Where We Be
West Highland Way (2nd half), Scotland
Beinn Dorain near the Bridge of Orchy marks
the beginning of the truly rugged West Highlands
Day 6. Inverarnan to Tyndrum (~13 miles)
The early part of the day's 13-mile hike to Tyndrum followed along the River Falloch
There were plenty of smaller streams and "burns" along our route
We made good time and the miles passed quickly. Before we knew it we were halfway there.
We walked beneath this distinctive stone arch bridge near Crianlarich
These are real-life "hairy coos" (Highland cows), as the Scots affectionately call them
In the pastures nearby were hundreds of sheep with lambs. This slowed our progress a bit!
This pond near Tyndrum is where, according to legend, Robert the Bruce ordered his men to throw their swords
and heavy armor into the water after their defeat at the Battle of Dalrigh in 1306, allowing them to escape faster
View of the River Orchy from the Bridge of Orchy -- looking north towards the Scottish Highlands
We’re definitely in the Highlands now -- wild, rugged, and desolate
In the hamlet of Inveroran, a shop owner told us the midges
were due in another week -- so glad we missed them!
We kept crossing paths with this fun couple from the Netherlands -- Philip and José
Rannoch Moor is considered one of Europe's last great wildernesses
Black Rock Cottage (aka "the wee white house" -- an iconic
whitewashed cottage at the foot of Buachaille Etive Mòr
We stayed in a simple but private room in the Bunkhouse at
Kingshouse Hotel -- an oasis of civilization in the wilderness
The Bridge of Orchy was built by the British army in 1751 to solidify their hold on Scotland
The prominent mountain in the background is Beinn Dorain, a famous Munro.
A Munro is any Scottish peak over 3,000 feet -- of which there are 282.
Beinn Dorain was definitely the main focal point of the day
The straight-as-an-arrow Old Military Road to Orchy
We enjoyed pints at Bridge of Orchy Hotel while waiting to check in at the adjacent Greenstone Lodge
Our vegan dinner at Greenstone Lodge included hirata bao buns and mini mezze
for appetizers, and mushroom bourguignon and pasta carbonara for entrees
Day 7. Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy (~7 miles)
Day 8. Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse (~12 miles)
Last day of the trek! It started out with this whimsical gnome garden in Kinlochleven.
The last day is the killer day of 16 miles to Fort William,
but we started out in good spirits -- and with good weather!
After a steep climb out of Kinlochleven, it was mile after mile of wild, desolate Highland scenery
At the 4-mile mark we came across the ruins of a shepherd’s croft at Tigh-na-sleubhaich
It had rained hard the night before, so there were lots of puddles we had to navigate through or around
This is wild, beautiful country with barely a sign of civilization to be seen
Sometimes a "creek" came right down the trail!
That's snowcapped Ben Nevis in the distance -- a sure sign we must be getting closer to the finish
We were surprised at just how many creeks, streams,
and rivulets there were on the West Highland Way
Up, up, and more up, with Ben Nevis beckoning us on. Our legs were getting pretty tired at this point.
Finally we came to the last five miles or so of mostly downhill hiking on a wide gravel road
At last! Fort William! But the endpoint is now in Gordon Square, another mile or so away.
The “Man with Sore Feet” bronze statue in Gordon Square
marks the official end of the West Highland Way. How apt!
Holy hell, that was a long day!
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on High Street
Afterwards we limped to our lodging, passing the Parade Garden on the way.
FYI, that's Duncansburgh MacIntosh Parish Church in the background.
Traditional Scottish stone cottage in Fort William
We celebrated some more over the next two days, with
good food and drink at the Crofter Bar on High Street
And we took some time to explore Fort William itself -- this is High Street on a sunnier day
We also found time for the West Highland Museum, where we saw
bagpipes played at Bannockburn in 1314 (among the oldest in the
world), Highland armor and dress, and much more. Recommended!
Pyramid-shaped Buachaille Etive Mor rises above a small  lake outside Kingshouse Hotel
Looking back at Kingshouse Hotel and Bunkhouse
(book early here, as there aren't many other good options nearby)
A brief glimpse of sunshine over Buachaille Etive Mor
Today was our day to tackle the Devil's Staircase, considered
one of the hardest stretches of the West Highland Way
The Devil's Staircase is aptly named -- it's a long steep climb, but we made it!
View from the top. We feel like we had a true West
Highland Way experience today, what with the fickle weather.
Heading down the other side. The summit of the Devl's
Staircase is the highest point on the West Highland Way.
Cylindrical glamping pod at Blackwater Hostel
Day 9. Kingshouse to Kinlochleven (~9 miles)
Day 10. Kinlochleven to Fort William (~16 miles)
Eventually we passed beneath the A82 through this corrugated tunnel
This Red Deer stag near the Bridge of Orchy was our first big wildlife sighting in Scotland
Red deer like this one at Inveroran
are the UK's largest land mammal
Finally! Some typical Scottish weather!
It was cold, rainy, and windy most of the day,
so we stayed bundled up in our raingear
Then it was back to misty and rainy minutes later
But we opted for the Tailrace Inn -- where we met several of our hiking friends in the pub
We pushed through several rollercoaster hills, enjoying the somber Highland scenery
Two black-faced sheep nearly blocked our path
as we prepared for yet another steep climb
On the plus side, we have two whole days off to recover in Fort William
We celebrated with pints and pizza at The Pizzeria on High Street
View of St. Andrews House from the window of our lodging at 6 Caberfeidh
This full-size sculpture outside the museum commemorates a
1911 publicity stunt in which a driver, Henry Alexander, drove a
Model T to the summit of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain!
The second half of the West Highland Way is
where the scenery really kicks in. This is what
you're expecting to see -- wild, remote, and
somewhat somber scenery that feels like you're
a hundred miles away from civilization (even if
you're not). That's the beauty of the West High-
land Way -- it lets you experience this scenery
but still sleep in a comfy bed each night (unless
you choose to rough it -- that's on you).

It's hard to pick a single highlight from this
second half of the trek. We loved seeing "hairy
coos" and lambs galore on Day 6 -- and conical
Beinn Dorain on Day 7 -- and the "wee white
house" with pyramid-shaped Buachaille Etive
Mor in the background on Day 8 -- and the
expansive views from the summit of the Devil's
Staircase on Day 9.

And then there's Day 10. There's no getting
around it -- Day 10 is hard. It's 16 miles of roller-
coaster ups and downs, with snowcapped Ben
Nevis teasing you in the distance, right on the
doorstep of Fort William. But on the plus side,
this is some of the wildest, most remote, and
most beautiful scenery of the entire trek. We
loved it and felt exhausted at the same time,
and would count the entire day as a highlight.