Post by zeke on Jun 2, 2016 11:06:22 GMT -8
Now, we get into some hiking, but no real long proper hiking trails, by Western US standards.We went to hike a large portion of the West Highland Way, and we hiked the Rob Roy way as well as about 50 miles, or half, of the West Highland Way. All told that 10 days, we hiked 70 miles in 8 days of hiking.
I met up with Deborah and Sheri in Glasgow. It was raining when i got off the bus and a slight drizzle as I carried my bag to the hotel. It was only a mile, so no big deal. I was barely settled into my room when the loud knocking on my door told me Deborah had found me. We had a walking and eating tour scheduled for that afternoon, and it was almost time to depart. We had a great guide, and the young woman told us about the various architecture in Glasgow. We also stopped in 3-4 places for a small sample of various courses of fine dining. The haggis meatballs in one restaurant convinced us that was the place to take the entire group for dinner. We met up with Roger and Dolly, took a cab to the restaurant, and had a most enjoyable meal.
The following day plan was to catch the 1:30 bus to Drymen, but that was not to be. I was up at 5 am and took a leisurely walk around town, waiting for the bus station to open at 6:30. I learned there was no longer a 1:30 bus to Drymen, but there was one at 6 PM. An alternative was to take a train, then walk a couple of hundred yards to catch the local bus. I took this info back to the group at breakfast. I stopped by the front desk to have a clerk call a cab company and inquire about cab fare for 6 adults and baggage to Drymen. £43 for the cab, as opposed to 5 people on the bus at £7 each.
I presented the options to the 5 member group, and it was quickly settled to take the cab. We split up after agreeing to meet back at the hotel at 2 PM. Deborah had some shopping she wanted to do in a far part of town, so I went with her in the subway and alley tour of Western Glasgow.
The first cab driver refused to take us all to Drymen, but another driver in the que, in the same sized cab, pulled in and agreed we would all fit. It tok some doing, but we arrived in Drymen safe and sound. The hotel did not have Deborah's reservation, and we discovered she had booked a room about 1/4 mile away. I think she was ditching us. Roger and I helped she and Sheri get their bags to that hotel before we went up to our own rooms.
That night after dinner, we were joined by Big Load and the Mrs. BL. Finally, our little group was complete. We agreed to meet up in the morning at 9, so we would be ready for Stuart (our guide for the next 9 days) at 9:30. Roger and I went back downhill to help fetch luggage in the morning.
The 1st day's hike was Conic Hill. Dryden to Balmaha. Lovely volcanic mound, with some nice trails. It was to end at a pub for lunch, 7 miles away. Stuart met up with us after lunch and took us to Aberfoyle, where he happened to live.
Second day's hike was 12 miles to a nice little inn outside of Balquhidder. I was trying to find a nice Scottish stout when the bartender drug some bottles out of the closet and put them in the cooler for me. When we went to dinner, I told the waitress "The bartender knows what I am drinking." Some in our group found that odd, since we had only been there 2 hours.
From there to Killin was 12 miles, but we included a stop at a local's home for tea in the morning. Deborah had met them in the pub, and they invited us all in for breakfast tea. We arrived about 10 and left after 11. This day's hike included walking along a train track and we stopped at the Bridge of Lochay hotel. They had nice rooms out in the back of the property, that had been built less than 20 years.
7 miles to the Bridge of Orchy and our rooms there. We left directly out the back door of our previous night's stay, and followed the train tracks again. Dolly slipped on some wet rocks and banged her knee, but didn't seem to be bothered by it. Big Load had already injured his knee and was considerably slower walking.
From there, it was 12 miles to Glencoe. We had lunch streamside ( all but me), and finished up our walk near a mountaineering cabin. The beginning of the hike was up to an overlook that Big Load skipped out on to preserve his knee from the downhill effort. We then stopped at an overlook along the river to learn more about the Campbell Massacre of MacDonald's, and why our next inn had a sign stating "No Campbell's". The Clachaig Inn had huge dinner entree portions, but the breakfasts were just so-so. We stayed there 3 nights while hiking in the neighborhood.
By this time, it was Thursday and we were to do a Munroe. There are something like 14 peaks in Scotland all over 3000 ft, and catalogued by a fellow named Munroe, so they are all referred to as Munroes. It was very steep to the saddle between 2 Munroes, something like 2300 ft in 1.25 miles. Deborah & I stayed at the saddle while the others continued the climb for another hour.Stuart had passed off the keys to the van so we could meet them there. We arrived at 3, while the others arrived at 4.
We hiked the "Devil's Staircase" the following day, which was not named that because of the steepness of the trail, but rather that the English military had built it in the 1800's to get troops quickly across Scotland whenever they needed to squash a rebellion. We had time after the hike to look in on the Glencoe Visitor's Center and the Folk museum.
On Saturday, we hiked 8 miles from Kinlochleven to Ft. William where the WHW ended. We had a nice dinner in a good restaurant, and we gave Stuart a gift for such a fine job. The next morning he drove us all back to the Edinburgh airport and dropped us off. It was a sad ending to the trip.
Roger, Dolly, and I spent the day walking around Edinburgh, as their plane left the following morning. Mine didn't leave until 7 PM so i had time to wander Edinburgh after they left.
Since I had started in Dublin, I returned there for my trip home. I found a great deal on Tampa to Dublin, back in Sept. My own RT, including the 2 jumps to Scotland and back, was $750, which was a bargain compared to the fares the others paid. I will try to keep the pics to less than 12.
