. We had coffees at Castlerigg farm and at that point decided to head back down to the start. Fairly strenuous walk with some great views and scenery.

We then got the boat from the pier on Derwent Water and headed round to the foot of the Cats Bell hill. Warren and Ian attempted the climb whilst I accompanied Tim for an hour long walk along the shore before catching the boat back to Keswick and have a pint and the lakeside cafe. Ian and Warren enjoyed their climb and arrived back a few hours later.

In the evening we went out to 18/20 Cellar Bar and Restaurant. Very nice meal and then a long session in various pubs throughout the village. 

Keswick Day 1

Colin got the train down to Penrith where he was picked up by Warren with Ian and Tim already in the car. After picking up some beers we drove onwards to Keswick and got the keys for our cottage for the weekend at 11 The Splosh pretty close to the centre of Keswick.

After quickly picking rooms and downing a few beers we headed out to the local pub and then for a Thai meal at Asaya Thai. Very nice but also very filling. In fact we ran out of room for any more beers and ended up heading home quite early.

Paisley Cycle

35 mile , 3 hour cycle starting in Paisley and heading first West then South on old railway lines. Back by road with a short offroad section in Glenariff Brae park.

Drumgoyne Circuit and Ascent

Having passed Drumgoyne Hill on the West Highland Way and thought what a nice hill it was I decided to explore. Cycle ride started in Kippen from where there was a short off road section before some very rural road and then a big climb over the Crow Road. Down to Lennoxtown before heading up into Mugdock Country Park and onwards onto West Highland Way. The weather improved by the time I reached Drumgoyne Hill and the obvious walking route presented itself. In spite of being tired by this time decided I really had to go up - on foot. Parked the big and headed up a pretty easy but steep ascent. Great views from the top over some flat land towards the Highlands and Loch Lomond.

Back on the bike through some really wealthy looking areas (Killearn) and back to Kippen. 46 miles in total.

MTB Ride to Haddington

Nice fast ride out to Haddington where I stopped for coffee and sandwich. 45 miles in 3 hrs 40 mins.

MTB Ride Dunkeld

Rough offroad ride into the wilds north of Dunkeld. Initially quite nice paths then tough but rideable before becoming truly horrible. Weather not too bad but not as sunny as hoped.

Around 25 miles over 3 hrs 30 mins.

Ratho

Colin and Max went out to Ratho for some bouldering at the climbing centre.

Max did some great climbs but only this fail was recorded :(

CUPSI - Poetry Slam - Chicago

Hannah didn't get very long to recover after the West Highland Way before she was off to Chicago via Dublin for the US University Poetry Slam. Her UoB Team were chosen as the representatives of the UK at the UK event where they came second.

The team completed in 2 days or preliminaries missing out on a place in the semi-finals.

The group piece "Telephone Call" that Hannah had written and sings in was quite a hit and they were invited to perform it on the finals stage before the final commenced.

West Highland Way - Day 8 - Kinlochleven to Fort William

After 3 easier days the last day was a long one of 16 miles. We were blessed with some great weather throughout which lifted the spirits and improved the views.

A hard haul up from Kinlochleven to about 300 m before a long stretch through the Lairig Mor along an old military road. This was easy going but long.

We then got into sight of Ben Nevis which was looking magnificent in the sun. The later stages seemed to offer lots of twists and turns and ups and downs and a final long stretch along the road before we finished.

The coffee shop at the edge of town closed at 5 pm just as we arrived at the old finish of the walk.

We headed on to the MacLean Guest House and then headed out for dinner at the Stables Restaurant.

Afterwards we visiting the new finish to the walk at the end of the main street in Fort William.

West Highland Way - Day 7 - Kingshouse to Kinlochleven

We got an early morning minibus from the B&B to the Glencoe Mountain lodge and started our walk again via the Kingshouse Hotel. The weather turn out to be worse than expected with low clouds and a lot of rain. We had the steady climb up the Devils staircase which was a moderate climb on a winding path so that the gradient was never too demanding. 

