Walking The Rob Roy Way | One Of Scotland's Great Trails

[Music] my name is Abby I'm deeply passionate about all things world and have made it my mission to document many of the world's most stunning trails be that through day hikes or multi-day long-distance walking each route is totally unique some traverse expose moorlands and rugged mountaintops others pass through bustling market towns and historical cities they follow world-renowned archaeological discoveries and traveled through some of the most tranquil valleys and mystical forests accessible on foot it's not surprising them that they attract walkers from all over the world many seeking a challenge others looking to break free from the monotony of everyday life and be inspired by nature my reason for hiking though is one of discovery and awareness getting outside is now more important than ever before with obesity rates maintaining record highs and mental health issues affecting over one in four individuals their incredible landscapes pooled around us but so few of us dare to venture into sets seemingly inhospitable lands for fear of failure or becoming lost well I'm here to show you otherwise and inspire you to Don your walking boots and spend more time in the world for the benefit of mental and physical health I've realized that sometimes you don't have to do something crazy or radical to change how you feel about your life you just have to walk I face my own trials with mental ill-health as no doubt you see throughout my travels but alongside building the strong support network getting outside and taking the time to reconnect with nature has helped me move further along the road of personal discovery so here's me inviting you to join me on my adventures as I explore this beautiful planet there will be challenges along the way and we're not guaranteed to succeed but it takes a brave heart and a courageous soul to commit to the unknown now all you have to do is decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it are you ready let's go [Music] Scotland has many great trails 29 in fact hold this designation to their Scottish great trails and they amassed to over 1900 miles now I just so happened to be stood at the beginning of one of them the Rob Roy way and behind me is said to be the oldest pub in Scotland which i think is rather exciting I'm not actually sure if there's a beginning plaque anywhere so I'm just stood in front of the village green here and this is where we're going to begin our journey it's gonna take me five and a half days and I'm gonna travel up to Pitlochry where the trail ends there is a slightly shorter version about 77 miles but my walk is gonna be about 94 I believe something like that I'm up here so I thought I may as well explore the best of Scotland now I'm quite excited about this trail not because it's said to be easier than the West Hannam way because it's definitely going to be a quieter so the West Hannam way is said to be completed by around 36,000 people each year a lot of people but the rubbery way guess how many people roughly complete each year 450 it's crazy so this trail was officially created in about 2002 and it received its Scottish great trails designation in 2012 so it is quite new and I'm here to explore so I'm really looking forward to it but also I'm excited to roam through some of the places that Scotland's very own Robin Hood would have walked through of course it's Rob Roy himself so we might even have the opportunity to visit his grave which would just blow my mind because I grew up sort of reading of stories of Rob Roy and I just can't wait to tread through some of the places that he would have lived in and roamed through so I think without further ado probably ought to get moving Oh before I go it's worth me mentioning that yesterday I actually did a day's walking so I traveled up to Scotland I got off the train at moguy and then I walked the first day of the West Hanham way and then I stayed at dreaming camping now rather hilariously but not it pulled down then for 19 hours it rained like it is never rained before so everywhere is very very wet and it is said to rain today there's gonna be gale force winds or something like that I'm crushed outside here which is wonderful and I'm definitely sweating out in my Waterproof so I might need to roll up my houses and then we'll head off onto the roadway so today we have 21 miles I've combined two days so we're heading up to qalander I don't think it's going to be particularly difficult it might be a bit muddy a bit wet but there's going to be plenty to see on routes so roll up trousers then we begin the walk the path headed north out of the village along old Guardsman Road part of the National Cycle Network a so called route number seven little did I know that this would be the first stretch of a lot of Road walking maybe 20 percent of the entire route is along roads that being said it made for an easy introduction to the trail surrounded by trees hinting at a change in seasons now there's a happy moment look at this we're crossing the west highland way I remember this point last time last year and I was walking the