Day 8 West Highland Way - Ba Cottage Ruins to Kinlochleven

 Monday, July 4, 2022 - Ba Cottage Ruins to Kinlochleven at mile 80.8 12.5 miles 

There was water in my tent at midnight so I had to go outside in the rain and check my stakes. The crooked one that I found had loosened in the wind so I got my one good remaining stake and re-staked it. I used my pink towel to try to dry the inside of the tent, but water had also gone under my sleeping pad which made it difficult. It was super windy and rainy all night and I did not get much sleep.

We packed up in the rain in the morning and all my stuff got wet. I still do not have the skill of packing up in the rain and keeping my things dry. We were cold, wet and tired and we pounded out the four miles to Kingshouse in the rain and wind in record time. 

A faint rainbow ahead

Kingshouse in the distance

Kings House Hotel was originally an 18th century drovers' stop. It has been upgraded and is a pretty posh hotel now. They have a hiker's bar where you can get food and charge your electronics. We used the restroom and then got coffee and sat and charged our cell phones while we warmed up and dried out. Pounce booked us a bunkroom at the Blackwater Hostel in Kinlochleven since all of our things were so wet. We splurged to rent the entire four person room for 100 pounds which was 50 pounds per person. Pretty cheap, really, for a room with its own bathroom as well.

Kingshouse

Stob Dearg

As we hiked away from Kingshouse we walked parallel to A82. On the left was a large rocky crag called Stob Dearg. We ended up walking past it for most of that route. I could see white sheep or goats on the side. We then turned right for Devil's Staircase. It was steep but probably similar to Conic Hill in difficulty. At the top is a large rock cairn. 

Stob Dearg

The top of Devil's Staircase

Cairn at the top

Beautiful area, especially when it stopped raining

stepping stones across the creek

These help water to flow across the trail without damaging it

As we descended the other side of Devil's Staircase the sun came out and we laid out our tents to try to dry them and within ten minutes the rain began again and we had to pack them up. In the distance we could see Blackwater Reservoir which dominated the second half of our day. The water from that reservoir goes to a power station in Kinlochleven. The wind had to be a steady 40 mph with occasional gusts to 50 which rocked me on my feet. But that section was beautiful! We were high with stellar views for what felt like miles. Eventually the trail became a service road for the power company. It was a super steep descent until we finally reached Kinlochleven.

down we go

So steep going down

Water pipes to the power station from the reservoir

My knees were barking at me when we finally reached Kinlochleven. I could have worn my waterproof socks today but my thin wool ones were just as comfortable. I didn't even try to keep my feet dry. No point. It was cold in our room but the clerk turned the heat on for us when I asked. That also helped us dry some of our things out.

We were in hostel room 10 at the end of the hallway so I set up my tent outside our door to dry and  used the blow dryer to dry the rainfly and foot print. Pounce had the brilliant idea to slackpack the final 16 miles to Fort William. She booked us a room at a hotel steps away from the end of the trail and I booked my bag online for 25 pounds and arranged to have them pick up my bag tomorrow for transport to our hotel in Fort William. 

We walked to a restaurant down the street and they squeezed us in between reservations because we promised to eat fast and not linger. As always, the food was great.

The room had a skylight with a retractable blackout shade in it. We slept so well in our dark room. I used my sleeping bag to cover up with. I don't like not having a top sheet, but it does not seem to be a thing in Scotland.