The crossing of Rannoch Moor is one of the classic stages of the West Highland Way, following the line of Telford's Parliamentary Road across an otherwise vast wilderness of heather and bog encircled by grand mountains. In fine weather this is a place of otherworldly beauty - in a storm it is wild, forbidding and exposed. Underfoot conditions are easy and some may opt to continue to Kinlochleven.
Summary
Good tracks; easy walking in fine weather but very exposed if conditions are poor.
Terrain
Start
Maps
Users'
rating
None to Inveroran; the A82 is served by Citylink buses between Glasgow and Fort William.
Open Traveline Scotland
Public transport
1. This stage starts from the whitewashed old coaching inn at Inveroran, dating back to 1707, it is a survivor from times when today's route was still the main road north. Head west along the road past Inveroran Cottage and cross the bridge over the Allt Tolaghan; the grass alongside is used for informal camping by West Highland wayfarers. Pass a car park and continue along the road to reach and cross Victoria Bridge.
2. Just beyond the bridge is the fine stone Forest Lodge which marks the end of the public road. Go straight ahead here, passing through a gate to begin the walk along the road of the old Parliamentary Road which was built by Thomas Telford to replace the old military road and remained in use until 1933. The West Highland Way now follows it for the rest of the walk to the Kingshouse, so little navigation is necessary. The surface is good, mostly with set stones. The road begins climbing very gently up towards Rannoch Moor, passing through Scots pines at first and then an open stretch before running along the top of the woods. The views slowly open up to the right towards the Beinn Dorain group of hills, though Loch Tulla below remains shyly hidden.
3. The landscape soon opens out into the vast, gently undulating wilderness of Rannoch Moor - 50 square miles of peat bogs and lochans that provides very difficult and arduous walking away from the route of the West Highland Way - though Telford's Road gives excellent walking throughout. This part of the route is very exposed to bad weather but on a clear day the views to the mountains that encircle the edge of the moor can be magical. The route descends slightly to cross a small bridge and passes to the right of the next plantation. The next plantation is on the right, and there are good views left towards the peak of Stob a'Choire Odhair - a Munro.
4. Eventually the route descends gradually to reach Ba Bridge - a stone arch over the River Ba which here flows through a small rocky ravine. The mountains to the left now are Clach Leathad, Creise and Meall a'Bhuiridh. The route now begins to climb to reach the highest part of the moorland crossing - through the original Military Road took an even higher route. There are superb views looking back of the way across the entire moor behind.
5. At length the descent begins and perhaps the most iconic of all Scottish mountains - Buachaille Etive Mor - is revealed ahead at last. The name of this mountain means 'the Great Herdsman of Etive' and it stands guard on the approach to Glencoe from the south. Continue along the track, though a signed path off to the left detours to the White Corries ski area which has a cafe. Remaining on the West Highland Way, the route emerges on a minor road opposite Black Rock cottage. This tiny whitewashed cottage must be one of the most photographed buildings in Scotland; it is a club hut for the Ladies' Scottish Climbing Club.
6. Turn right along the road until it reaches a junction with the main A82. Cross this with great care and take the track opposite - slightly to the left. In a little over a kilometre this leads to the Kingshouse Hotel. Probably the best known of all coaching inns with its key location on a wild crossing, the Kingshouse dates back to the seventeenth century. In 1746 it was used as a barracks by the Duke of Cumberland's troops in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden. In 1803 Dorothy Wordsworth wrote of it that 'Never did I see such a miserable, such wretched place, - long rooms with ranges of beds, no other furniture except benches, or perhaps one or two crazy chairs, the floors far dirtier than an ordinary house could be if it were never washed. With length of time the fire was kindled and after another hour of waiting, supper came, a shoulder of mutton so hard that it was impossible to chew the little flesh that might have been scraped off the bones.' Red deer frequent the area around the hotel; it is also possible to camp here.
Next stage: Kingshouse to Kinlochleven
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