way the weather was just like this he didn't really know quite where it was doing heading up to conic Hill PI's point for the day oh man and that might mean we've got our first roadway way signs as well have a look yeah there we go check out so where's Hanna way heading off that way and of course we are on the Rob Roy way today hitting off that way super cool this is an enjoyable start to the trailer to be honest obviously what with it being tarmac means it's pretty dry underfoot there's plenty to see and look at but what is nice about today is that the landscape is constantly changing as the clouds move across the sky blocking the Sun and then allowing it to shine it's really quite magical the road stretched on for four miles passing the Mer parka reservoir before pressing on with fantastic views ahead over the rugged Menteith hills this is the Rob Roy way Sciences what we're going to be following for the duration of this tray you can see it's a backwards our forwards are and a w it's rather artistic I have to admit anyway so you still got a little bit more tarmac go ahead and off into that way direction okay so I've just come off the trail a little bit and you could possibly hear my voice echoing and that's because if I turn around its being caught in this strange-looking building so this is actually a ventilation shaft and it's part of the lock capturing system so it's a Victorian engineering system that was devised or actually put through Parliament and construction began in 1855 and the goal was to get fresh clean drinking water to the city of Glasgow in the early eighteen hundreds there are multiple outbreaks of Cholera killing thousands of people and of course the government were like well this is not okay so they devised this scheme it took four years to complete and it was opened by Queen Victoria in 1859 so along the walk today especially the first part as we head up to the first one we're going to be passing various points of interest along the scheme and the ventilation shafts are just one of the things that we're going to be seeing the open tract continued northwards passing rows of stones marking a tunnel that was built between 1886 and 1903 said to be slightly longer than the first aqueduct which I would see just a few moments later Wow look at that there it is the aqueduct so we're just looking down over it right now still in a fine working order built in 1859 it's pretty cool we get to walk alongside it for a little bit it's just crazy that it's built here in the middle of nowhere look at that at 304 meters in length the quarry aqueduct was the largest bridge within the loch katrine scheme and proved to be an impressive sight though it felt rather out of place in the wild landscapes hold up there's a truck coming just get over yeah I'm such a wet feet now I'll say it game over here yay in a minute nowhere [Music] should I ask for a lift really shouldn't I boy come back another ventilation shaft there just sat here in the trees tucked away looks pretty stoic only think I was now walking within the lockhart forest owned and managed by forestry and land scotland as part of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park which was established in 1953 the area is a popular place for walking cycling and horse riding due to its extensive network of forest roads and footpaths and is also home to an abundance of wildlife like a deer keeper Kelly squirrels and woodpeckers this really has felt like a big forest and we're still working through it but I've hit tarmac now so it sort of symbolizes that we're making progress to the next settlement which is a before Leo thinks how you say it hasn't been too many signs because there hasn't needed to be it's just being pretty much a straight track mostly downhill as well she's been good but pretty soon I'm sure they'll emerge from the forest and it will feel like we're sort of back in civilisation again I've got to admit though really enjoyed that stretch so peaceful really blissful didn't matter what the weather was doing just felt right at home aha Kurt's in church this is what I've been waiting to see today let's have a look well the church is well known for his Mork safes heavy iron coffins designed to protect bodies from grave robbing during the 1800s and for Robert Kirk who was Reverend of the church during the 1600s and provided the first translation into Scottish Gaelic the Book of Psalms let's go have a look inside oh wow it was actually graves in here as well there we go the church reconstructed this billboard shows the different years from 1725 when the Bell Wow that's the oldest part of the church the Bell gosh 1725 where's the Bell it's not here Wow as a big river biggest so far on the trail look at that heading into a before I first passed the massive Scottish war center and then the tourist information runt by visit Scotland the main High Street was busy with traffic but it was an interesting place to take in and I was intrigued by the old station now a little coffee shop that I just had to check out for myself what do I admit I like this place but I liked even better and so I just left the main center which