Miles walked: today 9.3 cumulative 1137.3

I woke up to a cloudless sky. The rockface on Buachaille Etive Mor looked pink in the low sun. I had a quick breakfast and I was off for an early start. The path ran parallel to the road but further up the hill so traffic noise was not too intrusive. As I walked along the “Little Shepherd” came into view (Buachaille Etive Beag).

As I ascended to the head of Glen Coe the Lairg Gartain,which passes between these two mountains came into view. It is the perfect example of a U shaped valley caused by glaciation.

The path now turned north to ascend the Devils Staircase to the col that leads over to Kinlochleven. Kinghouse was originally a barracks, built in 1750 and then became a haven for travellers. The buildings today are modern. It is said that the soldiers stationed at Kinghouse had to build the military road over to Kinlochleven (which I am following today) and they named it the Devils Staircase as it was such hard work. The name was perpetuated by the workers who built the Blackwater Reservoir. It is said that in winter they would walk over to the Kingshouse Inn and those that did not return had been “taken by the devil.” It is steep but as the path curves to ease the gradient it is not really devilish.

I reached the top of the pass without difficulty. My plan was to get to Kinlochleven for lunch but the weather was so good, and the views of the Mamores were excellent. I dropped a few feet off the top and had something to eat and admired the view

After lunch I started the descent to Kinlochleven. At first, the Mamores remained in view. I was surprised to find the lost clown fish on the way down

He didn’t seem to perturbed by the lack of water.

About two thirds of the way down the path entered woodland and the views were lost. It became a trudge along forest tracks. There is a large hydroelectric power station in Kinlochleven. Initially this was built to supply electricity to an aluminium smelting plant. At the time it was the largest HEP in the UK. Smelting stopped here in 2000 but the HEP facility is being enlarged to supply renewable energy to the grid. Someone needs to tighten a few bolts though:

I looked round Kinlochleven in vain for an ice cream so I went to my B&B. My time at Forest View has started well. My host, Sarah, brought me cold water to drink and a freshly made cookie, still warm. Yum! The porridge menu looks good too, lots of wholefood accompaniments. So I didn’t feel too bad about burger and chips in the Bothy Bar. Breakfast will deal with all the saturated fats and toxins.

On the way back to the B&B a stag stood motionless at the side of the road. I stared back but before I could get my camera out he wandered off into the trees. A hind was grazing next to the children’s playground

Miles walked: Today 10.7 cumulative 1128

I really enjoyed my stay at Inveroran. Well recommended. Nice food and wine and good company and whisky after dinner. I broke my porridge rule and had egg florentine for breakfast: two eggs, lots of spinach and smoked salmon and toast to follow. I hardly ate anything else until dinner.

Today was rush hour on the WHW. I don’t know where they all stayed last night. Some were making for Kinlochleven, about 20 miles, I was content to have a short day and sleep in the bunkhouse at the Kinghouse hotel.

I followed the road again to its end. The loch looked very peaceful in the early morning, the cloud was down over the mountain tops.

The whole of today’s walk was on a rough stony track. The track crosses the western edge of Rannoch Moor. Even in these dry conditions the adjacent moor looked marshy and I was pleased to be on a man made track. The Old Military road ran parallel to the track, about 400 yards to the west but they appeared to join on the moor. The track I was on was built by Thomas Telford in the early 1800s. Passenger transport was now more important than the military and it took a lower course to minimise gradients for the horses. It was used as the main road until 1933.

To the west there were great views into the mountains of the Black Mount, to the east I could see across the expanse of Rannoch Moor. Half way across the moor I crossed Ba bridge

As it was a short day I was hoping for a swim in the river but there were no deep pools. The path continued to climbed to over 1000 feet. There were good views towards the mountains at the head of Glencoe and the Mamores, above Kinlochleven. At the edge of the moor, elevated above the path is a memorial cairn to Peter Fleming, brother of Ian. When I was last here, about 35 years ago, there was an inscription on the cairn but it has gone now.

The path now started to descend. To the left, I could see the chair lifts of the Glencoe mountain resort. They were running today, presumably for mountain bikers and day walkers. The remote hotel of Kinghouse came into view with Beinn a’Chrulaiste behind.

