Tuesday 21st August
The final day. We had mixed emotions about the day. Sad because it was our last day and nearly the end of the holiday but glad too to be completing the walk.
All clothes really smelly now. You know you smell when you start catching a whiff of yourself. Saving my one last pair of clean pants for the journey home.
The co-op in Kinlochleven opens at 7am. I’ve given up on real food now and I’m living off shortbread and jaffa cakes. The weather forecast is light rain followed by thunderstorms and heavy rain later on. Looking forward to a spectactular storm over ben nevis.
The route out of Kinlochleven climbs quite steeply up the side of the valley, a bit more than expected. Soon we were dripping in sweat as it was surprising warm.
We expected the final day to be an easy walk but the path seemed to go on forever. The views through the valley were beautiful. The path undulates enough that the legs get tired quite easily. There are a number of plantations along the way. The top of ben nevis comes into view.
The descent down into Fort William is a long one. Feet and knees struggle on the hard rocky road. Eventually, as a final insult, there is a mile long stretch along the main rd to the finish. Then, at last….we got to the end!
Wednesday 22nd August-The journey home
Felt quite odd not preparing for walking today. We wandered around Fort William and felt a bit out of place. We also felt really knackered. We saw lots of familiar faces as we boarded the train for Glasgow. The train follows almost our route and we looked out for the landmarks we’d seen along the way.
The West highland way is essentially a tourist trail. We are quite seasoned walkers and there were times when we found parts of the route a bit tedious and not very challenging. We completed most days quite early and were at a bit of a loss sometimes. We found ourselves sitting in lots of teashops.
We’ve had a fantastic time though. The hospitality we’ve had at each of the b&b’s has been fantastic. We’ve met some lovely people and had some great weather. Not sure how we’re going to adjust to normal life now.
Karen Jeffery 