really was just a busy road to be honest nice place just busy road so I'm not actually on the trail at the moment the main trail follows the river it doesn't actually go into the center so just hoping to walk on and pick it up in a minute or two it's a sign just over there on that post saying I think this way I'm not sure no not that way that's beyond a little bit farther I've got the hiker app on my phone I've been using it quite a bit today actually just whenever there's junctions and I can't find a sign so my app is telling me that I need to go that way so the main roads behind me I've come from the village that way but there is no sign here as far as I can see today if you can see one maybe not who that sky can you see that that is blue wow that's what we like I followed the track heading northeast past the dunes Outdoor Education Centre and then the a before Golf Course with fantastic views of the surrounding hills all around we seem to have picked up a cycle path so it's obviously really good conditions underfoot actually I think for this stretch though we have our first bit of like off-road or off-track walking even so it's on a part basically be interesting to see what the quality of paths are like on this trail because every trails paths differ immensely actually believe these portal blackberries here all alone waiting for somebody to eat them I must help out do a good deed oh it's sad to see them or neglected Scottish batteries winning the forest track made for easy walking and I kept my eyes peeled for movement in the trees the might just have signaled the presence of a red squirrel Wow looks like we've got some clear felling of the forest hare see the logs on the side of the track and then there's just empty open space where once the tree stood just under 19 percent of Scotland is forested much of which is owned and managed by the Forestry Commission who harvest fast-growing Sitka spruce which take around 35 years to reach maturity [Applause] hi need to try and get on to that rock over there my legs are not a cut oh I might be out too by strategically placed my stick stay foot do not slip oh I was really relying on that not being wobbly deep deep deep deep deep and then that one there that's gonna give me a wet straightway Oh tell I've done that before I feel good joy I feit doing all right maybe not oh gosh it's a bit muddy oh well just resign yourself to it it's part of the fun it's like an obstacle course Raw heading into the forest okay I've reached the end of the clear felling we're going into the trees let's hope this past stays clear we appeared to be walking down a stream again coming from that direction heading off in our direction clearly that means we're following the path of least resistance inspired by the voices direction up onto the rock seems like a lot of other people have done before the mosses gone off it oh oh jump drink ears before long I left the muddy forest path behind and emerged into the beautiful open pastures around Glenny Hill ah so nice thank you that beautiful ah this is pure happiness you got our first highland cows all of them a sort of brownie ginger color and it's interesting because these are actually derived in the 19th century so scottish highland cows used to be black and they used to be much much smaller and the word blackmail comes from the term where I mean robbery for example in his brother they developed the Lenox Watch but basically they would offer protection for the cattle drovers hell the owners of the cattle in return for money but when these owners didn't pay the money the cattle might mysteriously disappear and that's where the word blackmail comes from so black referring to the color of the cows and Mayo referring to rent or payment in the old Scottish language so the Gaelic they're just they're just my favourite cows hands down their shaggy faces love them he's just want to give him a big hug after a bit of bulk hopping the path once more became sound and I followed a small burn to an unnamed lookin it was a wonderfully peaceful place sheltered from the wind and rich in vegetation and wild fowl little did I know that the best sights were yet to come look at that beautiful landscape oh my goodness they were slice of heaven this was Locke Ravenna char six kilometers long with a maximum depth of 33 meters it was overlooked by Ben ledee and Kilmer hog which seemed rather brooding as their heads were stuck in the clouds can you see the rainbow how amazing is that I can see the whole thing oh I was fading now here's an interesting fact for you it's estimated that there's nearly 32,000 locks and lock ins across Scotland it feels quite unbelievable to be honest but then again this is definitely a wet landscape but I can't help but keep looking back whenever the shrubs clear looking at the length of this lock it's just so appealing to the eye really mesmerizing landscape to be walking through whoa look at this that's a big horses for just tumbling down Wow here we are then so we're just about to join the road that runs alongside to look and this road will take us all the way into qalander so it's last few miles left into