I crossed the road and set off down the track to the hotel. The iconic Buachaile Etive Mor (great shepherd of the Etive, what a great name for a mountain) came into view

I arrived at the hotel in time for a late lunchtime pint. I am staying in the bunkhouse, when I booked I was told the hotel was full but apparently there are rooms available. The rooms were very expensive though and there is a drying room in the bunkhouse. I will stay where I am, do some washing and have clean clothes tomorrow. In fact the bed was comfortable. The only problem was the blind was not very good so I was woken by sunlight at about 4:30.

Peak of the Grey-Brown Corrie 945 metres 3100 ft approx

So, in football terms, this mountain is not at risk of falling out if the Munro league but it is never going to challenge the big ones. It as an easy walk and although steep at times I could have kept my hands in my pockets (or actually on my walking poles).

It was a fantastic day for high mountain walking. As I left the hotel there was mist on the mountain tops but this lifted within an hour or so to leave a really clear day. I walked to the end of the public road, where a few wild campers had put their tents up by the river. I then turned on to a stony track along the Abhainn Shira river to the Clashgour hut. This is owned by the Glasgow University Mountaineering Club and can sleep up to 12 people. Cosy!

I now turned off the track to follow the Allt Toaig. After a couple of miles a path led up to the south ridge of the mountain

Climbing steeply now I ascended the ridge. Eventually the gradient eased and I reached the rocky summit plateau. I crossed a false top and eventually arrived at the summit. there were great views in all directions. I could see across Rannoch Moor which I will cross tomorrow

The road, which crosses the middle of the moor could be seen in the distance. The railway, now out of sight, skirts the Eastern edge of the moor. It is extremely remote and eventually reaches the head of Glen Nevis. Here, there is a railway station (Corrour Halt) and, I understand, you can now book a night’s stay in the old signal box. A long time ago, one winter, I got off the train here and walked down Glen Nevis with the Buxton Mountain Rescue team.

There were also good views into the peaks of the Black Mount, the estate owned by the Fleming family (of the James Bond fame).

Some late lying snow could be seen in a high corrie on Stob Ghabhar. I now followed a steep, stony path down to the col at the head of Coire Toaig. A popular walk is to continue to a scramble up to the top of Stob Ghabhar but I am now a strictly one Munro per day man so I followed the path back down to the Clashgour hut and the track back to Inveroran.

Miles walked: Today 17.9. Cumulative 1117.3

I stopped at the shop in Crianlarich to get provisions for the next few day’s walks. Outside the shop a girl was attending to her blisters and bemoaning her fate to a friend on her mobile. Her big toe did look sore. I packed my purchases and worked my way back up the woodland path that I had descended into the village two days ago. At the crossroads I carried on into the forest to enter Strath Fillan. Most of the time the trees hid the surrounding mountains but there were occasional fine views back to the Crianlarich hills.

There were quite a few WHW walkers. One pair had walked from the Drovers Inn and were planning to camp near Inveroran, I was duly impressed, that is well over 20 miles. They said there was a couple about an hour back down the path who were aiming for John O’Groats but I never saw them.

The path dropped out of the wood to cross the A82 and the railway line to Oban; the line out of Glasgow splits at Crianlarich one branch passes up the west side of the valley and turns down Glen Lochy near Tyndrum, the West Highland Line runs up the east side of the valley. The railway and main road would accompany me as far as the Bridge of Orchy.

I crossed the River Fillan and walked between fields. Strath Fillan is wide but surrounded by mountains so the views were spectacular. By Kirkton farm there was an old graveyard with two gravestones dating from the 8th century. Next to the graveyard are the ruins of St Fillans’s priory. Little remains now but it is thought that priory buildings extended back to the farmhouse.

The priory was commissioned by Robert the Bruce to thank St Fillan for his victory at Bannockburn. St Fillan was an 8th century Irish monk who is said to have spread Christianity across Scotland, although there is little documentary evidence about his life. There is a holy well near the priory which is said to cure mental illness if you bathe in it.

The path ran along the river for a while before re-entering woodland. There was an unusual sign:

Lead was mined near Tyndrum in the 18th and 19th centuries but was never very profitable. Gold was discovered just south of the village in the 1980s and after a long period of exploration and planning the first gold was extracted commercially in 2020. I kept my eye open for nuggets but, sadly, none were lying around.

