West Highland Way diversion

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Cameron McNeish
28/09/2005 at 14:28
Local business owners, aided by the National Trust for Scotland, are looking at the feasibility of creating a "link route" from the West Highland way starting at Altnafeith, at the foot of the Devil's Staircase, and running through Glen Coe. Tenders are being invited for the development of the so-called "Glencoe Orbital" but there are already fears that such a route, which will parallel the busy A82, could be potentially dangerous and encourage walkers away from the best part of the WHW, the Devil's Staircase. Is Glen Coe (The NTS obviously would like to attract WHW walkers to its Visitor Centre where numbers are apparently on the decline) worth diverting to from the normal route of the WHW?
Dave Mycroft
28/09/2005 at 14:32
Cameron, there's already a thread at http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/dt/4/utn/9350/last/1/V/1/SP/ which should give you a few opinions :)
Jim Chalmers
28/09/2005 at 14:34
A path along Glen Coe would be a blessing to avoid having to walk along the potentially murderous A82, especially in the dark.
Cameron McNeish
28/09/2005 at 20:14
Apologies, didn't notice the other thread.
Peewiglet
28/09/2005 at 20:20
"...the best part of the WHW, the Devil's Staircase."

LOL!

Come on Cameron - I can't believe you mean that! Maybe the view at the top - that's one of the hightlights - but the climb? I don't think so! :-)

Anyway, and back to the main point of what you wrote... I can't really say whether Glen Coe is worth a diversion, because both times I've been there I've been to/from Kingshouse via the Devil's Staircase: once up, and (earlier this year) down. The view at the top is pretty stupendous, imo, and I think it would be a great pity to miss it. Thinking back, I can't remember any more impressive sight on the whole walk. (Well, actually I loved the toadstools in the woods best, but I realise that may not be a majority calling...)
Terra Nova
28/09/2005 at 20:23
I did the WHW in 1998 - my first visit to Scotland - and thought it was brilliant. Views from the Devil's staircase of Glencoe didn't exist because of weather. Having been to Glencoe so many times since then I've often thought the WHW should take it in somehow, it is simply too spectacular to miss.
Peewiglet
28/09/2005 at 20:45
It's a pity you missed the view at the top, Andy: it's really quite spectacular.

I'm sorry to have missed Glencoe proper, though: if it was somehow possible to incorporate both then I think that would be good.
Terra Nova
28/09/2005 at 20:56
Shirley - it was my first LDP. I was new to walking and didn't have much gear. Walked it in good boots and decent trousers, but didn't even take waterproofs and had to borrow a fleece jacket off a mate! It rained every day bar two and I got soaked. I did it with my brother Tony. It is a shame I missed it yes, but I've since had many superb days in Glencoe.
Peewiglet
28/09/2005 at 22:45
Well it's a shame I missed Glencoe proper, too. There's so much beautiful stuff to look at round there that it's hard to go wrong.
Peewiglet
28/09/2005 at 22:48
This 'blank' piccy stuff is rather weird. Hpefully my piccy will be there tomorrow.
Iain Simpson
29/09/2005 at 00:26
What would the danger aspect of the route be - are they planning to put it right alongside to the A82? I'd hope not, as apart from the chance of getting hit by a stray car, it would rather detract from the walk. Even so, it would still be safer than walking along the road itself...

I've done the WHW twice, and I wouldn't agree that the Devil's Staircase is the best bit - for me that would have been Loch Lomond, or maybe Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse. The view from the top of the Staircase is certainly good, but the walk up itself I remember as being a bit of a slog, though my view may be coloured by that winding, never-ending descent into Kinlochleven afterwards.

