Scotland 2025
October 3-19, 2025

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Wednesday – Drymen to Rowardennan
14.5 miles / 23 km

Despite the lack of toilet paper and the very wet floor, we had a good night’s sleep. Apparently our breakfast waiter didn’t, as he was surly and seemed to resent being at work. We left our bags at Reception, ate quickly and got back on the trail.

Storm Amy victim!

Today would be the first real day of hiking, in my opinion. We left the roads behind and headed into the forests and eventually the wide-open landscapes that Scotland is known for.

There was a LOT of blowdown today

Conic Hill was the highlight of today’s walk – at least according to our tour’s itinerary. “Highlight” can be interpreted in many ways, and I’m not sure if I agreed. Our hike up to this point had been a general uphill walk, though forests and across open lands. And then it started to gain more elevation – and then more. The rocky trail was wet – a constant stream of water was still flowing down from the rain in previous days. But the sun was trying to peek out as we deviated from the West Highland Way and started to really gain some elevation. Yes: the trail somehow got even steeper.

Crossing the open landscape

The rusty hue wasn’t poor photography – it really was that color

I hate going up, and the trail surface made it even trickier

Gaining elevation, with Loch Lomond in view

The trail surface became large stones that paved the way for the uphill, acting as steps to the top. There were a lot of people now – clearly we had stumbled upon a section of the trail that was a day-trip destination for the locals. The top of Conic Hill was sunny and windy and offered a beautiful view of the area – most of it dominated by Loch Lomond.

The cold and very windy view from the top of Conic Hill

Heading back down the stone path

The path was well-built, and obviously a lot of people used it

We didn’t stay long at the top of Conic Hill – we had been enjoying the view on the way there, and the wind was encouraging us to get down into the shelter of the forest below. We had plenty of company on the way down, but left them behind once we left the parking lot at the loch’s edge.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by

Tom Weir statue at Balmaha

At this point Dan left us he behind. He has always been a fast hiker, and he no longer had the patience to saunter through the forests. Petra and I enjoyed the walk, knowing that we’d eventually reach our destination.

The damp and cool environment is perfect for mushrooms of all kinds

The wind was blowing the loch’s waters onto shore

The path is closely following the shoreline

Magical green mounds in the forest

Easy walking during the afternoon

Tree damage on the trail!

I was looking forward for the day’s hiking to be done. It had been a longer walk than I am used to (25 km) and the last few uphills seemed to go on forever. It also made me wonder what the trail would have been like if we had opted for the six or even seven night version. I’d have to walk even more each day!

The trail left the lake side and started to go up and down – which at least gave us some views

The trees along this section were captivating

Dan was waiting for us when we arrived at the Rowardennan Hotel, which had an attached pub and restaurant. I was glad for the amenities here, because there certainly wasn’t anything else around! We saw a few of our fellow hikers here, now more able to recognize them after passing (or being passed) on the trail for a couple of days now.

Our room was very comfortable, with plenty of space for all of our gear

The hotel and restaurant were good – much better than last night’s – and I looked forward to my meal. But first! The three of us agreed that we were all “Haggis Curious” and that by ordering the starter to split, it would be a non-committal way of testing it without dedicating an entire meal to it. You know, just in case no one liked it.

It was a hit! The dish was “Haggis, Neeps and Tatties” (mashed swedes and potatoes). We all agreed that it was very good, and that we’d not hesitate to order it again. My meal of fish ‘n chips was a great follow up to the starter, and by the time we were done eating, we were more than ready to return to our room and prepare for tomorrow.

Thursday