chose the campsite based on fundamental factors such as flat ground, near the trail but distant enough for privacy, and proximity to a water source. It turned out to be much more than that. The clouds filtered away, the temperature was mild, and I could keep the flaps open on my Duomid. The soft waves of Loch Lomond provided a gentle chorus all night. The A82 was strangely hypnotic - too far away for me to hear it, but I could watch a slow march of red (tail lights) and white (head lights) float along the far shore. An entirely different experience from driving along the A82 during the day (just ask Mr Tattie Heid).
I packed my camp and rejoined the trail. My aging eyes in the early morning light thought that Inversnaid was 1/4 mile north based on my reading of the map. It turned out to be a couple miles further than that, but no matter. A lovely spot. A tour group was walking through the grounds. A couple of older gentleman appeared to be reminiscing on a long-past military posting somewhere in the area. I was tempted to listen a little longer but decided it was more respectful to allow them their privacy.
Rob Roy's cave! Honestly, I hadn't given much thought to the place prior to the trip. I saw it listed on my topo map and decided it could be mildly interesting. It was right off the trail so why not spend a few minutes exploring.
Thinking back, the section of the trail along the north half of Loch Lomond presents the most difficult walking of the West Highland Way. Perhaps the old military road outside of Kinlochleven comes close, but I found I needed to watch my feet the most along here. I don't mean to compare it to backcountry and off-trail hiking; but you should be prepared for tree roots, constant oddly-shaped stones that will do their best to trip you up, and a few small scrambles. There are other suprises as well. I was treading carefully and suddenly found myself in the middle of a herd of feral goats! They're not dangerous if you stick to your walking - don't attempt to feed them or take selfies.
Soon I left Loch Lomond behind me. It's a lovely, atmospheric section of the West Highland Way with opportunities to explore some history.
I made my way to the Doune Byre Bothy. It's a well-known bothy that is familiar to nearly all walkers along the trail. I was about to peek my head in when it occurred to me that I had not been inside a permanent man-made structure for the past 2.5 days - why not keep that going for the full trip? I moved on.
Path to Rob Roy's CaveFeral goat along Loch LomondSaying goodbye to Loch LomondDoune Byre BothyA brief stop at Falloch FallsHighland coosCrianlarich - halfway mark of the West Highland Way<>1 - 7I made my way down the north side of Cnap Mor and on toward River Falloch. As I walked through the cabins at Beinglas Farm I thought this would be a great overnight for young families and small groups. Not for me, though; I was enjoying the wild-camping experience.
Thirty minutes further north and I was at Glen Falloch. I had marked this on my map as my 3rd night camp and it was only mid-day - definitely pleased with my time. I should note that the designated campsites that I had put on my maps represented the minimal progress I needed to make each day. If I wasn't achieving these campsites then I would have to consider other alternatives, such as bagging the walk and getting some form of transportation. Fortunately, though, I was well ahead of schedule. I took my 30-minute break to eat some of my lunch and rest my feet with shoes and socks off - this is an obligatory practice for me when I'm doing multi-day hikes of 8+ hours.
I got back on the trail after my rest. A little further on I came upon the Falls of Falloch - would have been a nicer spot for my rest, but no matter. Eventually, the trail crossed to the opposite side of the A82 - back to disliking that road.
The weather was now sunny and beautiful and would be so for the remainder of the walk. I was extremely fortunate to have such perfect weather at this time of year; however, the walk along the ridge to Crianlarich and Ewich Forest is exposed and it was hot. I stopped to apply more sun screen. I hadn't thought I would need much SPF at this time of year and now I was wondering if I would have enough.
I reached the edge of the forest and there was the sign marking the half-way point of the West Highland Way! I hadn't planned on reaching that milestone until well into the next day. I again felt pleased with my time and knowing I was halfway done with a great deal of time to spare allowed me to relax and focus on simply enjoying the walk.
I set up camp in the middle of Ewich Forest near Herive Burn. An odd thing happened later that night. I began to hear small explosions and peaked out from my Duomid. Someone was lighting off fireworks, I assume it was from in or around Crianlarich. Now, birthdays are not a big thing for me, but that day did happen to be my birthday. I spent a wonderful day walking along the trail and what's the harm in telling myself those fireworks were being set off in my honor?
