Читать книгу Not the West Highland Way. Diversions over mountains, smaller hills or high passes for 8 of the WH Way's 9 stages онлайн

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Turn right for 3km to Inversnaid.

INVERSNAID TO INVERARNAN

The shoreline walk continues northwards, always pleasant and in places rather rough. Indeed, the 4.5km north of Inversnaid are the most rugged part of the WH Way – though in terms of the mountain deviations in this book, that’s still only moderate ruggedness.

Overhead, the higher route along pathless Beinn a’ Choin is also rather rough. So either way you get at least a feeling of what this country was like in the time of Rob Roy before the coming of the roads. For full authenticity you’d need to have soft deerskin moccasins, non-waterproof clothing, some redcoats in pursuit and the midges flying in underneath your kilt.

WH WAY: INVERSNAID TO INVERARNAN

Distance 10km (6 miles) Approximate time 2.5hr Not the WH Way 4 Hill Crossing: Beinn a’ Choin 5 Inverarnan Outing: Beinn Chabhair

North from Inversnaid, the lochside track soon diminishes to a wide path. After 500 metres from the hotel, an RSPB trail turns up right for a brief steep excursion into the trees, the main path continuing more easily at the same level. Soon after this, though, the main path itself becomes rugged as it passes below a crag and descends steeply to where a sign points back left for Rob Roy’s Cave. It’s worth spending half an hour exploring the tumble of boulders where wild goats now sleep in the former bed of the brigand. The main path continues above the shoreline, still rugged and narrow. It passes through a clearing with the ruins of Pollochro, then crosses a meadow and heads uphill in a shallow valley. After 500 metres it descends, to pass Doune Byre bothy.