Day 11: Fort William

I am so happy that we got out last night when the sun came out (it gets dark around 10 PM here), because we didn’t see any sunshine today at all.

There was no rain in the morning, we set out and hiked one of the hardest trails in the Glencoe Mountains areas: the trail to the Lost Valley. This 4 mile long trail has over 1,000 feet elevation, and many places have steep slopes without steps, so we really had to trust the traction of our hiking boots. I had to use my hands to assist the climb sometimes, and the most difficult part involved a large boulder with a bit groves to step on. I did like to step on the rocks to cross a wide stream on the trail though.

At the end of the trail, we were rewarded a large valley that’s surrounded by tall slopes, like a giant bowl hiding deep in the mountains. This was the hidden valley that some refugees from a clan escaped to during a war with another clan.

Just as we finished having some snacks sitting on a flat boulder, the rain started.

The return trip was mostly downhill. It would’ve been a lot easier if wasn’t for the fact the rain made the rocks on the trail slippery. At the end of our hike, we were all soaked from rain and sweat!

The Glencoe mountain resort was a short drive away. Some hot chocolate/coffee and a bowl of tomato soup were exactly what we needed at that moment!

The rain was less intense by the time we sat on our chairlift, intended to take an easy way to go up to the summit. But the cold wind made the rain difficult to tolerate. The section of the chairlift that actually goes up to the summit was closed. So we didn’t leave our chairs, just let it took us back down the mountain. The view would’ve been spectacular if we had more visibility. Oh well, Scottish weather, can’t complain too much.En savoir plus