August 18, 2013: Killin to Ardtalnaig
Approaching the summit after Lochan Breaclaich.
Skies were again gray – though every now and then there was a bright patch above – as we rose to make our preparations for the fifth day of our walk on the Rob Roy Way. We knew that our landlady did not do packed lunches and we could see that we could not rely on the bakery across the street (closed on Sunday) so as breakfast came to an end Gavan dashed all the way back to the Co-op in search of our sandwiches. This left me in conversation with some visiting Australians next to me at our table; they had been to all but four of the fifty states – it was another one of the those odd coincidences that seemed to be haunting us these days: I had been in all but four of the fifty states as well. (Another incidence of coincidence came as I labored over a puzzle book on this trip; here we were on the Rob Roy Way and my book asked for a “Cocktail named for a Scottish freebooter.”)
Our own boots were freed from their overnight newspaper stuffing and at 9:10 we were ready for our departure. Soon we were back at the falls; these were just as spectacular as before and tourists were taking shots from their cars on the bridge, with an old mill on one side and an island graveyard on the other. Soon we reached the road that runs along the southern shore of Loch Tay and here we turned left. Already there were signs for one of our destinations today, the Ardeonaig Hotel. This was seven miles away by road – add two more miles for RRW walkers.
There wasn’t too much traffic on the road, which we followed for about a mile. But after the Archmore Burn we turned up a utility road for a long and steep ascent of the hillside. There were a few cars up here as well but, on the whole, we seemed to be heading into remote territory. A large mast occasionally came into view and this became our target as we struggled upward. There was forestry on our left and behind us a lovely panorama – if you don’t count all those ominous clouds. Our surfaces lost their coat of macadman and the track was now mostly gravel but footing here was very good. I was able to follow the twists and turns on my little xeroxes – we were now utilizing Explorer sheet 378 (Ben Lawers & Glen Lyon).
After our lengthy ascent we reached the foot of Breaclaich Dam, where we drank some water, and then took to a road that ran along the margins of Lochan Breaclaich, a reservoir used to produce hydro-electricity. The road rose and fell as it passed along the northern shore of this uninspiring body of water – indeed the semi-industrial outbuildings seemed to add to the gloom of an unlovely prospect. I suppose that the impression would have been quite different had there been stunning sunshine but as we crossed a shoulder of Creag Gharbh and struggled up a steep incline toward another mast it began to rain!
This was the signal for me to bury my map case in my daypack and don my rain jacket. I hadn’t made much of a study of the route ahead (always relying on the intrepid Gavan) nor did I ever pull out my compass – but as we rounded the mast I convinced myself that we were heading northwest when we should have been heading northeast and this was quite disconcerting. To make matters worse an icy wind was now driving the rain into our faces – altogether these were among the worst walking conditions I had ever endured.
Gavan found a spot somewhat sheltered from the blast and asked me if I wanted to rest here but I just wanted to get on with it. Fortunately we were now heading downhill and even more fortunately the squall was coming to an end. Within five minutes the rain stopped, blue appeared in the heavens and a golden sunshine enabled us to obtain views of Loch Tay well below us. I asked Gavan to show me where we were on his map and was thus reassured that we were still on the right track and going in the right direction. Below us was the unmistakable presence of a large pipeline and when we had walked to its terminus we decided to have lunch. Gavan found a boulder to sit on and I sat on the steps of a little shed at the end of the pipeline. Above us two curious sheep stared down at our every move with great concentration.
Yellow Post and Loch Tay
We had reached a portion of the route that seemed to be the source of considerable anxiety – for we were leaving the comforts of our trackway for a three-mile descent along nothing more than sheep trods in a very wet and marshy section of grassland. It was obvious however that we would have some help in negotiating this long north-easterly slog – tall posts capped with a coat of yellow paint had been positioned to guide the walker and with these in sight we stepped forward gingerly.
Every so often it almost appeared as though a path were beckoning us forward – but more often than not we were just wading through tall grass. I fell twice on this descent – once I fell backwards and once I fell on a sore left knee. Even when we reached the farmsteads below us life was still a muddy trial. I scrambled over a footbridge while Gavan leapt across a stream and we at last reached roadway again. We had about a mile more of descent (some of it steep enough to excite my sore toes) as the road surface improved and we reached, at last, the South Loch Tay road again.
Across the highway was the welcoming sight of the Ardeonaig Hotel and we had soon entered its posh precincts. It was 3:10 and we were the only customers in the bar, where I had a double Jack Daniels on ice. The hotel would have been a wonderful termination point for this day’s stage (and would have been an appropriate launching pad for a full day’s walk to Kenmore as well) but we still had some three and a half miles to go. We were under the impression that we needed to make a dinner reservation here (though our b&b hosts would have driven us to a meal in another direction as well) and we were rather shocked when the fare for this evening’s repast turned out to be a six-course taster’s banquet. (And all we wanted was fish and chips.)
Along the South Loch Tay Road
We left the hotel at 3:50 and took to the South Loch Tay road, heading in an easterly direction. In fact this stretch was not as bad as I had imagined it. There wasn’t that much traffic to dodge and views of the lake and the passing farm scene were delightful – and the sun was still with us. (About the only recurring problem on such a public surface was, let’s face it, how do you get in a quiet pee without embarrassing yourself.) There were lots of sheep about and every now and then one would escape its enclosure and then, taking fright at our presence, rush madly against the very fence it had just breached.
After a long slog we reached the little hamlet of Ardtalnaig but I had to tell Gavan that our instructions required another half a mile to reach Ardtalnaig Lodge. We reached our b&b at 5:45 and we were so glad we had done so – today had been a bit of an ordeal; we had walked twelve and a half miles again.
Our hosts, Rosemary and Phil, came out to greet us – the ubiquitous boot tray in evidence – and we climbed to our room on the first floor. I had a shower and a bit of a rest and at 7:20 Rosemary drove us back to the hotel. Gavan was a bit unnerved by the prospect – worried not only about the expense (£50 each, plus wine) but about his lack of formal evening wear. (His tennies were a bit on the lurid side.) Rosemary came in with us (she knew everyone at the hotel) to find out when to pick us up. The chef proposed midnight but we argued him down to 9:30 – though this meant we would have to start our meal now.
And what a sumptuous meal it was – surely the poshest fare enjoyed on a walk ever. We started with a goat cheese and beetroot, then rabbit, then turbot, then lamb, then a grapefruit sorbet and finally a panna cotta. No one noticed Gavan’s footwear, the staff were efficient and not condescending and before us we had a lovely view of the mountains above the lake as the light gradually faded from the skies.
On the ride back to our b&b Rosemary said that the hotel was under new management and she was working on them to offer a traditional bar food menu as well – something that the workers at the outdoor adventure center (in which she and Phil had a hand) would also certainly appreciate. Not a single car passed us in the opposite direction as we made our return journey and we were soon back at Ardtalnaig and ready for a good night’s sleep. It was pitch black outside.
To continue with the next stage of our walk you need: