I prepped for this hike by eating lots of shortbread. One can’t train too much for these things. Along this eight day hike, much of the trek is alongside a loch and through glens.  We can pop into the occasional café or hotel bar for a wee snack or soup or scones, where we are sure to see some tartan patterns.

At the most recent one today, the Inversnaid Hotel, asks all the West Highland Way travelers to leave their rucksacks and boots at the door, so we don’t make everything mingin. Each day we layer up with our winter woolies around half seven as it’s about four degrees when we start.  We keep bits and bobs with us, like toffee flavored yogurt, hard boiled eggs, and blister care, all totaling about one stone. Our luggage is transferred by lorry each day and nobody has yet nicked them.

We see the same small groups each day; the South Dakotan team of three, the Australian dad and daughter, and our favorite Irishman, Johhny, who calls us Mr. & Mrs. Trump and ate his steak and ale pie with a few dollops of brown sauce with us last night for tea in the pub.

We just tried haggis and it was surprisingly good; blood pudding is next on the list to try before we alight the train back in Edinburgh.

Looking at these 2 sandwiches that got packed by the pub for our lunches, can you tell which one is “hummus” and which is “cheese and pickles”?