Inverarnan to Tyndrum

Today was a day of rain. Not like yesterday afternoon when it had rained terribly hard but it was a constant light rain. This morning I felt tired. No blisters or specific joint or muscle pain but I just felt tired. I had a very hearty breakfast. They say you burn 100 calories for mile walked. The Seattlites ( Carol and her daughter) left before I had even got my food. They had stayed at the Drover's pub and had not been too pleased by it. It was old and noisy and they hadn't slept that well. The Meeweise clan got a good 40 minutes start on me. I had decided I was going to take it a little easier. The path was again a gentle trail heading upwards gradually in elevation. I think the first one hour I tried every combination of clothing and coat and rain pants before settling on shorts with raincoat top. I needed a balance between rain protection but if I wore two much rain gear I would be hot. After finally getting the clothing right and having warmed up, I was able to start making good time. By 11:00 I had caught up to Clan Meeweise as we went through a forest on the valley side. Grant was moving a little slow. I walked with them for a little way before leaving them. I walked with a young couple from Portsmouth who seemed to be on their honeymoon. Two Swiss women were walking with their umbrellas. The had all camped at Beinglas Farm last night. The rain had been a little inconvenient but the midges had been relentless and unforgiving. They are exceptionally bad this year. I think they were all planning to stay in a B and B in Tyndrum. The prettiest part of the whole day were the very basic ruins of a monastery known as St. Fillan's chapel. Some signage by a small weather station reported that this spot was one of the wettest places in Scotland receiving 4-5 times the amount of rain received by Edinburgh. It rains her 280 days a year. I sat and ate my lunch her and as I wasn' t moving got a little chill. Finally I could pull out those rainpants I had been carting around for the last week. It was a 9 to 3 day of gentle hiking but I still required a nap when I got into my BnB. I joined up with the Seattlites and clan Meeweise for my last time on the trip. They are doing the hike over 7 days while I will take eight. When I booked the trip, I wanted to give myself a buffer if in the event of an injury, blisters or sickness. Things are going well so I probably would have been fine in 7. They will however have a 20 mile hike tomorrow while for me this 20 miles will be broken up into 7 tomorrow followed by 13 the next day. My last two days will be the same as their last two days. I will have a much more relaxed day tomorrow. I will miss the comraderie of the Seattlites and the Meeweise clan.Read more