woke up to the only "cold" I experienced on my 7-day walk. I put cold in quotes as it didn't require more than my 100-weight fleece; nevertheless, it was colder than anywhere else on the West Highland Way. I would guess the cold temperature was a result of the steep walls of the hollow dug by the Herive Burn - the sun didn't reach the campsite in the morning and a hollow will lose more temperature overnight than level ground.

 

I had spotted St. Fillan's Priory on my OS map and it peaked my curiousity. Fillan possibly lived in the area circa 750 A.D., though the priory was not built until the 14th century. It's in ruins now but a few walls and foundations remain. There is an old church burial ground nearby with three (or perhaps just two?) medieval gravestones. You'll be able to find them if you take the time to explore the area.

 

There's a rather distressing story regarding the superstitions around healing associated with this place. People with chronic illnesses were taken to the nearby spring and dropped into the cold water. They were then brought to the church and tied to the altar. The invalid was then left there unattended and without food, water, and heat for 48 hours. If they were able to untie the knots and leave on their own they were considered to have been cured. If the person was still there (much the worse for wear, I'm sure) they were considered to still be ill and the process was repeated. In the context of the times this may have been considered state of the art, but I'm glad that we have moved well beyond that.

 

The next section of the West Highland Way was a pleasant stroll through Auchertyre. I crossed the A82 again and started a moderate climb through a forested hillside toward Tyndrum. There are some interpretive signs detailing clan history along the way.

 

As I approached Tyndrum I came to an old lead mine. The mine is long-since closed, but the heavy metals and toxic processes have left the land devastated. The conditions for the miners had to have been horrific. This can be said of all mines in those times, certainly, but seeing the land laid waste many years after the mine had closed had an impact.

 

I passed through Tyndrum quickly as I wanted to get to the hills ahead to stop for a break. There was a public waste bin 100 yards down the road and I had a small collection of wrappers, ziploc bags (which had held my meals), and few bits of rubbish I picked up along the way. I didn't bother to make the short walk as I planned on dumping the trash after I had had lunch. Of course, I didn't see another public waste bin until Kinlochleven, 30 miles on. There may have been one in Bridge of Orchy, but I didn't see it.

 

I stopped for my late morning break on the west-facing slope of Creagan Glas. The views were opening up and I was frequently reminded of the beauty of this part of the Highlands. The trail generally parallels the rail line for a while and several Scotrail trains ran by. I don't know, in some places this would have bothered me, but here the trains seemed to fit well with the surroundings.

 

It was around this time that I stopped to have a blether with a friendly chap who was heading south. He had left two nights earlier and was doing the West Highland Way in 48 hours (or so) as a fundraiser. He was involved with a German Shepherd rescue group. He told me that he walked all night and passed Rannoch Moor and The Moss in the dark. It was rutting season and the stags were frequently bugling. He said they sounded like they were right next to him but were probably a fair distance away; however, it was dark and he didn't want to overuse his torch so he had no way of knowing. I was not able to find the link to this chap's charity group when I got back to civilization; if you happen to be reading this, then feel free to contact me.

 

The road through EwichThe remains of St. Fillan's PrioryGravesite likely dating from the Medieval PeriodThe desolation at Tyndrum mineAncient caldera in the HighlandsBridge of OrchyThe solitude of the moor"Disbanded", long hanging in my parents' houseAlone on The MossA sample Ordnance Survery map with the north end of Loch Lomond<>1 - 10I was soon at Bridge of Orchy. I took my 30-minute break behind the hotel and next to the bridge. In 2005 I had stopped there to make a phone call as an airline had lost my luggage. I used the pay phone outside the hotel as mobile phones were not ubiquitous then as they are now. It occurred to me that I was once again here with no mobile phone. I had abandoned the phone as I would have no need for it along the trail - it felt good.

 

I continued on to Inveroran and was caught off guard by the steep ascent immediately upon leaving Bridge of Orchy. The contour lines were on my topo map, but the steepness of the climb hadn't registered. I was soon beyond it, though, and looking at the little village of Inveroran. The village is dominated by the hotel and it is an attractively built building. My destination was a little further, however, as I wanted to maintain my pace.

 

The West Highland Way follows an old military road outside of Inveroran. The trail passes between several tree plantations as you approach The Moss. I'd like to take a moment hear to discuss water management. I carried the capacity for 3 full liters of water with my pack. My rule is that once I'm down to 1.5 liters I start to look for my next water supply - better safe than sorry. Well this rule definitely paid off here. It was the only place where I had to consider water management. There's plenty of water in this area, the problem is that you can't get to it or it's a thick sludge that would be preferable to not drink.

 

As it happened I was down to 1.5 liters as I was passing the first sizable tree plantation north of Inveroran. I was tempted to keep pushing on as the only water was small burns with banks that went 10 to 15 feet down. Common sense won the day (not always the case with me) and I made the climb down to the burn to replenish my supply. Good choice as there was no other water I could safely get to that day. Three liters is more than enough for me to use for hydration, dinner, breakfast, and some clean-up. I identified sources of water on the next day's maps and didn't have to worry about it. Water is plentiful on nearly all sections of the West Highland Way except for this one.

 

A couple of miles ahead was The Moss. It's a barren, desolate place and exactly the spot that I wanted to camp that night. It 's a bit mysterious, atmospheric, and, as the friendly chap had told me, the stags were bugling all night - it was perfect.