Day 1
Friday 12th May - Oban to Glen Liver.( should have been Glen Kinglass )
Breakfasted and ready to go. Said our farewells to the B&B landlady and into town to find the start point. Eventually finding it clearly marked at a hotel on the main street! Feet wetted on the slipway.
Off we set, south along the high street for at least 500yds.
"Look" squealed Dave excitedly pointing at a sign for the Oban Distillery. "I gotta go there".
I'm sure we had a swift dram and Dave signed the visitors book. It was too early even for us to get stuck in.
After a few yards / miles we happened upon a fairly strange sounding gym;
Now we are of the combined, and indeed not inconsiderable, professional opinion that this sign may have been ever so slightly tampered with. Lets not pre judge.
As we made our way through Glen Lonan, a wide flat almost agricultural Glen, we began to relax into real challenge mode. Chatting away to locals and other challengers alike. Stopping for the odd rest a while and indeed making a cup of tea at the roadside. The weather was glorious, as it was, I feel, for the whole crossing.
The plan was to go via Taynuilt, across into Glen Etive, follow the eastern shore track north, turning east into Glen Kinglass and camping at the first suitable spot.
Taynuilt had a pub!!!!!
So after a mere 3 hours of fresh air, we were once again propping up a bar. When will I ever learn that the barman / barmaid DOESN'T actually want to be my best friend, nor are they remotely interested in my 'mountain man' tales. They just want to separate me from my money.
A few hours later, we emerged into the afternoon sunlight, and surprisingly found our way to the track along Glen Etive.
Glen Etive began to reveal its majesty. What a stunning place. Even through a particularly dense highland alcohol fog, it was breathtaking. We wandered on in awe of this place until we reached Glen Liver, where I decided to announce to the whole world, and Dave, that I could walk no further. He didn't argue and camp was set in an idyllic spot a few yards up Glen Liver.
After tea we sat around and congratulated ourselves on our Herculean efforts to overcome the distillery and the pub, and still be almost where we should be! We consulted the map, finalised tomorrow's plans and drifted off to sleep.
