the west highland way
Day 3 – Beinglas Campsite to Tyndrum
I’ll start with a quote to mix things up a bit. “The road lay wide ahead, and the air was full of the morning; the smell of grass and the sound of the river beside them. This was the beginning of the greatest adventure of his life, the beginning of the Wild.”
That’s taken from The Hobbit. Tolkien is narrating Bilbo’s departure from the comfort of the Shire into the wilderness beyond. That’s how I felt this morning. Loch Lomond had been a lush place to spend the last couple of days. As I climbed out of the valley from Beinglas Campsite, the views opened out into big vistas of the peaks and valleys of the Highlands proper. The landscape became less vivid in colour, and the vegetation became more sparse. It marked a new chapter in the journey.
As with yesterday, the first 4 miles or so were fairly uneventful. I was a bit disappointed to be honest. My legs were also feeling it from the day before, so my walking wasn’t as fluid. Things got better though, much better… Here are some shots of along the way.
As with each day so far, the first half flies by, and then fatigue sets it. The quote I began with refers to the greatest adventure if Bilbo’s life. I wouldn’t say that about this trip as I’ve been on many adventures. It is definitely the most physically demanding one for me, making it one of the most rewarding.
I’ve got better accommodation tonight – I’m not on the floor and my mattress is more than 3 inches think – I’ve had a lovely meal with great company that I should be back to before they go home to bed. I’ll sign off now, and continue the story tomorrow…