the village now but then my campsite is at least another mile out of the village in the wrong direction as is always the case three miles on the road corner let's go okay slight diversion off the road because I want to show you this so to camp along the look here you need a permit and Loch Lomond for example has put a total ban on camping because people are just leaving such a mess and permits are sort of the nest next best thing to limiting the number of people using the landscape the reason why this is why you end up with trash like that and then fire pits like this just left right on the shore and basically it is kind of just not acceptable and it really frustrates me because if people are out here trying to enjoy the landscape why it leaves such a mess to ruin it for everybody else I mean that is not appealing clearly they've tried to burn some of the rubbish as well so there's like melted plastic on the rocks don't really have much to say for that I'll just let the mangled mess do the talking I pressed on along the road at a steady pace leaving the lock behind and passing the much filmed Garten Zee Bridge built in 1777 over the east Gobin River that's worth knowing so I can now camp wherever I want beyond this point tada we made it Oh feels good to be here actually we're obviously just on the outskirts now but it's about ten minutes into the town it's actually a town to get to Tesco's which is where I want to go get some supplies and then he's about as I say about a mile and a half to camp so we'll storm that out my legs would probably quite like a little sit down but I may as well just keep pressing on it's a camp and then I can rest probably when I get there crossing over the river it's a fancy bridge isn't it there it is this was the garb ishka gaelic for rough water often informally called the river lenny but more on that for tomorrow nearby was an old graveyard with a medieval tower house part of the calendar castle next it was on into the town itself which serves as the Eastern Gateway to the loch lomond to truss exertional park the first national park to be designated in scotland it was a busy place with interesting stores hinting at the area's history and was home to a 19th century gothic looking some castles Church named after an Irish missionary who was said to have preached in the area during the 6th century brought some supplies just got some couscous for tonight some bread for the next few days and few bananas I kind of just shoved it all in the top there as so many lorries going past anyway walking along the road let's get to camp here we go Wow its five-star have never been to 5-star comes out before let's go explore oh yeah hey like wow little shelter oh we can eat in there in a bit alright how's this is this dry it's pretty dry this will do I pitched up just in time to beat a heavy downpour that actually lasted throughout the night it had been a good first day on the trail and I felt happy to be tucked up in my little tent morning I'm back out on the main road heading to town to pick up the trail for day two in the robbery way trying to get enthusiastic feeling a bit knackered because every hour in the night my row Matt would explode so basically the internal selves were dying for some reason it's a brand new map pretty much and it meant I couldn't really sleep on it and then because I was moving around semi-conscious I was touching the inner of the tent and then that meant everything got wet so this morning my sleeping bag was soaking and everything's wet but nevermind well part of it just means I don't really have a sleeping mat for the rest of this trip which is really awkward sleep is a priority in day-to-day life there learn on the trail hugely important so I'm gonna have to do something I don't know make a plan I think tomorrow I go for a killing there might be an outdoor store there see the big water so yeah that's taste good okay just lay there and keep them rate up yeah don't company a wall and the media said oh yeah this is great don't you see you can t miss it yeah there's a zebra crush okay cool that's all right thanks nature's bye wow that's helpful so apparently the meadows are flooded that man just very kindly informed me so we're gonna go down and pick up the trail a little bit further wrong oh yeah look he was right that is the PUF looks a little soggy hmm all right then saved right leaving the main road we have a psycho sign saying it's nine miles to Strother and then tucked away in the trees then if you can see that is the railway signal that's what the man told me to use as my reference point Happy Days we're on track tada so there we go we are now on the disused railway that ran from qalander to open it was constructed or finished being constructed in 1880 it didn't have a very long period in use though but what's gonna we're gonna be following it for much of today and tomorrow as we head up Glen Agra but what it does mean is hopefully the gradient will be well quite level I say hopefully actually quite like ups and downs they keep your legs different muscles working interestingly the track from the dismounted railway was used in the