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An Article by Colin Hood The year is 1692. The place is Glencoe. It’s dark, it’s cold, it’s misty and fresh snow lies on the ground. The MacDonalds and their guests the Campbells are asleep. Suddenly the night is filled with screams. The Campbells are murdering the MacDonalds. Women and children are not spared in the carnage which follows. Those clansfolk who do escape, freeze to death in the surrounding mountains. The Massacre of Glencoe is history now but it is very easy to picture the scene as you walk through this most haunting of Scottish glens.
Glencoe
still retains much of this aura and is one of the most popular
destinations in Scotland. Unfortunately most people just glimpse it as
they speed through on their luxury coach. They will stop at the visitor
centre, buy their postcard and sign the visitor’s book before driving to
their luxury hotel in Fort William knowing they had at last ‘seen’
Glencoe. However, to experience the real Glencoe, the weather, the
atmosphere, the remoteness, you have to don your boots and backpack and
follow the peat coloured burns, through the blooming heather and up into
the lonely conies.
The
West Highland Way is Scotland’s first long distance footpath and passes
through Glencoe on its way north to Fort William. The walk starts on the
southern shores of Loch Lomond and whether you take the high road or the
low road the path contours majestic Ben Lomond through forests of birch
and oak and takes you along the ‘bonnie bonnie banks’ of this immortal
loch.
Crianlarich,
pronounced exactly as it sounds, lies at the base of Ben More (3825ft),
and is a popular stopping point for walkers, as well as motorists and
train enthusiasts. Two major roads, the A85 and A82 meet here and there is
a train station, Youth Hostel, campground, hotels, and many bed and
breakfast establishments. Enjoy good home cooking followed by a beer or a
dram in the friendly ‘local’.
The
path then follows the railway line and the road northwest through the
narrow confines of Strath Fillian to Tyndrum. Both road and rail split
here. One line follows the A85 west to the seaside port
Despite
their comparatively low altitude, the Scottish mountains are potentially
hazardous and subject to rapid weather changes. Such changes can make a
simple walk up an easy hillside into a serious undertaking requiring a
high degree of mountain skill in route finding with both map and compass.
The weather of the Scottish mountains should never be underestimated and
makes proper clothing and equipment essential.
The
countryside becomes bleaker as you continue ascending to the hamlet of
Bridge of Orchy below the conical peak of Ben Dorian (3524ft).
You are now on the edge of the Rannoch Moor. Further on the route
passes the popular Inveroran Hotel which offers food and overnight
accommodation. From here to the Kingshouse Hotel you are on your own with
only the other walkers for company. You pass Forest Lodge as you contour
around lonely Loch Tulla toward the Black Mount. The silence is almost
deafening as you take in the beauty and the remoteness which surrounds
you. Photographs can’t do justice to this timeless landscape.
A
strong northerly wind on this section can make it one of the hardest and
perhaps most rewarding day on the walk. Scotland has four distinct seasons
and it is very possible to experience them all in one day, if not in one
hour. Snow can and does fall at any time of the year even though people
could be playing on the beach relatively close by. The weather pattern is
generally from the west with the Gulf Stream and the mountains creating a
very high degree of precipitation. Generally speaking, northerlies bring
cold air from the Arctic throughout the year and easterlies can bring cold
in the winter and warm in the summer.
It
is important that all walkers/climbers are aware of the potential dangers
in the Scottish mountains and are properly prepared and equipped to deal
with them.
After
many hours of walking, you will see the welcome sight of the Kingshouse,
probably the loneliest hotel in Scotland and, like a sentinel, guards the
entrance to Glencoe. With the thought of steaming hot broth and a glass of
whisky you quickly descend to the hotel.
The
Kingshouse was built in the 17th Century and is believed to be one of
Scotland’s oldest licensed inns and is as much part of the landscape as
the mountains themselves. It has an atmosphere all of its own and many a
tall tale has been told at the bar. If the weather is kind to you, you can
sit outside and watch the climbers on the cliffs of Buachaille Etive Mor (3345ft).
Whether you spend a night here or just pause for a cleansing ale you
will never forget this place for as long as you live.
The
actual township of Glencoe is further on down the glen on the shores of
Loch Leven. Here you can find a Youth Hostel, several bunkhouses offering
accommodation of all kinds, campsites, hotels and of course the ubiquitous
Bed and Breakfast. To experience Glencoe and all its moods a few days
should be spent here enjoying the scenery, the people, the culture and the
history.
The
Devil’s Staircase will take you over the hills to Kinlochleven which
literally translates into ‘the town at the head of Loch Leven’. The
Mamore Forest Lodge is situated high above the township and offers some
superb views down the loch to the impressive peak of Ben a’ Bheithir
(3361ft). Again it is possible to spend a night here or just break for
lunch before the last fourteen miles to Fort William.
The
mountain range you cross to reach Glen Nevis is called the Mamore Forest,
an unlikely name considering there is hardly a tree in sight. Once in Glen
Nevis you can wander down the river of the same name until you reach Fort
William. After seven days of walking through some of the wildest country
in Europe you can now have a rest before tackling the challenging ascent
of Scotland’s highest peak, Ben Nevis.
At
4406 feet “The Ben”, as it is known amongst the local walking
fraternity, requires respect whether walking up the ‘tourist’ track or
climbing on its precipitous north face. The temperature on top can be as
much as 20 degrees lower than in Fort William. This is a potentially very
dangerous mountain and extreme care and precaution are required at all
times.
For
six days out of seven the summit is shrouded in mist. Of course you
can’t pick that illusive day but if you do, you will be rewarded with
one of the most memorable views in the world. However if you are
unfortunate with the view console yourself with the thought you are not
alone and that the ascent itself is a rewarding challenge. Wherever you walk in Scotland, whichever Ben you climb, whatever the weather, you will return home having experienced some of the most rewarding walking in the world.
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