Today I was out with the NC Childcare students from
West Highland College supervising their charity event which was raising money for the charity
CHAS. We were starting at Kinlochleven in the morning and finishing in Fort William in the afternoon - the final strect of the
West Highland Way. The route follows one of the old Military Roads, built between 1749 and 1752 by General Wades lesser known successor, Major William Caulfeild. The route hauls steadily and at times steeply out of Kinlochleven, heading towards the Lairig Mor (Big Pass). Once this 250m haul is complete, the track levels considerably, and undulates gently throughout until it descends back down into Glen Nevis several miles ahead.
I have completed the West Highland Way 5 times in the past, and have always enjoyed this final section. It is not arduous, but has a remote and wild feeling once the Kinlochleven is out of sight. You are, however, regularly reminded that once upon a time our glens were much more populated than they are today. Nestled under the mighty peaks of Stob Ban and Mullach nan Coirean are the ruins of two settlements - Tigh-na-Sleubhaich to the east and Lairigmore to the west. I remember on my first trek up the WHW, Martin and I arrived at Tigh-na-Sleubhaich totally parched. We sat on its desolate doorstep and drank cartons of orange juice. To us it was heaven, and one of those strange memories you never forget. Once upon a time families dwelt in these buildings, utilising the river water and what ever livestock they owned. I often wonder how they viewed their landscape, how they lived their lives and how they overcame the hardships which they faced living in such a hard land.
Moving on from these ruins, the road veers sharply northwards, and we were soon in amongst what once was dense forestry woodland, but is now sadly replaced with stumps and scars. Along the road we came upon the Inverlochy Cairn, a pile of stones which reputedly marks the spot where the last Macdonald gave up the chase of their rivals, the Campbells, after the latters defeat at
Inverlochy in 1645 as part of the
War of the Three Kingdoms (of Charles I fame). Although there is a deep and interesting history surrounding this event, I will not go into detail now!
We were met at Blar a' Choarainn by Dave Hill and some of the other students from the college who provided snacks, refreshments and encouragement to the team.
We continued on our way, leaving the military road for some single track on our way to Glen Nevis, passing by the towering
Dun Deardil - a vitrified Iron Age fort which holds superb and unparalelled view out across Glen Nevis as well as guarding the Lairig Mor pass. The term
'vitrification', which involves welding stone together using extreme heat, is still little understood, but it is believed to have been a widespread technique for fortifying settlements across western Scotland and Ireland. The lines of the walls can still clearly be seen, and is well worth a visit if you are in the Lochaber area. From here it was a casual walk down into the Glen, famous for being featured in films such as
Braveheart and Rob Roy. We made our way to the Braveheart car park, where transport was awaiting us, little after 5 pm, a good 7 hour walk. Everyone in the group did an exceptional job, especially given many of them are not outdoor types or hill walkers. Their spirits were high most of the time, their team work was outstanding and the dedication to their charitable cause was inspirational. They raised almost £2000, a phenomenal amount for such a small group of individuals, so a massive well done to them!
