Overview of hike along West Highland Way
Today was the penultimate day of my hike along the West Highland Way from Loch Lomond to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.
I departed Kingshouse Hotel at Glencoe and moved on to Kinlochleven. Weather was ideal with sunshine, minimal wind, no rain and a comfortable temperature. Distance covered was about nine miles.
Details of the section between Kingshouse and Kinlochleven.
The first three miles of the trail were relatively flat and easy going .However, a sudden change occurred at Altnafeadh when I joined the ‘Devil’s Staircase’ and was forced up a very steep gradient to a peak of 1850 feet above sea level. This is the highest point on the entire West Highland Way.
The trail from Kingshouse to Fort William follows a former military road (track) which was built around 1750 to move British Redcoat soldiers around the Highlands. This was at a time when the Highlands had been very unruly and subject of Jacobite uprisings culminating in the Battle of Culloden.
Whilst the trail up the Devil’s Staircase was steep the descent down the other side into Kinlochleven was a similar gradient. However, the redeeming feature of this leg was the visibility revealing stunning mountain landscapes.
The images herein add further to the story.
Kinlochleven
This town is very interesting place. I was very impressed with the fresh mountain air and thought it may have qualified for a sanitorium in days past. Although Kinlochleven lies close to the popular destinations of Glencoe and Fort William it does not experience the same volume of visitor numbers as these places. However, there is excellent scenery (lochs and mountains) in the vicinity. A true ‘hidden gem’ away from the tourist bustle.
Kinlochleven has an unusual history. The town owes its origins to an aluminium smelter built in 1909 which was powered by a massive hydro-electric scheme using water from a dam created in the mountains, high above the town. The smelter was closed in 2000 after which substantial assets and land were transferred to a local Community Trust. However, electricity generation continues. Kinlochleven is reinventing itself as an outdoor activity centre. The West Highland Way ensures a regular flow of visitors as the town is situated on that long-distance hiking route.
Loch Leven and the River Leven provide for water based activities. In the town is the Ice Factor which provides for indoor ice and rock climbing.
More information.
For more information on the West Highland Way and many other aspects of touring Scotland please refer Visitors’ guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4