construction of the transit system for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City I passed by the remains of Roman ramparts constructed in the 1st century AD and enjoyed occasional views across the surrounding hills as per usual I scan the trees for movement spotting three red squirrels though only managed to film one since they moved pretty quickly I found an apple tree there's not many apples on it they're a bit small trying to get one down apples let's see what they're like I don't think they're quite ripe it's good good we really sour no quite right oh right it's tart with Luna okay might have to save these for like a starvation day campaign management zone there we go once again you required to have a permit between March in September from this path onwards can hear the sound of cascading water we might be near the Falls of Lenny let's go take a closer look the impressive Falls were a treat to behold though to me they seemed more of a rapid than an actual waterfall really enjoying this stretch through the woods here of course the river is just constantly roaring alongside drowning out everything else is filling my head with its noise it is actually raining with definitely moving into the clouds or the clouds are moving down to us but I seem to be reasonably sheltered under the trees but then the greenness of the foliage indicates that it is often down what does this say Carl yeah ven ledee has the climb hey gais 879 meters you park here head up circle background who four and three-quarter miles not today slowly but surely the trail approached the southern shores of Loch lubnaig nestled between Ben ledee and Ben Wallach it was a scenic area to be walking through but sadly my attention was drawn to other things I'm not gonna lie I'm really struggling at the moment my right knee is just shredded yesterday it was pretty bad but didn't want to say anything because I thought oh maybe it's just the distance or something don't over I recently got back from Ireland walking the bear away I had a fool there and it just really aggravated my knee and then it's a longtime injury anyway I've had it for over a year and it's just very very painful and because I'm still hobbling on it it's affecting my right foot as well my arch is feeling super sore but every time I let land wrong the pain goes right up my quad this is all interesting pain look at that looks really old time no don't you think entering into strength of forests I decided to take a break from the drizzle and pop into the forest holidays cafes where I set about taping up my me and negotiating a new romance oh and drinking a lot of tea apparently I've strapped up my knee you can't see that no can I actually my trousers are falling down not completely yep so hopefully that'll help and also I managed to sort out a mat so I rang the outdoor store no I didn't actually my dad rang me outdoor store and killed' where I passed through tomorrow they had one mat left I think it's quite a heavy van Gogh one but basically his friends gonna pick it up and drop it to me later today and hopefully I can then have something to sleep on and I'll post back on my other one when I get to kill in tomorrow if there's a post office so that was a she really were stopping hi grace as a pretty big crag I bet it'd be a good view from the top right across the Loch you can't actually see it too much down here not at the moment anyway it's definitely something about bodies of fresh water that really speaks to me on some deep level you know the number of people that say you go into nature for healing of inspiration or relief from pain mental physical pain it's uh I don't know you can just be in nature and have a walk or you can kind of have like a spiritual experience where you feel connected to everything around you like the trees aren't just trees they're like a life and the screws aren't just screws they're like friends and seeing the wildlife and understanding it that little bit more and knowing how it works and the whole circle of life thing I know to some people sounds a bit hippie dippie but to me as somebody who you know has grown up in the outdoors this is my this is my safe place people find it strange that I come out here a backpack alone especially as a female I guess but to me it's perfectly normal and I find it strange people living in a square box with little peep holes to look outside and they're like let's bring nature inside and I'll put a plant on their desk it's like plants are great don't get me wrong and I have plants of my desk but I don't know I think some of us are more in tune or more needy almost of time outside like this where you've just got a bit of canvas separating you in the night and otherwise you're fully exposed and for me these are the times that allow me to breathe these are where I get restoration and inspiration and healing all those things I just mentioned I never come back or finish a trail as the same person I was when I started I will always have learnt something and grown in some way or another even though I couldn't see the lock the path along its western edge have plenty to keep me entertained waterfalls