WHW Day8: Kinlochleven to Fort William, 16 miles

Within minutes of setting off the rain came bucketing down, we pressed on as we didn't want to miss out on this last leg of the WHW.

We experienced 65mph gusts which at times bore straight into us, making it difficult to look out at the passing landscape. We think this fleeting picture was taken looking back at Lairigmor.

We stumbled on past the ruined cottages of Stoban and Lairigmor and decided to have a late lunch under shelter of the plantation of Bidhein Bad na h-Iolare. We stopped long enough only to gulp down our sandwiches before they got soggy.

One of the many pleasant wooded descents to a rushing stream, for every descent there was an ... ascent; well, our guide book described them as "undulations". With sparse and indeterminate landmarks the thought of whether we would ever descend to Glen Nevis did begin to niggle. Finally, after passing through an area of ugly, felled plantation we came to a dirt track and then past the sign and path to the ancient fort of An Dun. We were descending into Glen Nevis.

We forged forward (on half steam)to Fort William, a long hot shower and dry clothes.

All done and told, we'd do the walk all over again, most def.

WHW Day7: Glen Coe to Kinlochleven, 8.8 miles

Buachaille Eite Mòr (the great herdsman of Etive)

A view from the Devil's Staircase back towards Altnafeadh.

A view from the cairn at the top of Devil's Staircase. We decided to stop and have brunch at this point.

A view across Choire Odhar Beag.

A view of Coire Mhoraire as we descended toward Kinlochleven.

Crossing the River Leven.

We stopped to watch this little shrew mouse forage along the side of the mossy ditch and were rewarded when it snouted out a fat green caterpillar and scoffed it down noisily.

WHW Day6: Bridge of Orchy to Glen Coe, 12 miles

More well fed birdies, this spread is laid on by the Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum. Their menu for humans is recommended too. We watched the birds feed whilst we waited for the coach from Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy.

Crossing the bridge over the Orchy, we were looking forward to the leg across Rannoch Moor after our tantalising glimpse of the bogs from the train.

Views over Loch Tulla and beyond.

We tarried at the Inveroran Hotel for longer than we intended, playing with the cheeky chaffinches that flocked to feast on our morning coffee crumbs.

The Drover's Road led us past the Forest Lodge and finally up onto Rannoch Moor.

Once again we were treated to a grand theatre of weather; storms and showers rolling around and over us, a flip book kineograph of water, sky, light, clouds, mud, velvet blanket bog and shadow.

A final view of the idyll that is Glen Coe before the midges descended in their MILLIONS. Do invest in head nets and DON'T pack them at the bottom of your bag. There is NO time to respond to a midge feeding frenzy, they attack as a singular entity and overwhelm you in seconds. We didn't escape and our hides were ridden with swollen, itchy lumps for weeks afterwards.

WHW Day5: Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy, 6 miles

We decided to stay in Tyndrum for a couple of nights and had initially planned to walk to the Bridge of Orchy and take the West Highland Railway back to Tyndrum. However our research had revealed that the picturesque rail route to Fort William was not to be missed so we decided to venture further before returning to Tyndrum.

We were more than pleased to make avail of the hot drinks from the trolley service and make the most of an opportunity to be out of the wind and rest our weary pegs. We spent the journey glued to the widescreen landscapes that unfurled in the wake of the train; water, sky, rain, speed and ... well not quite steam; we planned the Jacobite for a future day out.

Rannoch Moor

On arriving in Fort William we made certain to see Thomas Telford's Neptune's Staircase, the longest staircase lock in Britain. The eight locks can lift a boat 64 feet, though we weren't fortunate enough to see a boat sail uphill.

There. And back again.

WHW Day4: Inverarnan to Tyndrum, 12 miles

The Grey Mare's Tail waterfall thundered through our dreams, our cabin being only meters away from the foot of Ben Glas. We were however shocked awake at 3am by a desperate, eerie scraping sound ... of a sheep scratching it's horned head on the corner of the cabin. It was sheltering in the cabin's porch.

Beinglas Woods

The River Falloch was swollen and brim full.

We were invigorated by the energy and the roar of the burns rushing off the slopes around us.

♥ Derrydarroch Farm ♥ The rain set in about here and persisted for most of the day.

Glen Falloch

Keilator track

The track continues to Bogle Glen.

We sheltered from the rain to drink our afternoon coffee under this magical circle of trees that have sprouted around the medieval St Fillan's Priory. For the first time we pulled on our fleeces.

Strath Fillan. The clearings in the plantations above Strath Fillan are strewn with an abundance of heathers and bracken.

The Loch of the Legend of the Lost Sword