WHW Day 3: Kings House to Kinlochleven

Daily Miles: 9.0, Total Miles: 28.0

After a hearty breakfast at the Forest View Guesthouse in Kinlochleven, we got a lift back to Kings House to resume our WHW hike. The storm system we have experienced the last few days appears to be lifting but still cloudy and threatening rain.

Despite the weather, we enjoyed the spectacular views of the Buachaille Etiv Mor as we walked towards and then by the prominent mountain.

The challenge today was climbing the reportedly notorious Devil’s Staircase, about 1,000 vertical feet above Kings House. It was a steady, steep climb with some switchbacks but not too difficult after the Katahdin finish. We had some incredible views of the Glencoe Mountains and down to Loch Leven.

The higher country was rugged with a few mountain streams. We eventually got views of upcoming mountains including Ben Nevis, UK’s highest mountain at 4,406 ft.

Part of the long descent to Kinlochleven was along huge pipelines, part of the hydroelectric scheme for the old aluminum smelter in Kinlochleven. The scheme is still in use for the remaining smelter in Fort Willam.

At the bottom, we crossed the River Leven and walked into the village back to the Forest View Guesthouse. Early to dinner and early to bed!