Staggered downstairs to
a breakfast of yogurt, scrambled eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, tattie
scone, juice, and coffee. Managed to get
underway by 9:00, under the optimistic assumption that a mere 13 miles would
only take about 6-7 hours, with breaks.
Yeah, not so much. I had to stop
before I even hit 3 miles to change from my too-snug-around-my-swollen-feet
boots to sneakers. This helped A LOT,
until the end of the day. The first 11
miles were on level ground – a former railroad line and the tow path along the
Forth and Clyde Canal. Paved surfaces
and sort of a packed cinder for the tow path.
Scenery ranged from the bucolic farmlands, woodlands with a nearby burn
bubbling by, and the impressive volcanic plug of Dunglass, which appeared
before me as I turned a corner.
Dunglass
Hairy coos!
Baby hairy coo! Sorry they're so blurry (Furry?) - they were quite a ways away.
A well-placed and much-needed location for walker-friendly restrooms.
I left
the tow path in Twechar to climb up to the ancient Roman fort at Bar Hill.
The climb wasn’t too bad, but the descent was
treacherous, thanks to unavoidable muddy and boggy spots. Slipped and fell right on my arse in the
mud. ARGH! Didn’t break anything, so I continued on the
last 1.5 miles to the Boathouse, my lodging for the night. Great room, lots of space (and a bathtub for
another cold water foot soak), and a bed I can’t wait to jump into. Dinner at the Inn’s restaurant – carrot and
sage soup, a half-size portion of haggis, neeps, and tatties, a pint of Magner’s
cider to wash it down, and Scottish tablet ice cream for dessert. And I’m going to acquaint myself with that
bed now.
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