WHW Day 5 – Tyndrum to Glencoe Mountain Resort

September 11, 2021

Today started earlier than usual. It was going to be the longest day walking from Tyndrum to Glencoe Mountain Resort. 19 miles. Tyndrum is the unofficial start of the Scottish highlands so the landscape really started to open up. We were met with vast and unobstructed views in all directions the farther north we traveled. This section of the walk is also very remote with over 10 miles between any type of amenities.

Most of today’s walk would be out in the exposed wilderness. Thankfully the weather cooperated by staying overcast to protect from the sun, yet wasn’t raining. The weather here can be very unpredictable and changes several times a day. I felt very fortunate for the weather the entire week I was walking the WHW as others have experienced rain and wind gales which could be downright dangerous in remote areas.

Once again, it was a grey and misty morning with lots of low-hanging clouds to hide the tops of the hills. I spent the whole walk today by myself. In fact, there were times I would walk for several miles and not see another soul. There were no towns to pass through, only two isolated hotels.

The first hotel was at the Bridge of Orchy where I took a quick break and ran into the English woman that I had walked with for a while the previous day. She had a short day planned whereas mine was not so I kept going. After passing through a forest conservation area, the trees vanished as I entered Rannoch Moor. The landscape was absolutely spectacular!

The WHW follows an old rugged military road over the undulating terrain. We passed by lochs, waterfalls, and streams by crossing over old stone bridges. In the distance were layers of hills in all directions as far as you could see. It was a very different feeling, being somewhere so remote with only my feet to rely on. There were other walkers along the way but I kept mostly to myself. It just felt right.

My destination for the night was another camping hut at the Glencoe Mountain Resort. The resort and the Kingshouse Inn, about a mile farther away, are the only accommodation unless you want to add another 9 miles to your day. Another option would be to get a taxi from Kingshouse to the nearby city of Glencoe and then taxi back the next morning.

The Glencoe Mountain Resort is a hub of activity year-round with skiing in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. They were having a tournament of some kind when I was there. Although it wasn’t open, there is a chairlift to the top of the mountain where mountain bikers can ride the trails down or for skiing in the winter.

They are known for having a great cafe which burned down about a year and a half ago. A temporary portable cafe is up and running while they rebuild. I had a wonderful veggie burger and chips for dinner and porridge for breakfast. It was definitely on the pricier side than other places I stayed but less so than the Kingshouse.