Bridge of Orchy to Taynuilt - Mind how you go

Mindfulness is a popular concept these days. It's defined as being fully present in the moment such that we are aware of where we are and what we’re doing. It's also seen as a form of meditation and thought to be good for your mental health. I think when I'm in the outdoors, I mostly walk in a mindful manner. It's being fully engrossed in the moment that enables you to notice the fine details of everything around you and it's this that makes a walk enjoyable. I was especially mindful on a recent walk from Bridge of Orchy to Taynuilt because it rained non-stop. This forced me to find joy in the detail of the immediate vicinity as I drew in tight my cagoule hood and limited my vision to the immediate world around me. But there were plenty of pleasures ... the colours of rocks wet from the rain; beads of water on tree twigs; the sound of a stream gurgling under the path; the blaze of bluebells in the woods; staring a barn owl in the face from a couple of feet away. So what might have been a miserable plod in the rain was actually a wonderfully rich walk. 

Here are some photos from the walk.

There was a brief moment of sunshine on the first evening which picked out the grain of the bark on the pine trees.

The cold spring meant the woods were largely leafless but there was still plenty of green in the moss-covered forest floor.

One of my favourite spots on the walk was the old, stone bothy of Narrachan which provided a lunch stop out of the rain.

At Ardmaddy Bay on Loch Etive, the gorse was a splash of colour in an otherwise grey palette.

Bluebells carpeted the woods close to Taynuilt.

Fact File

Start: Bridge of Orchy
Finish: Taynuilt
Public transport: Trains between Glasgow and Fort William stop at Bridge of Orchy; trains between Glasgow and Oban stop at Taynuilt.

My route: At the bottom of the steps at Bridge of Orchy station, turn left and this is now the West Highland Way. Follow it to Victoria Bridge then take the track west which is signed for Loch Etive. It passes Loch Dochard then descends into Glen Kinglass. When it reaches Ardmaddy on the shore of Loch Etive, follow the main track over the bridge and south down the shore. There is a new hydro track through part of the glen but stay on the track on the north side of the river until Ardmaddy. When the track reaches a tarmac road, turn right and a little further on the smokery at Inverawe is reached. Cross the car park and pick up a path signed down to the river. Cross the fine pedestrian suspension bridge and follow the track up to the right on the other side. This leads into Brochroy. At the end of this residential road, turn left, then first right to Taynuilt village centre and the train station.