Day 11: Back to Glasgow

For once, we didn't have to get up early. Our train left at something like 11:45, and it was less than a half an hour's walk from our hotel to the station. So we ambled downstairs for breakfast, then ambled back upstairs to pack. At this point I happily put my boots back in my suitcase: they were part of the reason my feet had hurt so often on this hike, but I wouldn't be needing them any more.

I don't think there's a lot more to tell, really. Debbie got her stamps. We visited the bookstore. Then we went back to the hotel, collected our bags, checked out, and walked to the train station. On the way we met a young German couple Debbie had befriended on the hike, and we chatted pleasantly for a few minutes. When we got to the station we picked up our tickets and waited for the call to board. 

The trip back to Glasgow was uneventful, except for watching towns slide by that we had reached so much more slowly in the days before. A few times we were able to see the West Highland Way from the train, and to identify spots from which we had seen the train tracks a few days ago. I certainly recognized the Crianlarich station, because I remembered scouring it for a schedule only to find that the train I'd wanted had been the one I just missed. 

After four hours or so, we pulled into Glasgow's Queen Street Station, a much larger and busier place than the Fort William station had been. It was about a ten-minute walk to our hotel, where we were met with smooth professional courtesy (and a desk open 24 hours) but none of the effusiveness we had experienced in the smaller towns. We settled in, and then went out to find dinner. As we walked around deciding where to eat, we passed The Glasgow Film Theatre, and on an impulse Debbie stepped in and bought us tickets for a show later that night. (It happened to be the closing screening of "Loving Highsmith.")