A little further on I passed the putative site of the battle of Dalrigh. The accession of Robert the Bruce to the Scottish throne is a complicated story well worth reading. Essentially, there was a power struggle between Bruce and the Comyn family. This led to civil war and Bruce lost the battle of Dalrigh. Folklore states he threw his sword into a nearby lochan:

Bruce escaped and eventually managed to regroup his supporters. I am afraid the story of Bruce and the spider is myth.

Just before the end of the wood I think there was a lead “hush” where water was used to help isolate the galena ore.

I left the wood to enter the village of Tyndrum and had lunch in the pub. Outside the pub a girl was sitting with her (medium sized) dog asleep in a rucksack. He (the dog) had managed the long walk up Loch Lomondside (he had booties so he didn’t hurt his paws on the rock) but was hot and tired so today she put him in a rucksack and brought him on the bus while her friends walked up the WHW. I have enough trouble carrying my own gear, let alone a dog as well. He seemed contented enough, still in the bag asleep under a chair. Also in Tyndrum I saw the girl with blisters again. She had struggled up the Strath but sadly was giving up.

After lunch I rejoined the Old Military Road. Accompanied by the road and railway, at variable distances, I crossed the watershed and followed the river down to the Bridge of Orchy. The road is an old stony track with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains.

I caught up with a couple of WHW walkers just before the hamlet of Bridge of Orchy. They stopped for a drink but I resisted the temptation and pressed on over Mam Carraigh to the Inveroran hotel. On the descent I had a fine view over Loch Tulla

The Inveroran hotel was once an isolated drovers inn. It is now a small hotel serving excellent food in large portions! I was here for two nights so at least I wouldn’t go hungry. After dinner, by sitting in different corners of the room, I was able to chat (over a dram of course) to two Scottish men who were up for a weeks walking and a couple of fishermen who have been coming up here salmon fishing for the last 40 years. One was bemoaning the fate of wild salmon. The numbers have declined over the last two decades so that only a few hundred swim up the west coast rivers each year. It is thought that salmon farms pollute the water through which the wild fish swim. Wild salmon in most glens are protected species and they have to return any caught to the water rather than taking them home to cook.

High Stacked Heap 1046m about 3440 feet

I really wanted to climb at least one Munro on my journey through Scotland. I set aside 3 days for Munro bagging hoping I would have good weather on one of them.

Munro’s are mountains in Scotland that are at least 3000 feet high. In the late 19th century Sir Hugh Munro surveyed and catalogued them. At present there are 282. Mountains about 3000 ft high are always in danger of being demoted (to a Corbett) as surveying technology improves. It reminds me of being a City supporter before the money came: was 38pts going to be enough to finish 17th and stay up?

I digress. There are walkers who try to climb them all, called Munro baggers. I am one although I am a mere beginner. Today was my 43rd so it is very unlikely I will climb more than 100. There is a challenge to climb them all as quickly as possible, the record stands at a tad over 39 days 9 hours, set in 2010. It is a pointless exercise really, some Munro’s are boring slogs and a lot of lower mountains offer entertaining days out.

I set off through the forest on a forest road. After a short while I took a path described in books as dreadful. It is usually boggy (fortunately not today). It squeezes between trees so you clothing or rucksack get caught on branches and it is steep. As it has been dry I only went in bog up to my calf once. Once out of the wood a good path develops that gains a ridge and leads to the top. Wonderful views on a clear day like today.

It’s not really relevant to Lejog and some people think I am mad to add to the challenge. I will just post a pathetic selfie from the top (I need to get a mount to go on my walking poles.

It is possible to bag a second Munro lying about 1 mile to the South. You can se3the path at about 30 seconds on the video. This involves about 500 feet loss of height down to the beleach. I decided not to and descended by the same route.

Miles walked: today 16.4 cumulative 1099.4

Like last nights dinner, breakfast was very regimented , each coach group has breakfast at exactly the same time so they are ready for their coach (or more specifically the boat transfer).

The day promised to be hot. I have only worn my cagoule for 2 hours. I am not complaining but this is not the Scotland I am used to. The loch looked very peaceful in the early morning

I am beginning to recognise people who I have overtaken (or more usually who have overtaken me). While I was taking photographs outside the hotel and couple of Irish lads said hallo. I first saw them at the coffee shop on the path out of Blanefield. I thought they were backpacking but they chose luxury last night and stayed in the hotel. A pity I didn’t know, we could have had a socially distanced dram in the bar.

