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Day 6

Wednesday 16th - May Glen Lyon to Loch Tummel Inn

Thus I reached Bridge of Balgie too early for its small shop; it did, however, have a public telephone - in which a flyer advertised a new Ben Lawers Bunkhouse nearby...hmm, wish I'd known that! It seemed time for a cleaning and de-ponging night indoors, and I used the 'phone box to ask the Loch Tummel Inn, where I had a parcel waiting, to see if they had space. They had, but were really too expensive; however, when I asked about a rate without breakfast (always a waste of money for me as I can't eat the cooked version), they took mercy and quoted a much more reasonable rate.

This would get me up almost to schedule, but left a lot of ground to be covered. The local children were making their way to the lovely Glenlyon Primary School - lucky kids, what a place to start one's education. The spring lambs here were bigger and fatter than those up in the hills. The track up from Innerwick to Lairig Gheallabhaig was pleasantly open, although the other side was at first unpleasantly stony, and then, although the branch down to Carie was pleasant terrain among colourful plants with many young trees, there was a disappointing lack of any open view over Loch Rannoch. Near the main road, I chatted to a lady from the lochside timeshare, walking her dog; she subsequently pulled up beside me in her car, and when the proffered lift was sadly declined insisted on taking my pack the final kilometre into Kinloch Rannoch, to be collected from the Post Taste Café. Thank you, Moira.

The said café proved a distraction, for more than its good coffee: I was able to check my e-mail there. And the delay brought good luck in that a day-walker from a caravan site, whom I had met high up on the hill, called in, and insisted he could easily take my pack along to the Loch Tummel Inn. His name was Ian, and just then his middle name was Angel, as I had 11 miles of main road to bash. I should perhaps add that I had taken advantage of a special offer to buy a new lightweight Challenge pack just before leaving, and although it was excellent in every other respect, the shoulder straps seemed too narrow (or perhaps the one-size frame too long), and were cutting painfully into my clavicles on those long hauls. And long before this stage, I had given up on the intention to explore the little hills south of Strathtummel; the weather wasn't great, and the discovery that the bridge on my out-of-date map 51, east of Dunalastair Water, is no more, left me no exit strategy.

So, blessing the said Ian all the way, I covered those 11 miles between 5 and 8.10 p.m., arriving very weary and feeling slightly sick, after something over 40 Km. Finding Brian and Eileen Reid already there and expecting me (because of my pack) was a tonic - especially when accompanied by a dram! Then a shower, and a phone-in to Control, and I was ready to eat something very light; the chef - bless him, too - had waited for me, and provided the best plate of scrambled egg I had ever tasted. After clothes-washing and pack-sorting, I fell into a beautiful bed...unfortunately too tired to sleep well. However, I certainly can't fault the Loch Tummel Inn. The staff were very friendly, and the comfort and service were excellent.