Having slept really well last night at Inveroran we were ready for an earlier start. We’d opted for 7:30 am breakfast to allow us to get out early ahead of a long day. Still living on last night’s dinner (I added a delicious lemon meringue tart to my main course), I didn’t feel ready for a full breakfast. I opted for a bacon and egg breakfast roll as a ‘lighter’ option and was incredibly impressed at how even this could be made attractive! Perfectly poached eggs, delicious bacon; I need a chef at home!
Across Rannoch Moor
Our day started by crossing Rannoch Moor. It’s hard to believe that this was once the main route! The cobbles that herald the start of the route are thankfully relatively short lived.
A wee bit up the road we got in step with another couple of walkers, a mother and son. One of the pleasures of the West Highland Way (and indeed any walk) is meeting other walkers and hearing their stories and experiences. Chatting to Sue and hearing how special this time was for them reminded me very much of how I felt last year having the pleasure of a long distance walk with my niece.
Walking along, we stopped occasionally to look back. The mountains were truly resplendent with the recent snow. Absolutely beautiful!
As days go, this was one of the best. After the recent rain and unsettled period we were absolutely blessed with the clear skies and sunshine.
The easy chat passed the time. Conditions underfoot were good, a few puddles, but nothing to trouble us, and the miles ticked by easily. We opted to continue to Glencoe for our snack stop. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so busy there, snowy conditions and Easter weekend obviously being a perfect combination for them.
Leaving Glencoe, we stopped at the end of the road to allow Bruce to take the obligatory photo of Buachaille Etive Mòr from Blackrock Cottage, another view that you’d never tire of.
Kingshouse
Our next ‘stop’ was Kingshouse. The deer were in the car park as always, posing for photos, scrounging for food.
The Devil’s Staircase
After the Kingshouse Hotel, it’s a fairly easy walk along to the Devil’s Staircase. We saw a police car stopped on the roadside and were tempted to go and see if we recognised anyone from Highland Cops (BBC). In the event we figured the detour was just too much for already weary legs.
The snow on the Devil’s Staircase was slushy and wet. I’d carried microspikes just in case; Bruce hadn’t bothered. In the event, they weren’t required as I figured there wasn’t much hope of gripping slush! I think had we been up here early morning conditions could have been different. Tomorrow, temperatures look positively tropical so I don’t think there will be any issues underfoot going forward.
Near the top, it was lovely to see a wee lad with his dad having fun in the snow. They appeared to be building an igloo! Great fun!
The Long Descent to Kinlochleven
From the top of the Devil’s Staircase, there’s a wee bit of undulation before the gradual downhill to Kinlochleven begins. This is where the tired legs (knees) really start to be felt and walking poles can definitely ease the load.
From having a jacket on at the top, I quickly warmed up / overheated and therefore cast off layers on the path down. It took fair bit of time to get all the way to the village but we made it in the end, finally reaching the Tail Race Inn for a drink.
Thereafter we made our way to our accommodation for the night, The Highland Getaway where we had the best shower of the way thus far! A simple pleasure but an absolute treat!
A lovely evening was then had, spending time with Sue and George, the folks we’d met earlier in the day. Very much looking forward to what is forecast to be another dry day tomorrow to complete our trip.
Clare, happiest outdoors! 
Love a good shower.
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