I knew the first few miles were going to be tough going, clambering over boulders and tree roots. I was not disappointed

I think, since I was here over thirty years ago, the path appears to have been improved in places, as above. There were still sections where hands and feet were required. I passed the girls I saw yesterday morning, they had camped on a flat piece of ground near the lake. They all seemed happy and raring to go again this morning.

Incongruously, in the middle of this rough section there was an open area with sculpted seats.

After another mile the path flattened out. I thought my memory was playing tricks, I was sure the scrambling went on for miles. Then a Scotsman approached me from the other way. “ Bad, bad, bad, terrible path” he said. I warned him there was more rough ground to come. “Bad, bad, bad.” He went away shaking his head.

The easy walking carried on for about a mile. I saw a young couple on the Way who walk a similar pace to me, we would see each other through the day. the bad ground then returned with a vengeance. There was about a mile or so of scrambling over a boulder field, presumably the result of a rockfall at sometime in the geological past. Progress was slow but I was not worried, I was expecting it.The ground then flattened out. On a stony beach, I met two ladies who were doing the way for the third time. As usual I don’t know any names! They were planning to get to the Beinglas campsite for lunch. I stayed at this campsite a few years ago and remembered the food was excellent. I resolved to make the same stop.

From the beach, there was a good view down the loch

The path now climbed gently over The small hill of Creag a Mhadaidh and dropped to a small bothy on the other side.

Inside there were some raised platforms for sleeping bags and a fireplace. It was spotlessly clean.

Bot hues are managed by the Mountain Botha Association. All their members are volunteer do if you use a bothy, leave it clean and tidy. A little bit further on you can catch a ferry across to Ardlui. To let the ferryman know you are waiting you hoist an orange ball to the top of the post on the left of the picture.

I left Loch Lomond by crossing Cnap Mor to enter Glen Falloch. The going was easy and I was soon at Beinglas for lunch and a pint. The Irish guys were just leaving but the other two pairs I met were still there so it was a sociable lunch in the open air.

For most of the rest of the WHW and the Great Glen Way I will be following the old Military Roads ordered by George I to allow rapid troop movement to combat the Jacobite rebellion. The planning and most of the building was done by General Wade, who suggested a network of forts and roads to King George. In fact, the road from Loch Lomond to Fort Willian was built by his successor, William Caulfield. Many have been incorporated into the modern road network in the Highlands but others remain as footpaths and bridleways.

By now it was hot which made the walk up Glen Falloch tiring. The WHW passes above the Falls of Falloch, so I only heard the waterfall but did not see it. As I approached Crianlarich I had a good view of the high mountains that lie to its southeast.

At the top of the Glen there is a crossroads consisting of the military road and an old drove road. The drovers were bringing Highland cattle to the markets, or trysts, in Falkirk and Crieff. I headed down through the forest to Crianlarich.

Miles walked: today 18.1 cumulative 1083

Most walkers rave about the fantastic cooked breakfasts they have. Certainly the plates of food coming out at the Oak Tree Inn looked huge and appetising. I am going to rave about the porridge. I get my protein fix in the evening, I need carbs to get me going in the morning. So when my large bowl of porridge came with honey and red berry compote I was delighted.

The walk was about two miles longer than I thought it would be but the path twisted and turned all day which would have added to the distance. The whole day’s walk was along Loch Lomond, which is the largest Scottish Loch by area (Loch Ness is the largest by water volume owing to its depth).

I have walked the WHW from Balmaha before and I know the path up the East side of Loch Lomond is not a lakeside stroll. Initially the path crosses several small hillocks, then, as it traverses the lower slopes of Ben Lomond it constantly has steep rises and falls over boulders so you can’t get a good rhythm going.

At first, the path stays close to the loch. Almost immediately there was a short, steep climb to Craigie Fort from where there were good views over the loch and also to Ben Lomond, the most southerly of the Scottish Munro’s (mountains of more than 3000 feet high).

The path returned to the road before entering another stretch of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. This forest was established to celebrate the coronation of Her Majesty. The trees are well spaced out so there is plenty of undergrowth which makes for pleasant walking. The path climbed steeply. I saw a group of girls, two of whom were struggling under huge rucksacks. I tried to sound encouraging that the Loch Lomond section was the hardest bit and it would get easier. I hope they do not get put off long distance walking.

