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This morning we headed up to the main Bridge of Orchy Hotel from the bunkhouse in good spirits for our breakfast. We were well over halfway now, and I was pleased to see the rash on my legs improving after a couple of applications of hydrocortisone cream.

After breakfast we picked up our packed lunches from the bar - sandwiches and pasta salads - and set off up the hill into the forest. It was slightly overcast, and a break from the blazing sun was certainly welcome. Stopping for a break early on, Mark brought out his Blue Steel for the camera.

I had never done this section of the West Highland Way before. Last year we had to stop at Bridge of Orchy because my legs were so painful, and in 2004 we were behind schedule and had to take a bus up to the Kings House Hotel.

Although it was overcast, walking through the forest it was really muggy. When we came back out into the open. It was pretty warm and there was a haze hanging in the air, but there was no need for my Superman leg-protectors.

The path here passes over the wide, flat bealach between Màm Carraigh and Ben Inverveigh, high above Loch Tulla.

The views from up here looking down to the Inveroran Hotel at the end of Loch Tulla and towards the hills beyond were fantastic, even with the haze taking the edge of things. So fantastic in fact that Gregor got his camera out and for once pointed it at the scenery instead of us.

Then went and spoiled my photo.

While admiring the view we were passed by what could only be described as a Jimmy Krankie-esque figure, apparently running the West Highland Way. It would be fair to say she wasn’t exactly built like a long-distance runner. When we got down to the Inveroran Hotel she was seeing if the bar was open (it was before 12) and then proceeded to light up a cigarette as we took a break.

As we got up to carry on walking, it started to rain. Not too heavy, but heavy enough for the jackets to come out for the first time.

This section continues along the road for a short while as it crosses the Abhainn Shira before joining the old drove road over the Black Mount.

The rain didn’t last for long, so the jackets soon came off again, much to the relief of everyone as it was so muggy. The old drove road was tough to walk on, the hard-packed surface very unforgiving on the feet as it stretched out ahead of us.

So we were soon ready for a rest and a bit of lunch. There was a problem however. There seemed to be a lot of midges about. The conditions were ideal - it was warm and damp, and we were crossing the boggiest part of the West Highland Way. I do quite a lot of walking, and I’ve seen quite a lot of midges, but nothing had prepared me for this!

It was quite a busy section this, with several other groups walking it too. There were a couple of guys we’d seen the day before who we thought were French, something that was confirmed today when we heard a cry of “Non, non, non! C’est impossible!” go up behind us, and turned to see them flapping at the clouds of midges.

As soon as we stopped, swarms descended on us. We had plenty of repellent on and they didn’t seem to be biting too much, but the sheer numbers of them crawling all over us was so annoying we carried on further to find a more suitable spot. Which we thought we’d found about 20 minutes later. A few rocks by the side of the track on a raised knoll looked an ideal picnic spot, so we took off our bags and opened the pasta salads. And were swarmed once again! Behind the knoll was Lochan Mhic Pheadair Ruaidhe, a veritable breeding ground for midges!

Gail really didn’t like the midges and had had enough by this point, storming off towards the horizon with Gregor trailing in her wake. Me and Mark decided to persevere with the pasta salads, our arms a seething black mass of midges. I must have eaten more “meat” today than in my previous 9 years as a vegetarian combined, the surface of the salads and the spoons were just black with midges.

We decided to eat and walk in an attempt to get away from some of the airborne pests. Eventually we caught up with them, just in time to put on her midge net.

With at least some protection from the midges, Gail once again stormed off at great speed while Mark and I hung back to take photos, never standing still for too long, and doing a lot of swatting of vicious insects.

The path crosses the River Bà, which was little more than a trickle after all the hot weather recently.

We could barely see Gregor and Gail by this point such was the speed that Gail had set off at! We continued on, stopping from time to time to take more photos. The
midges were annoying but they weren’t going to spoil our enjoyment of this beautiful but remote area. We passed a tent - I can’t imagine a much worse place to camp!

Eventually we caught up with them, just before we rounded Gualann Liath Ghiubhais and got our first glimpse of the impressive Buachaille Etive Mór.

And as we started to descend towards the main road, we realised that the midges had all but disappeared. This made Gail very happy.

We stopped for a late lunch (it was about 4 o’clock by now) on the bridge over Allt Molach. Mark really hates baked beans, so it was rather curious to find a single baked bean sitting on the bridge!

We were only a couple of miles from our destination for tonight, the Kings House Hotel. We’d walked more quickly today than any other day so far - midges proving much better than me at getting everyone to walk fast!

Enjoying the novelty of arriving so early (relatively) we all went for showers and met up in the bar for a few ales before tea.

My brother and Karla joined us again before heading off down the road. The ales were going down a treat, and the pool table started to call us from across the bar.

Gregor was starting to feel the pace a bit now.

But he soon got his second wind.

When the bar shut we reluctantly made our way upstairs to our rooms. Gregor had rather sensibly got a pint of water from the bar first. All week Gregor had been doing a “I pulled down my trousers” Russell Brand impression which was wearing a bit thin, so in the corridor outside our rooms I thought it would be a good idea to pull down Gregor’s trousers. He responded by chucking the pint of water at me. Served me right really!

I can but blame the ale. Which also gets the blame for the following photos. Quite why me and Mark thought two men in bed wearing matching t-shirts would be a good advert for Tartan Mafia I don’t know, but it made sense at the time!

Day 6