West Highland Way – Tyndrum – Crianlarich Walk – 09.06.2010

Ready to give up?  Bus back to Glasgow?  Those questions were raised this sorrowful morning.  But that morning it was decided to take a bus to Tyndrum and see what happens…

As we awaited our fate at the bus stop, which seemed like hours, we were able to  reflect slightly on the beauty of Glencoe – I think if we had more time we would have spent some time walking here.  The glen contains tragic history between the Campbells and MacDonalds and the Glencoe massacre of 1692  – it seems these two clans have had some terrible history between them – (see my blog about Battle of Inverlochy!)

Yet in modern history Glencoe has still seen many fights (not so gruesome) – mainly fictious ones from films such as  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Highlander, Monty Python & The Holy Grail!!

The Bus came and took us to intended destination – Tyndrum.  According to our walking schedule we were not meant to be there for at least another 2 days!  In fact this was a gamble as according to the book, it was the next stop with a proper shop where we could buy a tent ** to carry on the walk… Gladly at the Petrol Station.  Having found the way again, it seemed very different to the path we had been used to – it did not seem to be as rugged at all – it opened up into wide expanse –

From 2010 – 09.06.2010 – West Highland Way – Tyndrum – Crianlarich Walk

This was the Tyndrum Community Woodland, full of history all connected with Robert the Bruce. We noticed “The Legend of the Lost Sword” engraved on a small  seat – it was referring to when the Battle of Dalrigh (1306) raged in this area and Robert the Bruce was being pursued by  the McDougalls … they decided to dispose of their heaviest weapons into the small Lochan for speed but were still captured but they fought their captors and escaped!  (Robert the Bruce’s sword has a legendary size of anything between 5 – 9ft!)

The path continued through this woodland, it continued to follow the River Fillan, which although a nice river with clear water, it always had a strange brown tinge to it. I am not entirely sure why – the river is healthy with Salmon, Perch and Brown Trout (although I don’t think the trout had anything to do with it!)

From 2010 – 09.06.2010 – West Highland Way – Tyndrum – Crianlarich Walk

I must mention before I continue the sound of the cuckoo – from here on in we heard one nearly every day! As we reached Kirkton & Auchentyre Farms – which had  some neat Wigwams to stay in – and seem to be preparing for a Music Festival – not sure of the name of it but it looked like it was going to be a lot of fun!

Going on from the Modern Festival we were thrown back into history as we saw the remains of the Fillan Priory – this Augustinian Priory had been “endowed” by Robert the Bruce himself in 1317.  We even discovered that the Priory was a result of the Fillan the Missionary – he seemed to spoken many wise words about the way a long time ago “All travellers who use wild and beautiful place will do so in peace if they tread their path lightly”

The path then crossed the farmers field – yes full of sheep again!  We did manage to stop a long the way to admire mountains again but this time from a distance  – Ben More, Stob Binnein and Cruach Ardrain

From 2010 – 09.06.2010 – West Highland Way – Tyndrum – Crianlarich Walk

Crossing the River Fillan again, the path suddenly seems to disappear!  We had to follow walkers boots for a while, until the path narrowed by the side of a road!  Once we were over theother side and back on the path, we had to go underneath the stone railway bridge (gladly no trains went across at the time!), and it was then we realised the Way was no longer “flat” – it was uphill from now on!

At this point, the path goes through very dense forest.  The path was very clear so there was never any sense of losing it – it was just tough going.  In places we had too walk over streams that crossed the path making it very muddy –  But the views from the top of hill when we could see over the trees were great –

From 2010 – 09.06.2010 – West Highland Way – Tyndrum – Crianlarich Walk

Once we had crossed the small river (Henive Burn) we were on the descent.    We had reached the crossing point for the West Highland Way – one way to Inversnaid, the other to Craianlarich and the other Bogle Glen.  Our choice was to walk to Craianlarich to be fed and watered 🙂  (only 1/2 mile downhill!) lovely though it was – we had to walk back up hill to pitch up tent for wild camping for the night!

All the photos for the Day 3 of the walking adventures are –

2010 – 09.06.2010 – West Highland Way – Tyndrum – Crianlarich Walk

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** If anyone was wondering why we choose the tent?  It was so we could pitch up anywhere safely along the route should we need too no more stressing out about finding places to stay about 10.30pm at night the time we finished on day 1 of the walk!

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