West Highland & Great Glen Ways

• published: 21 Sep 2015
• views: 1461

Compilation vid of 168-miles along the West Highland and Great Glen Ways. From Milngavie to Drymen from where the Rob Roy Way also emanates, the first 95-miles take the walker to Fort William from where the residual walk to Inverness is a resultant easier few days trek. "In early times the great Caledonian forest extended over vast areas, from the extreme western limits of Scotland to the lands adjoining the east coast, and it is doubtless the remants of this forest which are present among the Cairngorm mountains. Relics of the Caledonian forest are in evidence near Fort William, extending across to Rothiemurchus, and farther eastward, and are also found on the Moor of Rannoch and in certain districts of Argyllshire. As a general rule, it is the tree stumps and the roots alone which are present in these peat mosses." From the 1912 'Charm of the Hills' Seton Gordon also concludes "our theory that the climate is becoming more arctic" - how things have dramatically changed nearly a hundred years later. Departing Drymen this trek heads over Conic Hill, beyond Balmaha over Craigie Fort, alongside the east bank of Loch Lomond passing the sculpture memorial at Rowardennan then the famous Falls of the Snaid Burn and Rob Roy's cave then towards 'Dalrigh' beneath Ben Lui. It was Robert the Bruce that was attacked on a little heathery field here by the Lord of Lorne and is where he had the Brooch of Lorne torn off his surcoat at this Battle of Dail Righ. The way heads onwards towards Tyndrum, (currently one of Scotland's blue rinse capitals!) and hence towards a viewpoint just above and beyond Bridge of Orchy that generates views of the Black Mount peaks and much more (depending on the weather!). From here the route of the Way can be observed as it heads beyond the Inveroran Hotel over Rannoch Moor towards Ba Bridge. From the limited shelter beneath the bridge it should be remembered that the great deer forest of the Black Mount was once the home of a celebrated White Hind of 'Coireach Ba' that an English King centuries ago ineffectually failed to trap. Theres also a more latter day story of a Black Mount stalker who used to immediately drink the blood of any hind that he had just shot. This custom allegedly made him impervious to the cold!! The way then continues into Glencoe the 'Glen of Weeping' where the treachery of the massacre or rather the scandal of the judicial murder will never be forgotten in Scotland. Kinlochleven and the Mamore peaks then greet the walker as the trek heads towards the 'Fort'. The Great Glen Way passes Inverlochy Castle and is then followed to the old bridge and St.Columba's Well at Invermoriston. Cumberland's troops butchered the young and old in Glen Moriston among whom was Roderick MacKenzie - one of Prince Charles Edward's bodyguards and also a lookalike. As he fell mortally wounded he cried 'Alas, you have slain your Prince'. His severed head was taken to Cumberland at Fort Augustus, who believed that the Prince had indeed been slain. Cumberland then took the head to London to inform them of the good news! A small roadside cairn commemorates this act of devotion by the Jacobite officer Roderick MacKenzie. The Way continues to Fort Augustus and onto Drumnadrochit complete with tales of the Loch Ness Monster. This walk then continues by leading the hillwalker to Inverness and indeed ends (although there certainly are other potential endings to the trek) outside Inverness Castle at the monument to Flora MacDonald who is well remembered in Scotish history for her assistance to the Young Pretender. As regards Bonnie Prince Charlie (the only person to be named after three sheepdogs! - as per Billy Connolly), he is still remembered as one of the most romantic figures in British history as his charm and bravery endeared him to all that met him. In his wanderings over the Scottish mountains as a fugitive he has latterly been posthumously accredited with some first Munro ascents! However, history also recalls him in disguise as Betty Burke wearing - "a flowered linen gown, a light-coloured quilted petticoat, a white apron and a mantle of dun camlet, made after the Irish fashion with a hood"! The Prince aka Betty Burke, then set off for the beach with his party, one of whom was Neil MacDonald who went on to become father of Napoleon's Marshall MacDonald, the Duke of Taranto. Ironically, Flora's stepfather Captain Hugh MacDonald was in charge of the militia 'searching' South Uist and Benbecula for the Prince at that time. The adventures of the 'Young Pretender' however ended in Rome, where he died in 1788 and where according to Seton Gordon's writings 'His tomb is to be seen in Rome, and is still visited by Jacobites". Anyway, as regards the video, some Wordsworth lines seem appropriate: - "Memories, images, and precious thoughts That shall not die, and cannot be destroyed"