Not The West Highland Way
Day 4: Doune Byre Bothy – Ben Lui
Sunday 27th May 2018
Distance: 8 miles [view on map]
I packed up and left the bothy early, then walked up to the end of Loch Lomond and Beiglas campsite. I was just in time for breakfast at the cafe, but it was a bit rushed as they were closing up.
I had decided to deviate from the West Highland Way again, and climb another Munro – Ben Lui. I walked along the road and then up a track, but I was roasting in the heat.
I came to a pool of water by the track. It was part of a stream with a good amount of water flowing, and it looked very appealing. Now that I had left the popular West Highland Way, there was no-one about, so I jumped in. I washed off three days of grit and sweat, and cooled down to a comfortable temperature. After this refreshing splash the rest of the ascent was far more bearable.
I continued up the track and through a valley alongside an aqueduct pipe. Eventually the track came to an end and I continued up Ben Lui with little path to follow. It was now early evening, and the weather was looking good, so I set up camp a little below the summit at 950m, in a sheltered area between two ridges, surrounded by melting snow.
Unfortunately I have no photos as my phone battery was running low!