This was followed by a mile of so high level walking before a long descent into Kinlochleven. We arrived quite early as stopped at the Ice Factor where Max did some bouldering.

In the evening we dined at the Tailrace Inn.

The B&B was at the edge of town and never have we been so well supplied with biscuits and little extras.

West Highland Way - Day 6 - Inverornan to Kingshouse

The walk followed an old military road across Rannoch Moor. This made for easy ground underfoot for the whole day in a very remote location.

The walk was just under 9 miles which took us 3 hrs 40 minutes (314 m of climb).

We arrived around 1 pm at the Glencoe Mountain Ski resort and waited in the cafe and played pool under the Mac Adventures minibus took us to our B&B in Ballachulish (the Strathassynt Guest House).

We had dinner at the Isles of Glencoe hotel.

West Highland Way - Day 5 - Tyndrum to Inveroran

A very welcome shorter day of 10 miles on straighforward paths the whole way.

We stopped for a nice lunch at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. After lunch there was a bit of a climb but nothing too difficult.

We arrived at the Inveroran Hotel around 3.30 pm

Total Distance Around 10 miles in around 4 hrs 30 mins walking.

West Highland Way - Day 4 - Ardlui to Tyndrum

Max and Hannah got the ferry back from Ardlui onto the WHW around 10 am. Cherry needed to make a quick trip to the doctor for some meds and so we skipped forward about 5 miles and started our day an hour later at Derrydaroch Farm where we dawdled a while to allow Max and Hannah to catch up which they did around Crianlarich.

There was one horribly muddy section of a mile or two just before Crianlarich which was very slow going as you tried to get across the puddles and mud.

The rest of the route was reasonable terrain but the total mileage for the day was tough.

We stayed the night at Tigh Na Fraoch B&B.

Around 15 miles walk (or 10 for Cherry and Colin).

West Highland Way - Day 3 - Rowardennan to Ardlui

This second section along the banks of Loch Lomond has a reputation as the toughest on the WHW and so it proved to be. The first half through to Inversnaid was for the most part fairly easy going along vehicle tracks with some tougher tracks at the end.

We ate our pack lunch and then went into the hotel for teas.

The second half had lots of ups and downs and a very rough trail on which you could never build up any pace. We also has some heavy rain from around 3 pm. We got to the ferry to Ardlui at around 4.45 pm, soaked through, and raised the ball to signal to the ferryman to collect us.

We stayed the night and had dinner at the Ardlui Hotel.

Around 13 miles in total in 5 hrs 46 mins.

West Highland Way - Day 2 - Drymen to Rowardennan

We woke to a day of fabulous weather on Sunday. Clear skies and feeling warm at the start.

The early part of the walk was through nice forest trails before heading into wider country and then a climb up Conic Hill. From this direction it was a steady climb - never too steep. At the top and on the way down there were huge crowds out to enjoy a bit of exercise on a fine day. The walk down into Balmaha was steep and difficult. We arrived at around 1 pm and were lucky to get a table as the Oak Tree Inn soon filled up.

After a nice lunch we walked along the side of Loch Lomond to Rowardennan. This segment is a lot longer and tougher than the mileage suggests and the latter parts seemed to go on forever.

We arrived at the Rowardennan Hotel at around 6 pm.

Total distance walked was around 14 miles in about 7 hrs 30 minutes.

West Highland Way - Day 1 - Milngavie to Drymen

We got our bags all sorted and ready for Macs Adventures to collect from reception at 9am before heading off towards Milngavie town centre and the start of the West Highland Way.

The first section through Mugdock Country Park was easy going and familiar. There was then a relatively straightforward walk through to the Beech Tree Inn where we stopped for lunch at around Mile 7. Lunch was good and the pub very pleasant.

The afternoon walk was relatively dull with some on road sections, a confusing bit through a field at the end and a last walk off the trail into Drymen to our B&B Braeside. Dinner at the Drymen Inn was a bit excessive in size which made for a poor nights sleep.

Total distance was 12 flat miles in about 5 hrs 30 mins of walking.