and forests lichens mosses and Heather's even the occasional relics of the old railway line like bridge foundations on pillars over the little grid trying it's a fool in here we go last mile into town we go the forested paths open duct across the river Valerie which flowed confidently into the Norman head of local up neck just slightly off rude we want to show you this looks like some kind of traditional building this property was built by the dry stone wall Association of Great Britain and revealed how such buildings would have been constructed over 2,000 years ago using only stone hammers ropes and logs okie-dokie join in the main road that goes through to village I'm on a hunt for a post office in our mail back my broken sleep in math I'm just really hope everything works out getting another one today Strother grew up around the calendar and open railway in the late 1800s though nowadays is mostly visited by tourists on the road many of whom pop into the white stack in and check out the interesting War Memorial in the center row map bag there's actually quite a robust baggage school but may emphasize this is why I always carry duct tape I've needed it before and I need it again it's come to my rescue with my role map successfully mailed home I pressed on along the trail following the noisy a 8 for North Woods with the intention of climbing up into the woods unfortunately I somehow missed the turning so instead followed the National Cycle Network through the Vatican alongside the river I know this is basically just a flat piece of psychopathy and it's not great for my knee and there's the sound of the road to my right but being able to look across and along the river and up to the mountains I don't know the names of them but they're really quite something to look at and it's amazing as the web is clearing how much I can actually see it's a great landscape to be walking through what does this say to the Bray's of bough quitter hey there's our old friend Rob Roy MacGregor have you heard of Rob Roy MacGregor bark widows famous outlaw his fame was due to his daring exploits as a Jacobite supporter cattle Raider and general thorn in the flesh to the government he was eventually pardoned by King George the 1st and died peacefully at bow quitter his grave lies in the local kirkyard we have a little map here you are here oh wow that's bow quitter this is the road oh cool so if I wanted to walk into the place it will be down there how do I realise just how close the village was to the trail I would have popped in for a visit but instead I kept walking along the cycle way through whispering birch forests and then on along an open path surrounded by clear felled crags and rocky summits hey here we go the sign for the golden laches that is where my sleeping mat is so that is where we go in just outside the restaurant was a-visiting sculpture that featured as part of the bliss trail of art and architectural installations and thankfully my role map was there too yeah thank you I believe yeah yeah thank you I decided to pop in for a quick brew before crossing the road to my scheduled stop for the night at the bowel quitter Holiday Park it was an odd place and nobody was about despite me having called ahead I wandered around trying to find somewhere to pitch but something really didn't feel right huh okay I've reached the end of the site and not found anywhere to camp a lot of these caravans are like permanent ones so they've got gardens and stuff attached I can't just picture someone's garden okay let's walk back the other way [Applause] I is so nice now I just walked back down the length of the caravan site and I found this one patch here of grass so I did ring him up and I did say I really want to camp and they said yeah that's fine like come and pitch wherever what we see wherever isn't an option it's kind of a shame because there's the really busy a road there so loud and this grass is an illusion is actually on top of the rocks like that so getting my tent pegs and stuff in that is gonna be a bit of a nightmare so I've already mentioned my friend lives nearby so I'm just gonna go stay there whether I pitch in the garden or stay in the house I haven't decided yet but I'm gonna go see them anyway so just giving them a ring and I'm gonna go meet them at the car park of the golden lunches and make a plan from there doesn't mean I'm gonna be another mile off the trail and tomorrow is actually a really long day anyway so not super ecstatic about that and I do like to try and be as independent as possible on these trips but as we've already seen I had to get someone to get me a mat and blah blah blah so it's fine just embracing it so anyway head down to the car park and my friend don't meet me so that's it day 2 done and really looking forward to tomorrow actually even though it is a long day it means I've just got the full day out on the trail just like yesterday can really just be fully immersed in the landscape I'm walking through my friend and I had the best evening taking in the sights of sounds about quitter which I would have otherwise missed such as the family mausoleum of the clan