Departing Rowardennan to some rather moody looking cloud we think the skies may have a downpour in store, and so it proves. After about half an hour the rain gets going and it barely stops all day. By the youth hostel we pass the route for Ben Lomond which looms dramatically above the loch. Good luck to anyone doing this today we think as I stop to get a cake from an honesty box. These are in general a good feature of the walk appearing every now and then to offer various treats and in some cases just a welcome bottle of water. This one however has gone a bit over the top in my opinion and has installed CCTV. This says something about the world we live in and sort of undermines the whole 'honesty' concept but I am not going to dwell on it any more right now. I keep dwelling on it as I walk along so I decide the only thing to do is to eat the cake and then I can stop thinking about it, instead of saving the cake for later. It's a millionaire shortbread and is burning a hole in my pocket anyway so I just eat it and it's done. As the rain comes down someone passes us with a hand held radio pumping out Taylor Swift. This is bettered later on by a boat in the middle of Loch Lomond blaring out; "Country roads, take me home to the place I belong West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads" Inevitably we have to join in and then its in our heads for the rest of the day! Apart from that it is a quite peaceful and remote part of Loch Lomond. Ironically, there are no roads now, can you believe that, just densely wooded hillside sloping down to the loch. If you looked from the air or from the loch you'd wonder that there was a path here at all. This may also explain why the route is so undulating as it weaves its way over the density of tree roots and boulders, interspersed with streams. There is the choice of a higher or a lower path. Lower is better for occasional views of the loch and we choose that but it is hard again on the old quad muscles going up and down, up and down. The higher route is a surfaced path so there would have been less slipping and sliding in the mud. Ah well, you choose the path you take. Actually although it is bucketing down it hasn't rained enough to make the ground waterlogged. Also there's good drainage because it's a major route. Ok too much information about drainage. Jennie is becoming knowledgeable about wild flowers and clocks a couple. We are very wet but we still get the odd break from the rain and some decent views of the loch. As usual multiple faster walkers are passing us but we trundle on towards our destination. Notable bird sightings include a nuthatch, several times and not the same one. The first time I remember seeing a nuthatch was in Edinburgh and then again in Balgay Park in Dundee. I was surprised when I looked it up as it said they are not normally found in Scotland. I suspect the reasons are climate related, but they are a beautiful bird. I also see another Blackcap, third one of this walk, and a spotted flycatcher. You do not have to try hard to find wildlife in the few places we leave unspoiled. We keep on trundling and trundling on. Surely there will be a campsite or bench or somewhere to sit down? Er, no, there's nothing, except about halfway to Inversnaid there is a bothy, which we are very grateful to eventually reach, shelter inside from, you guessed it another downpour, and have our lunch. We've never slept in a bothy, and we can't see ourselves about to start now. A couple of guys arrive who apparently are going to be doing exactly thar. They go out to get some firewood. I watch a mouse run across the floor. Don't fancy him crawling all over me at night. There's a sign saying to keep your food stored in the box as there is a pine martin who will snaffle it. It would be wonderful to see a pine martin, but I'm not prepared to sleep in a bothy to do so. We can't believe we are only halfway as we edge towards the hallowed Falls of Inversnaid, which acquires mythic Lord of the Rings proportions as we never seem to reach it. We have visited there once before when we walked the Mary Queen of Scots Way, a lesser known walk which goes coast to coast from Loch Long to St Andrews. Therefore we do know there is a hotel there so we focus on reaching it. Finally we make it, sodden like many other walkers who have convened in the "Walkers section" of the hotel. You get the impression we are not 100% welcome with the multiple signs to take off your boots and bags and coats etc. But at least we get to use the toilet and regenerate with a can of coke. We're not staying in this hotel, we are staying at the Inversnaid Bunkhouse, which is a wee bit further. We decide to go along the road as it's a bit quicker, although incredibly steep. Eventually we make it. The owner asks if we are staying for "two Knights". "No, one night." I am too tired to understand his intended pun. I cheer up once we've had showers and changed into not wet/partially damp clothes, which have been kept inside a plastic bag inside our water resistant bags with additional waterproof covers. The Inversnaid Bunkhouse is in a beautiful old church and they have kept the stained glass which I love. The food is very good and the beer goes down well. Jennie has a play of the guitar and flicks through walking guide books and some William Blake. An appropriate place to finish our West Highland Way Adventure - Part 1! The final part of our journey involves the ferry over to Arrochar-Tarbet where we can take the West Highland train line back to Arbroath via Glasgow. This was my solution for splitting the WHW over two trips. The plan has been executed well, but I am a little bit sad to say goodbye to Ben Lomond as we make the ferry crossing. Never mind, we can look forward to coming back to this exact point in September and tackling the rest of the way to Fort William. Onwards we march, perhaps not in haste, but at least hopefully in the right direction.
Words Matthew Images Matthew and Jennie
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