August 19, 2013: Ardtalnaig to Kenmore
Across Loch Tay
After a nice rest Gavan and I arose for our sixth day on the Rob Roy Way. We had a leisurely breakfast, with lots of fresh fruit, and then came a unique moment – when we were asked to choose from a variety of fillings and make our own lunchtime sandwiches. It wasn’t until 9:40 that we pulled our boots back on – but we could afford to dawdle for today would be almost a rest day for us. Under bright skies we returned now to the South Loch Tay road for a six and a half mile jaunt to Kenmore, a village at the end of the loch itself. I can add that many people do the Rob Roy Way in fewer than the eight days we had chosen and the route does provide for bypass options for the speedy – indeed Kenmore itself is somewhat off-route.
Walking was very easy and mostly level, a kind of repetition of the last three and a half miles walked yesterday. I was able to anticipate most of the spots we soon reached through the use of my little xeroxes though, of course, like the national soft drink of Scotland, Irn-Bru, they were mostly unpronounceable too – Kepranich, Achianich, Lurglomand. Farmsteads alternated with cottages and on our left we had the constant presence of the loch – it was all very lovely.
Traffic dodging was not too much of a problem but things got a bit busier as we neared the village of Acharn. Here we sat down on a bench and watched the passing scene. There were lots of dogs about – including two riding shotgun on the back of farmers’ tractors.
The Scottish Crannog Centre
Gavan had his heart set on visiting the Scottish Crannog Centre, which we reached about noon, but once we arrived he turned against the place and we did not go inside – the crannog in questions (a thatched hut) was perched at the end of a pier – where someone was launching a boat while businessmen marched about the grass barking into their mobile phones.
So we completed the last half-mile into Kenmore itself, pausing to have our lunch on a bench at the breezy eastern terminus of the loch. I had just finished a self-made beetroot and cream cheese sandwich when I noticed, out of the corner of an eye, that we had been spotted by a teenage gang – who were heading our way with intent. These were half a dozen half-grown mallards, quacking with excitement over the prospect of sharing in our feast. I searched in my lunch sack for something suitable and began breaking up a granola bar into little pieces but I was too slow for some of these thugs and twice my fingers were nipped by an impatient bill. Gavan was snapping away with his camera as we put away the rest of our food hurriedly and took off. We were not followed.
A few more steps took us into the car-filled square of Kenmore and we reached our place of rest, the Kenmore Hotel. It was only 1:15 but the Slavic lady behind the desk said that our room was ready. Our bags had already been delivered (they must have passed us on the highway) and these were now hefted by Gavan for a journey to a kind of annex outside. I was a bit confused by the directions – which included mention of the ornamental gate of Taymouth Castle but we soon found our building and climbed to the first floor. Our room was not ready – that is there seemed to be only one double bed here and so, leaving Gavan behind, I marched back to the desk and our hostess ordered one of the staff to remake this room as a twin.
The woman so ordered soon arrived and while she worked at her task of separation Gavan discovered that she was one of seven Polish ladies working here. Since he had just been in Poland himself he and she were soon comparing favorite spots in that country and I think she was quite charmed by his expertise. We now returned to the main building of a quite large establishment, made a dinner reservation for 7:00, and had a drink in the bar. I asked about packed lunches for the next day but a staff member said that she wouldn’t know what to charge us for such a service and recommended the post office/general store across the square. I looked at the opening time (8:00) for this place and then returned to our room for a nice nap.
A bridge over The River Tay in Kenmore
Gavan, disdaining such rest, wandered about a good deal, crossing a wonderful stone bridge and walking along the roadway on the north side of the River Tay. Truth to tell, my walking companion was a walking symbol for restlessness on this trip. Fed up with lawyering he had undertaken a long period of travel earlier in the year: Tasmania, Australia, New Zealand, Easter Island, Chile on one trip, separate trips to Peru and Poland later on. He had given up the flat shared with his much-mourned partner and he had no job – that is he did have a position in the chaplaincy program at the Yale New Haven Hospital but, like so many other projects these days, the hospital had no funds to support this endeavor and he would have to wait a year to take up his post. So he had much on his mind – would it be cheaper to live in Poland, should he free-lance in Connecticut, could he find a place to live there?
At 7:00 we were ushered into the hotel’s large dining room and offered a table overlooking the river. This was a wonderful scene, the bridge on our left and mallards bobbing along the surface of the water. They too were keen to exploit any feeding opportunity and a whole flotilla would cross the river if it looked like a handout might be possible on the other side. Light was beginning to fade, however, and finally one of them climbed onto the grass on the far side and was followed by dozens of others; they nibbled grass for a while and then went to sleep – with three outnumbered coots joining them. There were a number of people walking dogs on the other side as well and quite a few of the latter could not resist repeated dips in the water.
I had the haddock again, though the chips were soggy and everything arrived at a snail’s pace. It was the first day on the job for our waitress and it didn’t help much when Gavan asked for recommendations. Still, with the riverine scene in front of us it was a pleasant enough meal and, with a more serious challenge facing us tomorrow, we could retire in comfort.
To continue with the next stage of our walk you need: