WHW Day 4 – Inverarnan to Tyndrum

September 10, 2021

Today would take me to Tyndrum where the highlands really begin! The West Highland Way passes right through the Beinglas Campground so, after a quick breakfast of an egg roll (a fried egg on a roll) and tea, I set off at 7:45. As usual, there was a heavy mist in the air which gives the landscape a mystical, if not creepy, feeling. If you don’t like feeling damp at all times, don’t hike in Scotland!

The trail started out on a gravel road then eventually turned off onto a single-track trail and passed a beautiful waterfall. There was a lot of heavy foliage on either side of the trail which added to the wetness of the morning. After passing through a couple of tunnels and climbing yet another hill, the views opened up. I was walking with a woman from England when we came upon “the chair”. At some point, somebody placed a lawn chair on a ridge overlooking a gorgeous view and it had become a famous landmark for the folks on the Facebook group. So, when we saw the chair, we had to take a picture!

I was running a little low on water and today’s trek didn’t pass through any towns. I decided to take a small detour into Crianlarich to fill up and get some snacks. Back on the main trail, we passed through gorgeous green forests and sheep pastures. The trail also led us through the middle of someone’s farm and past the ancient ruins of St. Fillan’s Priory. We also went past the Lochan of the Lost Sword where the legend has it that Robert the Bruce‘s sword was thrown after his army was beaten at Dalrigh.

I finally arrived in the town of Tyndrum where I would be spending the night at the By The Way campground. Tyndrum is a very pretty, lush green town that had a bit of a resort feel to it with all of the B&Bs and hotels. After I got settled in and did laundry, I walked into town and had dinner at the Real Food Cafe. This was my first experience with contactless, waiterless dining. I was shown to a table and had to use my phone to look at the menu, place my order and pay. Then someone would bring my meal to the table. It was a very popular place and my chippy dinner (fish and chips) was great.

After a quick stop at the Green Welly (an iconic stop along the way which is kinda like a 7-Eleven convenience store) to get breakfast and a few snacks for the next day, I went back to camp. Total mileage for the day, 14.25 miles. And at some point, I crossed the halfway mark!