West Highland Way 2004 Part 2

New audio soundtrack. It was a dark overcast morning with little AVAILABLE LIGHT when we departed the Way at Auch in the search of the Glen's Munro summits. However, the forecast of some early morning sunshine and a dry day on the hills came to fruition. This video is part 2 of a 3-part compilation of videos from along the Way during 2004.

The 95-mile West Highland Way meets Auch Gleann (between Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy) wherein lies 'Monk Hill' - the twin rounded summits of the 954m Munro Beinn Mhanach. The optional ascent can be made of this mountain from the Way as the 95-mile West Highland Way progresses from Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy.

The Bridge of Orchy is in its own right famous for its own Munros and of course the Gaelic poet Duncan Ban MacIntyre who wrote of the 1076m Beinn Dorain:
"Praise of Ben Doran":
"An t-urram thar gach beinn Aig Beinn Dòbhrain;
De na chunnaic mi fon ghrèin,
'S i bu bhòidhche leam"
The translation of which means:
"Honour beyond each ben for Ben Doran;
Of all I have seen beneath the sun,
the most glorious "
Duncan died in 1812 as a veteran of the Edinburgh City Guard.
"Let the wild herd seek their bed,
Let them slumber, free of dread,
Where yon mighty moor is spread,
Broad and brawly;
Where, with joy, I've often spied
The sun colour their red hide,
As they wandered in their pride
O'er Ben Dorain"

The walk down Auch Gleann for this ascent just off the Way passes a former, now ruined home of the Gaelic poet at Ais-an t-Sidhean, en route to the foot of the hills. The path to actually get to this point crosses the stream repeatedly, so on the return trek we just stayed on the one side all the way back. Once on Beinn Mhanach summit the immediate view is over Loch Lyon although on a clear day all the surrounding Munros can easily be identified.

Glen Lyon has been referred to the as the glen of the three 'L's and has been described as the longest, loneliest and the loveliest. Once host to a population of around 700-peope around 130-years ago, that is certainly not the case now.

It may be centuries since Duncan Ban MacIntyre actually died but wherever the Gaelic language survives, likewise do his songs. A favourite appears to have been 'Tir nam Beann, an Gleann, nan Gaisgeach' - "The Land of the Hills and Glen and the Heroes". He did not like the sheep and wrote his 'Song of the Foxes" - 'My blessing be upon the foxes, because that they hunt the sheep'.

Part 3 of this video collection heads over Rannoch Moor. "In early times the great Caledonian forest extended over vast areas, from the extreme western limits of Scotland to the lands adjoining the east coast, and it is doubtless the remants of this forest which are present among the Cairngorm mountains. Relics of the Caledonian forest are in evidence near Fort William, extending across to Rothiemurchus, and farther eastward, and are also found on the Moor of Rannoch and in certain districts of Argyllshire. As a general rule, it is the tree stumps and the roots alone which are present in these peat mosses."
[from the 1912 'Charm of the Hills' by Seton Gordon].

The 95-mile [152km] West Highland Way became Scotland's first official Long Distance Footpath when it was officially opened on 6th Oct. 1980 and departs Milngavie in search of Fort William and has been described as departing from the outskirts of Scotland's largest city [Glasgow] to the foot of its highest mountain [Ben Nevis], following the shores of its largest freshwater loch (as featured in the Part One video) along past Rob Roy's cave to Doune bothy and on towards Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy before eventually heading over moorland into Glencoe, the 'Glen of Weeping because of that massacre, from where Kinlochleven then Fort William and towering Ben Nevis are then reached:
"While Huge Ben Nevis rears his soverign crown,
And dark Glencoe looks sternly wrathful down".

Basically the Way passes from the lowlands, across the Highland Boundary Fault over Conic Hill above Balmaha and on into the Scottish Highlands. Much of the Way (see other videos posted) follows ancient and historic routes of communication and the route can be extended along the now waymarked Great Glen Way that cuts the Scottish Highlands in two from the head of Loch Linnhe all the Way to Inverness.

Soundtrack is "AVAILABLE LIGHT'.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• roddymck
• Scotland
• West
• Highland
• Way
• Auch
• Gleann
• Bridge
• of
• Orchy
• Munros
• OneTrueMedia

[roddymck]

Cheers mate - think you should watch the 'Glen Etive 2004 pt1' vid next !!!

[scotlandkid]

That is magnificent at 1:03

cant wait to walk the west highland way again in april :))