Our destination today was the Glencoe Mountain Resort, on the other side of Rannoch Moor. We planned the route for our West Highland Way day six carefully. As my guidebook warns ramblers not to underestimate hiking across the Moor. Standing at 50 square miles or 130 square kms, it is the largest bog in Britain and one of the biggest uninhabited areas in the country. We did not want to leave anything to chance and become stranded in the moor because of bad weather, injury or tiredness. Our sole task today was to hike across Rannoch Moor.
Originally, I had booked two tent spots in Glencoe Mountain Resort. But given my newly found aversion to camping, I had changed that two days ago to a ‘microlodge’, or a hobbit house as I like to refer to it. Knowing that I would have a solid roof over my head for the night was reassuring. The distance to cover today was 11 miles or about 18kms. And it turned out not to be an easy hike at all. Even though the weather forecast was good and no rain until 7pm, it drizzled on and off pretty much for most of the day.
From Bridge Of Orchy To Inveroran Hotel
I was the last person to leave the West Highland Way Sleeper hostel. See, I simply could not pass up on the opportunity to take another hot shower before the day’s Rannoch Moor hike. Afterwards, I picked up Jane at her wild camping spot by the bridge and we set off. The plan was to have breakfast at Inveroran Hotel. The journey from Bridge of Orchy started beautifully going uphill with stunning scenery.
Then the drizzle arrived and we had to put on our waterproofs. Suddenly, a dense freezing fog began to fall. The weather turned in what seemed like a blink of an eye from bright and great visibility to foggy and five metres visibility. Guess that is the Scottish Highlands for you! By the time we got to Inveroran Hotel it was raining hard, it was cold and windy and no visibility beyond an arms length. We had a tea and a cake, which tasted like manna, and enjoyed the dry and warmth for about an hour and a half.
Preparing To Cross Rannoch Moor
As I mentioned above, my West Highland Way guidebook warns about crossing Rannoch Moor in bad weather or poor health. It even advises to wait the weather out for a day or two if possible, as it is four to five hours without a way of getting immediate help if something goes wrong. Jane and I did briefly discuss checking into the hotel and leaving the crossing to tomorrow.
However, during the time we spent in the hotel bar, the fog has lifted and then cleared. The rain had not stopped but at least turned into intermittent drizzles. The day now did not seem as horrific as it had an hour ago, so we decided to stick to our plan and get going. We were quite excited to take this bog on. With our warmest clothes on, we were ready for the trek across Rannoch Moor. The book says it takes approximately four hours, so I assumed it would take us about five. As it turned out, I was right.
Drove Road From Glen Coe Through Rannoch Moor
The road that takes you across Rannoch Moor is a ‘parliamentary road’ built by Thomas Telford. In 1803, he was tasked by the Commission for Highland Roads and Bridges to build new road infrastructure in the Scottish Highlands. Telford designed his roads for both travelers and cattle. Box culverts were used to lessen the strain on carriage springs and a deep top layer of gravel sat on top to lessen the damage to cattle and sheep hooves.
Rannoch Moor road ceased to be a main public road in 1933, but is still in good condition today. The road is also referred to as ‘drove road’ along which farmers were driving their animals from the Highlands to sell at markets as far as Edinburgh.
Parts of the road today are missing the top gravel layer, with stones exposed. This makes for a rather difficult walking as the surfaces is very uneven in parts. It took us a while to get used to the rhythm of the road and the walking made us weary very quickly.
On Rannoch Moor
The moor itself is incredibly beautiful. At times the sky brightened up and we were amidst the vast stretches of untamed beauty. Truly breathtaking. However, there was a constant cold, piercing wind from our left and drizzle at times made the journey unpleasant. Jane’s knee needed attention on several occasions, so we kept stopping and resting. Nevertheless, we tried to make the most of the trek.
There was nothing we could do about the weather and we were not going to be miserable in such gorgeous landscape. Amidst the meteorological challenges we looked for our stunning rewards: mist-shrouded mountains, mysterious lochs and an overwhelming sense of solitude (sometimes spooky).
The trek across Rannoch Moor took us circa five hours, granted, with several rest stops. It tested both our stamina and our spirits. It also filled our hearts and eyes with incredible rugged beauty. We found the terrain of the moor challenging and the weather hostile and unpredictable. But, it was an adventure like no other. I would do it all again, in a heartbeat.
Our Hobbit House In Glencoe Mountain Resort
Once the moor was behind us, Jane was hobbling badly with her banjaxed knee. We decided that I would walk ahead the final half a mile to Glencoe Mountain Resort and sort out our check-in to the hobbit house. And I’m so glad I made the change from the tent spots to the microlodge! Rain, wind and cold outside while we are snug in a wooden chalet with electricity, plugs, kettle (!), heater (!) and raised beds. We can dry our clothes and boots! We can have a hot cup of tea! All the luxuries!
After we settled into the hobbit house, we walked up to the resort café for a bite to eat. We met Dan again, a fellow hiker from Chicago, whom we met on Day 1 and Day 2. I don’t think I have mentioned him before. We sat with him in the café chatting and then also talked to two Australian ladies about their experiences on the West Highland Way so far. I developed a sore throat (no wonder given the freezing wind and rain), so I tucked myself into my sleeping bag with a cup of tea and two paracetamols. Fingers crossed it won’t get any worse. We have something called The Devil’s Staircase on the hike next.