Roger, Big Load, & Mrs BL.
I met up with Deborah and Sheri in Glasgow. It was raining when i got off the bus and a slight drizzle as I carried my bag to the hotel. It was only a mile, so no big deal. I was barely settled into my room when the loud knocking on my door told me Deborah had found me. We had a walking and eating tour scheduled for that afternoon, and it was almost time to depart. We had a great guide, and the young woman told us about the various architecture in Glasgow. We also stopped in 3-4 places for a small sample of various courses of fine dining. The haggis meatballs in one restaurant convinced us that was the place to take the entire group for dinner. We met up with Roger and Dolly, took a cab to the restaurant, and had a most enjoyable meal.
The following day plan was to catch the 1:30 bus to Drymen, but that was not to be. I was up at 5 am and took a leisurely walk around town, waiting for the bus station to open at 6:30. I learned there was no longer a 1:30 bus to Drymen, but there was one at 6 PM. An alternative was to take a train, then walk a couple of hundred yards to catch the local bus. I took this info back to the group at breakfast. I stopped by the front desk to have a clerk call a cab company and inquire about cab fare for 6 adults and baggage to Drymen. £43 for the cab, as opposed to 5 people on the bus at £7 each.
I presented the options to the 5 member group, and it was quickly settled to take the cab. We split up after agreeing to meet back at the hotel at 2 PM. Deborah had some shopping she wanted to do in a far part of town, so I went with her in the subway and alley tour of Western Glasgow.
The first cab driver refused to take us all to Drymen, but another driver in the que, in the same sized cab, pulled in and agreed we would all fit. It tok some doing, but we arrived in Drymen safe and sound. The hotel did not have Deborah's reservation, and we discovered she had booked a room about 1/4 mile away. I think she was ditching us. Roger and I helped she and Sheri get their bags to that hotel before we went up to our own rooms.
That night after dinner, we were joined by Big Load and the Mrs. BL. Finally, our little group was complete. We agreed to meet up in the morning at 9, so we would be ready for Stuart (our guide for the next 9 days) at 9:30. Roger and I went back downhill to help fetch luggage in the morning.
The 1st day's hike was Conic Hill. Dryden to Balmaha. Lovely volcanic mound, with some nice trails. It was to end at a pub for lunch, 7 miles away. Stuart met up with us after lunch and took us to Aberfoyle, where he happened to live.
Second day's hike was 12 miles to a nice little inn outside of Balquhidder. I was trying to find a nice Scottish stout when the bartender drug some bottles out of the closet and put them in the cooler for me. When we went to dinner, I told the waitress "The bartender knows what I am drinking." Some in our group found that odd, since we had only been there 2 hours.
From there to Killin was 12 miles, but we included a stop at a local's home for tea in the morning. Deborah had met them in the pub, and they invited us all in for breakfast tea. We arrived about 10 and left after 11. This day's hike included walking along a train track and we stopped at the Bridge of Lochay hotel. They had nice rooms out in the back of the property, that had been built less than 20 years.
7 miles to the Bridge of Orchy and our rooms there. We left directly out the back door of our previous night's stay, and followed the train tracks again. Dolly slipped on some wet rocks and banged her knee, but didn't seem to be bothered by it. Big Load had already injured his knee and was considerably slower walking.
From there, it was 12 miles to Glencoe. We had lunch streamside ( all but me), and finished up our walk near a mountaineering cabin. The beginning of the hike was up to an overlook that Big Load skipped out on to preserve his knee from the downhill effort. We then stopped at an overlook along the river to learn more about the Campbell Massacre of MacDonald's, and why our next inn had a sign stating "No Campbell's". The Clachaig Inn had huge dinner entree portions, but the breakfasts were just so-so. We stayed there 3 nights while hiking in the neighborhood.
By this time, it was Thursday and we were to do a Munroe. There are something like 14 peaks in Scotland all over 3000 ft, and catalogued by a fellow named Munroe, so they are all referred to as Munroes. It was very steep to the saddle between 2 Munroes, something like 2300 ft in 1.25 miles. Deborah & I stayed at the saddle while the others continued the climb for another hour.Stuart had passed off the keys to the van so we could meet them there. We arrived at 3, while the others arrived at 4.
We hiked the "Devil's Staircase" the following day, which was not named that because of the steepness of the trail, but rather that the English military had built it in the 1800's to get troops quickly across Scotland whenever they needed to squash a rebellion. We had time after the hike to look in on the Glencoe Visitor's Center and the Folk museum.
On Saturday, we hiked 8 miles from Kinlochleven to Ft. William where the WHW ended. We had a nice dinner in a good restaurant, and we gave Stuart a gift for such a fine job. The next morning he drove us all back to the Edinburgh airport and dropped us off. It was a sad ending to the trip.
Roger, Dolly, and I spent the day walking around Edinburgh, as their plane left the following morning. Mine didn't leave until 7 PM so i had time to wander Edinburgh after they left.
Since I had started in Dublin, I returned there for my trip home. I found a great deal on Tampa to Dublin, back in Sept. My own RT, including the 2 jumps to Scotland and back, was $750, which was a bargain compared to the fares the others paid. I will try to keep the pics to less than 12.
Roger, Big Load, & Mrs BL.
. 
