Argyll - Essential travel

Before the COVID tier system came into place, I'd a reason to do some essential travel to support a friend at an important work event. I took the opportunity to get an earlier train there and grab some time outside, using the West Highland Way to walk from the station at Bridge of Orchy through to Kingshouse. It was a beautiful autumn day for it and the hill colours were at their fiery finest.

From Bridge of Orchy the route ascended to the pass of Mam Carraig which opened up the view to the sweeping lines of the peaks and ridges that culminate in Ben Starav. 

From this high point, the path dropped down to Inveroran. I loved the message board outside the hotel here where folk who had passed on the West Highland Way this year had scribbled their names. The route leaves Inveroran to climb up onto Rannoch Moor, heading north on the old parliamentary road.

Up on the moor, the colours were ablaze in the autumn sunshine with russets and golds that contrasted with blue skies and grey rock. I love striking out across the moor here. It feels wide open and empty. 

The only feature that the path crosses is Ba Bridge which takes it over the rocky gorge of the Ba River. Today birch trees that were clustered around the bridge added gold and purple to the pallet.

The sun was starting to sink now and the Black Mount peaks cast their shadows across the moor. I'd planned to be out late though, to finish the walk after dark. So I climbed higher onto the older military road, which was marked by a crumbling stone cairn. With big views, this was a great spot to watch the sun set. As it did so, shafts of light illuminated patches of hillside in turn and the lochans studded across the moor appeared alight, as they reflected the orange glow of the hills.

There was just enough light left in the day to bring me down to Kingshouse without a headtorch. Waiting there was my friend, a pot of tea and a nice surprise - we'd been upgraded for free from the bunkhouse to a swanky room.

Fact file
More photos HERE

Start: Bridge of Orchy

Finish: Kingshouse Hotel

Public transport: Citylink buses and West Highland line trains for Bridge of Orchy; Citylink buses for Kingshouse.

Route: Exit the station at Bridge of Orchy down the stairs and turn left at the bottom. This is now the West Highland Way and well signed through to Kingshouse.