Glencoe is spectacular, even from the bottom of the valley, and it always struck me as a fairly glaring omission from the Way. A there and back route from Altnafeith would certainly be a pleasant way to spend half a day. Alternatively (and possibly heretically) I can see that going from Kingshouse to Kinlochleven via Glencoe and the south shore on Kinlochleven might be more appealing than the Devil's Staircase.
Cameron McNeish
29/09/2005 at 11:54
Take your point about the long and winding forested descent from the DS but I stick with my assertion that the ascent of the Devil's Staircase, and the views from the top, in both north and south directions, is the highlight of the route. Loch Lomondside is marvellous, so is the tramp across the Rannoch Moor but as someone who loves to climb hills I rather like a bit of height, and the DS is the only bit of reasonable height on the whole route. (Conic Hill is good too.) I'm passionately fond of the WHW, so I'm not knocking the flat sections of the route. I certainly wouldn't want to miss out on the DS by following the south shore of Loch Leven to Kinlochleven. Any route there would probably have to parallel the road. That's also the problem with a link route into Glen Coe - any route like that will parallel the A82. Much better to just nick alonng the Aonach Eagach :)
John Clarke-Backpacker John
29/09/2005 at 12:13
Last year I set out with the intention of taking a few days out from the WHW and exploring the Glencoe area, but having regularly met the same small group of people along the walk, I carried on and we were then able to meet up and celebrate together in Fort William.

I’ve every intention of doing the WHW again and having carried the Explorer map for Glencoe and not used it, I’d certainly be interested in an alternative route to Kinlochleven.

My image (right) was taken at the top of the Devils Staircase and I agree with many others that the views were great. If and when a new Glen Coe alternative exists, I could probably even be persuaded to climb the Devils Staircase just for the view before returning to the bottom and on towards Glen Coe.

My desktop picture is currently the view looking south east from the top of the climb out of Kinlochleven (heading north - Mam Tor area). So you can see that the area certainly made an impression on me.
Jim Chalmers
29/09/2005 at 12:17
C'mon Cameron. You must have driven through Glen Coe in driving rain to be confronted with a crowd of Goretex wrapped folk trudging along the road verge on their way back to their car after descending from the hill. You may even have been one of them, like I have, frightened at dodging the 80 mph traffic passing only inches away. Any walkway through Glen Coe that takes folk off the road would be a godsend. If it can be justified as a WHW alternative to take WHW walkers down to fill the pockets of the good merchants of Glencoe village, then fine. But from the point of view of the president of the Ramblers Ass, I would have thought that the pressing priority would be to separate pedestrians and traffic.

jim
Marcus Crompton
29/09/2005 at 14:47
I agree with Cameron and not-Cameron. Like I said on the "other thread", the Devil's Staircase, at least up to the point where the Aluminium gets a bit too close, is great, especially when you get a view.

On the other hand, it would be a good idea to create a "pedestrian highway" down Glencoe, as long as it's done well. As Jim says, the number of poor souls trudging along the main road bears testament to the need.

If the NTS draw in a few extra punters to the visitor centre, then that's alright with me too. They do a nice soup.
Marcus Crompton
29/09/2005 at 14:48
So that's me saying no I don't think the route of the WHW needs changing but yes I do think that an "accessible" footpath down the glen would be a good idea.
jim brown 2
29/09/2005 at 16:11
I thought there already was an alternative to the road - you just follow the old road/track, and where it joins up with the new road they have put in a path that takes you down to the "Clack" turn off.
Or am I missing something?
Cameron McNeish
30/09/2005 at 09:26
No you're right Jim, there already is, in parts, an alternative by using the old road but it does need to be linked together.
Indeed, I have trudged along sections of the Glencoe road too many times dodging traffic and would very much welcome a link to and from Glencoe from Altnafeadh. Give WHW walkers the choice. What I'm not in favour of is DIVERTING the WHW to Glencoe then along the south shore of Loch Leven to Kinlochleven, instead of the present route over the Devils Staircase. OK, there is a climb up the Devil's Staircase but it's hardly Everest and most walkers, having walked all the way from Milngavie, should be able to cope with that. Surely...
Toxic Sherlock
30/09/2005 at 12:46
I'd love the opportunity to walk through Glencoe. As it is, there are scrag-ends of paths (bottom of the Bidean, start of the Aonach thro. the howfs) so it's possible to link them up although I guess the path could stay wholly South of the road.

I can't see the old path being dug-up so let's have a new one through Glencoe and people can choose.

The lack of long-distance paths in Scotland is why my Parents always goto the Lakes.

I'm quite excited by the idea of a Glencoe path for a rest-day.
Peewiglet
30/09/2005 at 12:51
When I referred to the climb up the Devil's Staircase, I didn't mean to imply that it was too difficult. I actually meant that it wasn't the challenge I'd expected it to be, given its impressive title :) I did it the other way round last May, walking over from Kinlochleven, and after that slog up the mountain I was tickled pink by the idea that the short way up from Kingshouse was a killer hike.
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