Day 14: Flying home

And so the trip wound to an end. We got up at 5:30, checked out, met our taxi, and were at the airport before 7:00. Debbie's flight took off at 9:20. Mine was a lot later. I tried calling the airline to see if they could move me to an earlier flight, but the up-charge would have been over a thousand dollars. No, thanks.

Day 13: Sightseeing and one last pub

Another day that probably doesn't require too much detail. Once again, we breakfasted at Café Wander. Then we walked over to visit the Tenement House, an apartment that has been preserved pretty well exactly from the early 1910's. So it provides an excellent snapshot of middle class life in Glasgow a hundred years ago. While we were there, one of the guides asked gently if she detected "North American accents" from us. As we talked with her, we learned that she had been born in Kentucky and grew up in Ohio; but as a young woman she had fallen in love with a Scot and followed him back to Scotland. That was 50 years ago, and so, … well, … here she was. We told her a little bit about ourselves and our trip. It was pleasant.

Day 12: Sightseeing and theater

I think I can keep this part brief. We had breakfast at the delightful Café Wander; then we walked over to tour St. Mungo's Cathedral and the Museum of Religious Experience. After lunch, I went back to our hotel for a nap, while Debbie went in search of a fabric store. She didn't find what she wanted and got back late, which was a bit of an issue because we had theater tickets for that night. But we also had a lot of food leftover that we had packed for the hike and then not eaten. So we had a picnic in our room, and then walked the four blocks to the Theatre Royal where we saw "The Beekeeper of Aleppo."

 

      

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.

Day 10: Arriving at Fort William! And another pub.

The last day of the hike was also the longest: over 15 miles from Kinlochleven to Fort William, with no other habitation in between to break up the walk. By this time there was no question of my doing even part of the hike with her. But it so happened that the place to pick up the trail was pretty much just across the street from our hotel, and down a few yards. (As I may not have made quite clear in Day 9, the trail coming into town was more or less on the other side of town.)

Because the path was so long, Debbie made a point of leaving early. Well before I was ready to leave the hotel I walked her to the trailhead, gave her a quick kiss for good luck, and watched her set out. This particular part of the trail looked like a comfortable amble through a city park, and I felt sorry that I wasn't going with her. But I also knew that 15 miles would be more than I could handle.

Day 9: On to Kinlochleven

This morning after breakfast, the taxi came for Debbie to take her back to the Glencoe Ski Center (which you remember she had reached on Day 7). Looking at the map, we had figured out that there was no reasonable way I could walk the first part and then skip the rest, because there is no human habitation along the Way between Glencoe and Kinlochleven. Also, this leg of the walk involved climbing a stretch called the Devil's Staircase, which reaches to the highest altitude anywhere along the Way. After my experience with Conic Hill, I was not eager to challenge this particular incline.

But Debbie was determined. So off she went in the taxi to begin her walk. Meanwhile I had confirmed which bus would take me to Kinlochleven: it was, in fact, the same bus we had taken the day before to go into Glencoe Village, but I had over an hour to wait for it. So I made my way to the bus stop, and waited.

The bus was more or less on time, and an hour later I was in Kinlochleven. I didn't have a map with me (Debbie had the maps), so I ambled around for a minute and finally asked someone where the West Highland Way comes into town. I got directions, and set off to find it.

Day 8: Rest day in Glencoe

This was our "rest day." But we didn't just hang out doing nothing. We took the bus from our hotel into Glencoe Village and walked around. There was a museum but it was closed that day. But we were able to buy some art and souvenirs. Debbie visited a yarn store that was attached to a café. I waited outside while she was buying yarn, but then joined her in the café for lunch. After lunch we took the bus back to our hotel, napped for a while, and then had dinner and repacked for the next day.