West Highland Way Day 8 - Kinlochleven to Fort William

All done! Tough day. 27kms. Very tired feet. And the local Chamber of Commerce of Fort William has shifted the official ‘end of The Way’ to the far end of town, forcing walkers thru the high street, past all the shops!

The day started with a steep ascent, out of Kinlochleven, thru birch scrub. At the top there are sweeping views back to Kinlochleven & forward to Loch Leven, again framed by towering hillsides. The trail then crosses into the wide valley called Lairig Mor, which we follow for probably 8-10kms.

This stretch had lots of burns/tributaries issuing from the adjacent mountainsides, many of which actually leaked onto the track itself, necessitating lots of rock hopping to avoid wet feet. There were also long stretches where very coarse gravel (may as well call it rubble) had been spread onto the track. This also made walking difficult. It made us wonder how awkward the walk would be in wet conditions. There was water everywhere around us & it hadn’t rained for over a week!

The guidebook says the burn crossings can prove “troublesome in times of spate”. Haha.

Also on this stretch there are the ruins of two “steadings”, together with stockyards. One wonders what hardships and deprivations the inhabitants once endured. I imagine the winters here would be bitter.

The next 10kms the trail basically wends thru scrub & remnant forests. We took rest/lunch on a superb grassy slope with stunning views back across a nearby valley & loch. But, once the gentle descent towards Fort William began, the scenery was fairly unremarkable.

As you crest a rise in the trail Ben Nevis comes into view. From this aspect, as our guidebook suggests, it’s not its most “attractive face, but it never fails to impress with its sheer bulk & domination of all the surrounding countryside”. Perfect description.

As we get closer the hiking trail ascent to Ben Nevis peak can be seen. People, tiny specks in the distance, against the bulk of the mountainside. And higher up, the zigzagging trail can be seen - at times seemingly hugging the sheer cliff faces.

We eventually descend to the Ben Nevis info centre and carpark. It’s packed. People everywhere. Given the uncommonly good weather conditions people flock here from all over to do the hike to the peak. I imagine it would only be possible on very few occasions during the year. And, even then, there would rarely be clear views from the top. Even today the peak was covered in mist.

We eventually work past all the chaos, very leg weary by now, and make our way thru town to official finishing point.

The Main Street in Fort William. 

39000 steps, 26km.