MacGregor which is the final resting place of the clans Chiefs and the parish church famous as the final resting place of Rob Roy himself marked with his appropriately defiant motto MacGregor despite them he lies with the remains of his wife and two sons we rounded off the day by visiting the captain Byrne waterfall where the path is magically illuminated during the annual bow quitter Christmas Tree Festival and then climbed up into the hills to Krieger Turek a grassy knoll there was the ancient rallying place of Clan Maclaurin the viewpoint was utterly spectacular and I will never forget the tranquility of the place as we sat and watched the sunset there were lack of oil it was the perfect way to end my second day on the trail it is the most beautiful morning to be alive I'm feeling quite emotional actually last night with the sunset was just astonishing and being out in this Chris morning air this is the ultimate time the ultimate temperature the ultimate experience through which I come alive honestly I feel like I have died and gone to heaven which is ironic given the naming of this place a thin place meaning very close to heaven I just love that and I completely resonate with that I understand where that comes from anyway before I get too deep and philosophical look first morning with gloves that really emphasizes there is a little chilly but honestly I feel like a new human being right now just had the most beautiful stay with my friend we obviously did a little walking did a bit of exploring and then I ate too much and then I slept like I have never slept before so today going up Glen ogle so we're staying on the disused railway line we get to see some aqueducts via ducks even and just experience the beauty that this wonderful part of the world has to offer I just can't wait you're a bit of a pretty doughnut yeah God don't be afraid see the cycleway this is where we crossed over yesterday so Kings house is just ahead under the bridge and we are going this way it is 22-8 and I now find myself at the junction where I left the trail yesterday gold enlarges is up that way new and exciting adventures of that way so heading off along the trail so this is it this for me is where day three really begins so the actual route continues along with psychopath and the disused railway sort of cuts up sooner and we join it a bit later some switch packing trails and then well then we rejoin the railway but I was told about another route where basically we can stay on the disused railway and just means you get higher sooner which would be really nice so I'm gonna try and seek out that path and then obviously the robbery way will come back to me a little bit further on as we enter into ghilane or go oh wow that looks like some railway thing I don't know what I'm doing but it feels fun alright then this looks promising we got the gates up here and the psychopath continues that way I was told to look for a gate so I'm hopeful that this is the way I need to go but it's gonna be squeaky oh I don't even need to okay yes I do there we go challenge conquered through the gate check it out the son has joined us for the day oh oh I feel so good good morning son you are so welcome here it's wonderful to have you by my side today breathing it in let's press on I made good progress along the old railway line thankful to be away from the rushing traffic of the a road and now surrounded by the blissful ambience of nature awakening to the day once again there were plenty of railway relics to take in such as old foot bridges and tunnels then ahead I spotted one of the main sights for the day whew first views down over Lough Erne gosh that is pretty beautiful today Wow already glistening in the sunlight almost all right past that I found a hat let's see if it sticks hang on for that on there this one on there let's try it on size 58 it's a bit big I feel like I need to go on an African safari well look at those gazelles right someone will want that hat okay there we go let's go for three miles route follows old railway across the steep terrain prone to erosion slides and falls due to adverse weather conditions and ongoing natural processes exclamation mark beware let's go no fear oh this is quite wide okay I fear too small they ask more dangerous than the rockslide [Applause] it was wonderful to lose myself in a spectacular views of a loch erne and looking head where for over 200 years the Highland Games have been held played out on the second to last Saturday of July each year that is a very big rock I must have fallen down from the rock face who would not have liked have been stuck underneath that I was impressed by the engineering required to construct the now-deceased railway and marveled at the walls and pillars built into the surrounding cracks soon though The Woodlands gave way to open views across the busy aid for and up over Muir Buick on Munro sitting at 719 metres above sea level oh boy well here comes a rather spectacular feat of Engineering the Glen Argyll viaduct check it out the viaduct was built between 1866 and 1870 the original design was 420 arches but in the end only 12 are needed it was a