Third day – along the shores of Loch Lomond
Yesterday evening and this morning, we have had our first encounter with the dreaded Scottish midgie – a small but vicious biting insect which terrorises the countryside here in the summer. We had bought a bottle of Avon So Soft, which is supposed to repel them, but I am doubtful if this is anything more than a scam by Avon and the numerous camp site shops and outdoor stores which are peddling the stuff. Thankfully they are only a problem if you stop moving.
Today has been a very long and not so very interesting day of walking. As stated yesterday, bad planning meant that we had a lot of walking to do (29km/18mi), over quite difficult terrain for the second half anyway. It was also quite boring, since we were stuck in forest the whole time with the shores of the loch to the right. There wasn’t so much to interrupt this, except making a short visit to Rob Roy’s cave, which lies right next to the path just north of Inversnaid.
Now, for the uninformed, Rob Roy was a Scottish outlaw of the 17-18th century, whose life has been much romanticised in writing and on film. No-one knows of course if he actually used this cave, which is in fact a crevice between some massive rocks which have come to lie next to the shores of the loch. It’s a nice thought, though, and he would have been dry and cosy in there in any case.
Finally, with it raining and beginning to become dark, we reached the camp site at Bein Glas. I had been a bit worried about money because there are apparently no more cash machines for the next four days and had only £20 in my wallet, but thankfully it was possible to get some cashback at the bar next to the camp site. One worry less at least.
The girls we had met earlier in the week had recommended a place called the Drover’s Inn near to the camp site, which is suitably bedecked in over-the-top kitsch Scottish style – innumerable stuffed animal heads on the walls, waiters in kilts, a log fire, and other such things. I had hoped for some traditional fiddle music perhaps to complete the atmosphere, but instead we got a guy with long hair and a Metallica t-shirt playing the guitar. This didn’t really fit with the picture, unfortunately.
