Day 6 - To the Finish

I am writing this a day late as yesterday was such a full on day and the only time I thought  I would have time to write, on the train home, was not conducive to it, due to a drunken rave going on in our carriage.

I woke early on Friday, keen for our last day on 'The Way'. We had a top breakfast at our last B&B stop with an enormous Scottish breakfast and a bread basket that could feed 6 people, with a steep climb out of Kinlochleven though I had to restrain myself or else I'd have to be pushed uphill and no one seemed to be offering to do that.

The first part was really steep and it warmed us up for the rest of the day, reflecting back on the week we have mainly completed the walk in T-shirts and have only had one wet day and a few odd showers when we have needed to put our coats on, which is pretty good for a country famous for having unpredictable weather.

looking back on Kinlochleven

The view of the Loch and the village was a good reward though, before we headed across more moorland.  Open moorland, poses challenges for the walker as to where to have a comfort stop though, and with today being the one of busiest on the route, careful planning was required.  By now we are getting to know quite a few of our fellow walkers, as since Bridge of Orchy we are all staying at the same place (hotels have a monopoly out here) and walking the same route, so it is a case of having to make a quick dash for it and run on ahead before the next group catch you up!

This section of the walk is 16 miles and there is nowhere en route for a break, so it was a nice surprise to see one of the forest rangers had set up a tea stop just near the halfway point of the walk, so suitably refreshed we started the last climb before the descent down to Glen Nevis.

The end is in sight

We made good time here as the track was fairly easy, and finally we could see Fort William.  The only problem with seeing a town in the distance is that it seems to move and never get nearer, also as we came closer the track seemed to veer off west and head up over another hill, in what we thought was away from the town but finally after 6 and half hours we made it to the finish. The town council have cleverly moved the official end from the near side of town, next to the station, to the far end, so one has to walk all the way along the high street to the official end.  It was now raining heavily so after a couple of photos we quickly dived into the pub next door for a well deserved drink.

No rest for us though as we had to eat a quick lunch and head back to the station to collect the suitcase.  We still had  over an  hour before the train left so loitered around in Morrisons, having tea and trying to freshen up with what clothes we had left.

Then it was the train back to Glasgow, I guess when you see people on the platform with crates of beer, wine and spirits at 5.30pm you should be warned that the trip was not going to be quiet.  It was a bit of a nightmare and a journey that we were looking forward to, with stunning scenery and views of the WHW was marred by drunk and disorderlies. We tried to get the porter to do something but it was only as we were about to leave the train that they finally called the transport police.  My sister remarked that she wished she had walked back too, but with her blisters that was never going to happen.