On The Way with BBC Scotland’s Out of Doors

Had a nice wee adventure this week making a piece for BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors. It’s part of the One Place I’ve Never Been series and here we were doing the West Highland Way with Gary Robertson from Good Morning Scotland.
Chris Sleight the producer and I looked at the options as a day walk section was the plan and something accessible would be best, it’s always good to put the outdoors into easy reach. The east side of Loch Lomond was the obvious choice, at first south from Inversnaid looked good, but heading north was always going to be better. So that was the plan, Inversnaid to, well, there was talk of getting into the mountains in Glen Falloch and seeing Clach na Briton at the end.

The scene was set on a ferry trip across the loch from Tarbet, the tops in cloud with mist lingering on slopes bursting with autumn colours. It’s gorgeous, I’ll be back on that boat.
Inversnaid was drowned out by the sound of the falls. Water was the theme of the day, sometimes lightly from above, but always to our left and frequently around out feet. Burns and waterfalls feed the loch at every turn of the path, of which there are many on this stretch.
I know The Way very well, and this is the hardest section. I was expecting 1000ft+ of ascent today and hands would be placed on rock. If you want to inspire, dispel the myth that The Way is a soft tourist option and see some wild country on the doorstep of the central belt, this is where to go.

Gary set off at a brisk pace, the banter was good and there was plenty to see. Including an interview with a goat. By the time we sat in Doune bothy where I watched my stove bubbling over from the comfort of the rocking chair, hours had passed and much had been seen, said and learned. The weather had it’s little moods, the Way had it’s miles and it’s countless joys to soften them.
Gary was up for the challenge and just how well we did and what happened on The Way, we’ll just have to listen in and see. Tomorrow sometime between 0700 and 0800 and Sunday 1100 to 1200.