The next few miles were fairly easy walking. Where the path did follow the road it usually went through the wood a few yards away from the road or was separated from it by a low wall. I crossed another hill at Ross Wood and descended to Rowardennan for lunch. I knew the afternoon was a long way so I ignored the bar at the hotel and had lunch overlooking the loch. I had an interesting Scottish delicacy for lunch: macaroni cheese pie, it tasted very nice.

As I said, I remember clambering over rocks for hours in the next segment so, when the path split, I took a forest track that ascended through the trees. I had intermittent reasonable views over the loch. I could see the Arrochar Alps arising out of the other shore and there was a good view of the rock formation at the top of the Cobbler, the old man bent over his last working on a shoe.

I descended back to the loch side to join the lower path. There was now some boulder hopping. I left the pine forest to enter old oak woodland. This is being restored by removing rhododendron growth and pine seedlings. I could see a HEP plant on the other shore, the pipes get their water source from loch Sloy, high on the slopes of Ben Dorlich

I then emerged from the forest at Inversnaid by the waterfall on Arklet water.

The hotel at Inversnaid is very isolated. A minor road descends from Glen Arklet. It is owned by a company who specialise in coach tours of the Highlands. One was just arriving. It appears they are dropped off on the A82 on the other side of the loch and are then ferried across to a small harbour in front of the hotel. Most walkers eat at the hotel and walk up the road for about a mile to a small hostel. This seemed like extra work so I stayed at the hotel, I did feel a little odd amongst the tourists.

Miles walked: today 17.4 cumulative 1064.9

I stayed at Ardoch House last night high up above Blanefield. This is part B&B and part camp site. They were unable to open the dining room because of COVID rules so I had a take away pizza that was excellent. Even better, it was delivered so I did not have to walk down the hill. My room was small but had a comfy bed and a TV to watch the cricket on so after a good nights sleep I was looking forward to the West Highland Way (I am going to shorten this to WHW).

I set of on a farm track up hill. It was a pleasure to walk on something other than tarmac. Both the canal towpath and yesterday’s railway line were tarmac. Fair enough, it was a shared cycle and footpath. Judging by the times cyclists passed me the towpath, at least, was used as a commuter route. Good for them!

I reached the top of the small hill and my spirit soared as Conic Hill and Ben Lomond could be seen in the distance

A short distance down the other side was a marker post with a thistle logo. I was on the West Highland Way. The path ran down to a continuation of the railway path I followed earlier, but it was now a stony path rather than tarmac. For the first time for a few days several groups of backpackers passed me. The WHW is a popular route and so, on this stretch at least, there were plenty of coffee and cake opportunities

The outdoor seating was surrounded by their vegetable patch.

The railway track made for easy walking. Unlike yesterday, there were few trees alongside the old railway so there were good views back to the Campsie Fells and over the surrounding countryside. The miles passed by quickly.

The railway line path ended at a minor road which I followed to Drymen for lunch. On the way I passed though Middle Earth

In which case I am off to the Misty Mountains. I got to Drymen but didn’t see any hobbits, elevens or wizards. I needed to stock up with food for the next two days’ walk and took the opportunity to have a freshly made roast vegetable and hummus baguette from the deli.

After lunch I continued along the road to the Garadhban Forest. Here, for the first time this trip, I met the bane of Scottish hillwalking: Culcoides impunctatus aka the midge. These “wee beasties” are at their worst from June to September. It is the females that bite, the nutrients in the blood help their eggs develop. Some people get bitten more than others, fortunately I am not to their taste. However the experience of clouds of midges flying round you is unpleasant to say the least. If Tolkien had put them in Middle Earth, Frodo would never have left the Shire. Magic potions like Avon Skin so Soft or Smidge stop them landing on you but they still surround you. At least I am not camping. I have had nights when I have abandoned trying to cook and just got into my sleeping bag and eaten cereal bars.

There are several area in the forests labelled “Queen Elizabeth Forest”. I wondered what would happen if Scotland achieved independence. Would they be renamed Nicola Sturgeon forest? I presume Scotland would become a republic, there are no known direct descendants of the Stuart line to restore a Scottish monarchy.

I could see the last obstacle of the day ahead of me: Conic Hill

This lies on the Highland Boundary Fault which marks the geological junction between the Central Lowlands and the Highlands. From the shoulder of the hill a row of islands stretching across Loch Lomond mark the faultline.

I walked down the hill into the Highlands.

