Scotland 1999

Inspired…  

Walking the ‘West Highland Way’ At Any Age!

By Val Yellow
Published in 2004 'My Weekly" magazine

In May 1999, at the age of 46, I walked my first long distant trail - the ‘West Highland Way’. Over a period of 7 days I walked 95 miles (152km), following old coaching, military and drove roads, along the shores of fresh water lochs, to the foot of Scotland’s highest mountain Ben Nevis. Five years on I’m still walking and still loving it. Walking long distance paths is an amazing and calming experience, one that continues to inspire me. Now aged 51, with my husband Art 62, it seems that age is no impairment to the distances we cover; we might not walk so fast (and we definitely have more aches and pains) but we still cover the miles whilst enjoying the most stunning scenery.

But back in 1999 I was a novice. I enjoyed walking but had never covered any great distance. I’d joined a local walking group three years earlier (incidentally where I met my husband to be – another story!), and it was through talking to my walking companions that I first started my research. They were really encouraging and had many suggestions of where to go. I could walk coastal paths in Cornwall or Pembrokeshire, The Pennine Way, Offas Dyke – it was a long list – there are walks all over Britain. However, after much reading in the library I decided that the ‘West Highland Way’ in Scotland was the one for me. I chose this trail mainly because I wanted to explore a part of the country I had never visited before and secondly because it didn’t seem too taxing.

I wanted to enjoy this walk and the West Highland Way seemed appropriate because, believe it or not, there are not too many hills to climb. What hills there are, are quite gentle, with most of the walk through valleys and beside lochs. It was also important that the length of walk each day was manageable for someone like me, who’s not so fit, and who normally only walks a few miles maximum each day. Lastly, this trail had a support service that would carry our bags to the various places we would be staying along the way – I love to walk, but like many people, I don’t love carrying a rucksack! The tourist board gave us a list of places to stay and once we’d driven to the start of the trail we had no further need for the car as our return journey could be either by train or a coach. We would be sitting in comfort looking out of the window at the trail we had just walked – but first we have to complete all 95 miles.

So what equipment will we need? Maps, boots, walking sticks and waterproofs (this being Scotland in May you have to be realistic about the weather). I enjoy this, the planning, what to take, what not to take. First of all we bought maps and guidebooks (only to find they were almost redundant - the walk is so well sign posted and the local people so helpful). As for equipment and clothes we could only take what we could fit into one waterproof bag, this bag was then transported by the ‘Van Project’ to each of our pre-booked overnight stops. Luckily we were already well equipped with waterproofs, fleeces and wick away clothes, we also owned well worn-in boots. I’d always recommend you wear your boots in before starting a long distance walk – either that or stock up on blister plasters! The only other necessity is a small day backpack for snacks, drinks, binoculars and cameras. Now we were ready for the off.

We arrived in Milngavie, 5 miles north of central Glasgow, parked the car for the week (outside the local police station) and booked into our B&B. We slept well but the next day we were up early, excited at the prospect of actually starting the walk. As is traditional we paused to take photos of each other at the West Highland Way ‘start post’ at the High Streets, we were truly on our way – only 95 miles to go!

The weather was amazing, clear fresh, ideal for walking, not too hot, just right. We spent the next 7 days walking along old drover’s and military roads and disused railways through stunning scenery. We walked by lochs with mountains either side of us. We watched golden eagles soaring in the sky above, feral goats and red deer silhouetted against sunsets and beautiful highland cattle with their calves. On the way we stopped to rest in friendly coffee shops and to eat substantial pub lunches – food being of great importance when walking! Here we would meet and chat with other walkers, sharing our experiences. Each night we stayed in a different bed and breakfast or pub, always arriving with a feeling of slight trepidation – would our bags have arrived before us? They always had. We stayed overnight in some fascinating places and were warmly welcomed in all. One memorable place was the aptly named ‘Drover’s Inn’. Stuffed full of stuffed animals, with ancient (though comfortable) beds originally made for a castle, now squeezed into a small pub, with a landlord as eccentric as his décor. In the morning he cheerfully served us a full Scottish breakfast, wearing his kilt and distinctly still swaying after the rather jolly night before!

Back on the trail the calming stretches of freshwater lochs, the highlands and the moors continued to inspire me. As did the people we met on the way, both the young and fit and the not so young. One couple we met were both in their seventies. It made me realise I was not so old after all to be taking up this new and wonderful challenge. Yes I did get tired at times, but any tiredness I felt soon disappeared in such beautiful surroundings. Arriving at Fort William I was filled with joy at having completed my first ever long distance walk. I felt completely refreshed, and miraculously, I didn’t have a single blister!

Heady with our success my husband Art suggests we finish our walk with a ‘bit of a climb’. What he means is would I like to walk up Ben Nevis! I’m ready (I think!)
and so the next morning up we go and my, at first we are rewarded with the most incredible views. Then the clouds come down, covering the mountains and us and we have to continue to trudge on and on, without those magnificent views to keep our spirits up. It’s so busy it’s like ‘Piccadilly Circus’; the mountain is humming with people. I even bump into someone I know – I last saw Cathy in Zimbabwe 6 years ago – what a strange co-incidence! We have to catch up with each other’s news – chat, chat, chat and finally we reach the snowy cold summit. Wow, arrived at last, such hard work - my poor knees and feet are suffering – and having gone up we now need to go back down. That was hard work for me too and when I get to the bottom I say ‘Never again!”. I’m glad I did it but maybe Ben Nevis was pushing myself a little too hard. Give me a long distant walk any day… all I can say is I was fit enough for the West Highland Way but not the mountain! Exhausted, I slept for hours…

The next day we caught the coach that would return us to Milngavie, the start of our walk over a week before. After our climb up Ben Nevis it felt luxurious to sit in comfort and watch the countryside roll by and truly made me appreciate the distance we had covered. Travelling back to our start through a driving storm made the area of Glencoe look dramatic and ghostly, with memories of Scottish war faring history, in comparison with the calm and pleasant weather we had experienced throughout the week’s walk. This holiday was an amazing experience. I walked over 95 miles and I climbed Britain’s highest mountain. I might not want to climb any more mountains but by the end I knew I wanted to walk many more long distance trails. It was so relaxing, exciting, and fun and interesting, the views were spectacular and we finished the trip with such wonderful memories.

Now I’m in my 50’s and Art is in his 60’s (still together, the trail experience didn’t put us off!) and we continue to plan and walk trails including the ‘Cotswold Way’, the ‘Wye Valley’ and further a field the ‘Inca Trail’ in Peru. Even though I now experience some hip and back problems I am still walking trails and some small mountains. Like the couple we met on the West Highland Way we hope to be walking in our seventies. Yes we have been there, done that and (naturally) we bought the t-shirts!