I stayed at the Oak Tree Inn in Balmaha, at the foot of Conic Hill. Nice food in an interesting bar, there was a large collection of clocks including about 8 grandfather clocks. Good food and a hoppy beer brewed for the Euro 2020. Sadly, for Scotland, I don’t think it will be on sale much longer (Scotland were knocked out last week)

Miles walked: today 16.3 miles cumulative 1047.5

Today, the path ran parallel to the Campsie Fells all day and there were good views toward them.

I started with a mile long walk back down the road to the canal. I was bored with the towpath and I did something I NEVER do on a walk- I plugged my earphones into the iPad and listened to an early Albion Band album: Rise Up Like the Sun. The miles passed quickly now. I did keep my attention on the walk and not far from Kirkintilloch I saw a family out for a swim

I left the canal at Kirkintilloch and joined a disused railway track that ran all the way to Strathblane. This was a pleasant walk alongside Glazert water through light woodland with intermittent views towards the Campsie fells and to the surrounding countryside. At Milton of Campsie I walked through the old railway station

It was cloudy all day, although there were a few glimpses of sunshine early on. As the morning went on the cloud got heavier. As I got to open ground a few miles short of Strathblane it started to rain and I had to get my waterproofs out for the first time this trip. Just outside Strathblane there was an interesting rock formation, the Dunglass.

This is the remains of a volcanic plug, consisting of basalt. It is popular with extreme rock climbers with mostly grade 7 routes.

As I walked though Blaneside to my B and B I got my first jocular comment from a passer-by. “The Himalayas are that way” he laughed. Maybe not the Himalaya but the Highlands are that way. I will join the West Highland Way tomorrow.

Miles walked: today 23.7 cumulative 1031.2

Most of today was a long, monotonous trudge along the Union and later the Forth and Clyde canals. I made some comments about walking along the Union canal yesterday and the same apples to the Forth and Clyde canal, except, at the end if the walk there were good views to the Campsie fells. There were four exceptions which are worthy of mention:

I was staying in west Linlithgow so I left the town by following the river Avon, like yesterday morning a nice woodland walk, up to the Avon viaduct. This is the second longest in the UK and the longest in Scotland

The machine passing along the viaduct is, I think, a dredging device to clear debris from the canal. I could just see the towers of Linlithgow Palace from the top of the viaduct.

The second point of interest came 8 miles later when I walked through the Falkirk tunnel. This is a 630 metre long tunnel built because the then owner of Callander House thought that the canal “would be an eyesore.” The tunnel has a grim history. Burke and Hare worked as navvies on the tunnel and it is believed the dumped some of their victims clothes in its waters.

The tunnel is lit with coloured lights giving it a psychadelic feel and it reminded me of a tunnel Tim and I skied down in La Plagne. Stalactites hang down from the roof in places.

Two miles later the Union and Forth and Clyde canals meet at the Falkirk Wheel. This magnificent piece of engineering was built to replace locks joining the two canals and claims to be the only rotary boat lift in the world.

The design relies on Archimedes Principle (you know, the Greek guy that jumped out of the bath shouting “the water’s too hot.”) There are two chambers that are water-filled and joined by a cam, you can see the bottom one open and the top one closed in the above picture.

A narrow boat sails in and displaces its weight in water out of the chamber. This is then closed with a watertight seal. The two chambers therefore still have the same weight.

The cam rotates lifting the chamber and boat

You can see the seal in front of the boat. When the chamber is in place the sealing panel is lowered

And the boat sails away. It is so well balanced that it is claimed the energy used is equivalent to boiling 8 kettles of water.

The fourth thing of interest was the Roman fort at Rough Castle , admittedly all that is left are mounds of earth, and part of the Antonine wall

Antonio’s became emperor in 138, succeeding Hadrian and decided to re-invade Scotland. The Antonine wall was built about 142. Unlike Hadrian’s Wall, stone was not used and the defence was an earthwork and ditch, reinforced with forts at intervals. However within 20 years the Romans withdrew to the line of Hadrian’s wall.

In case the Romans return, signage is bi-lingual

On the way up to the Wall I saw a small group out for a walk. “Where are you going?” One asked. “To Kilsyth, today” I said. “ That’s a big pack, are you walking to John O’Groats?” I admitted I was and one of the group took my photo, fame at last. Excitement over, I returned to the canal and my trudge to Kilsyth.