pretty poor size standing defiantly as it looked over the Glen this feels cool can you imagine what it would be like seeing steam James going across here surrounded by the fells and the rocky crag would have been quite something anything next it was on along the path to a small rockin which would have been a serene spot if it weren't for the noisy a road we've parted ways with the road we've got another sign here so if it continued to kill it it's three and a half miles but of course we're not doing that today as I climbed up the forested hill looking for a split in the path I passed by a memorial to Rick Harrison and Pete's Mosley who lost their lives when their tornado crashed in September of 1994 here we are this will be us killing that way I'm a psychopath as this way we are basically gonna be climbing now for the rest of the afternoon just steadily for most of the time apparently the route coming up from killing where we'll be rejoined by the trail is a little bit steeper but this will make a change is the last two in a bit days have been relatively level to be honest we need to remind myself of what an incline is the forest was dark and cold and all light was blocked except when the trees thinned and then I was waved in a warm glow and enjoyed views west over Ben Moore and stock BN we've made a friend you just landed on my leg hello Hey look what we've got a Rob Roy way sign that's interesting I guess it's because you can come up that way as well as the way we've just come from anyway so just to my left I can hear the trickle of Ockham or burn so we're gonna climb up alongside that and cross over it and continue to make our way out of the woods I relished the rewards of the climb stop him often to enjoy the impressive views behind me that grew ever wider and more inspiring you see the rainbow up ahead just forming they're seen in all its colors upon reaching a big mast I found myself overlooking the a kamal forest well what was left of it since most of the area had recently undergone extensive clear felling looking north though i could just about make out the shimmering waters of latte here we go join in the road so we've got a mile up to the lakhan my all that is it's very painful while good leg is getting worse about a minute it's kind of like a weak pain it just feels like the joint is really unstable it's like not taking my weight and I can feel that my hamstring and my quads are both compensating my IT band feels super tight much where I'm roll that out when I get it's a camp tonight just my whole leg feels messed up I've had my left legs like you're right over there so just gonna keep moving nice and steady crossing over old Doug I stopped once more to enjoy some of the best views on the way so far with Hamlet's and forests valleys and rivers all framed by Peaks on every side then I continued on to Locke and briefly actually a reservoir with a massive dam that provides hydroelectricity for three separate power stations in the valley below as a really weird landscape you see how low the water is but it just kind of looks so out of place in its surroundings just the browns and greens of the fells and the lock is just great I guess it's reflecting the the sky a little bit is getting more overcast it was a remote spot that left me feeling somewhat puzzled by its otherworldly appearance and stark concrete reservoir buildings thankfully though the track along its Shore was easy enough to navigate and I made quick progress up into the hills just waiting for the rain just got a little wet but I think I managed okay business really beginning to feel like proper Scottish backcountry this is the type of landscape the Rob Roy would have been so skilled at moving through can't believe he managed to stay as an outlaw for ten years and this is where he'd be hiding in land just like these hey there's locked a can just see it there that's good at least we know we're going in the right direction much to my surprise I suddenly found myself stumble upon a massive hydroelectric pipe a huge scar in an otherwise untouched landscape thankfully though I didn't have to follow it for too long okay so we've reached a corner in the pipework and this is where we join a footpath now they'll take us down to the road along the shores of Loch Tay so say goodbye to the monstrosity that word is now pipeline goodbye we weren't really miss you too much and guess what there's actually a sign and a rather epic view all right let's go I expect this is gonna be a bit buggy the trail made its way across the Moors rather ambiguously and I was required to hopscotch a burn or two along the way it was great fun though I was steadily growing tired and just about ready for a little sit-down any idea how I get through that that is tied very shut um again they like your own farm and see that that's a public right-of-way and they've just tied the game alright let's try and go over this whole thing [Applause] go another rainbow they're so beautiful I have absolutely hit the jackpot look plums there's this branch that's falling down I couldn't reach any others and there's just they're so ripe and they're just being left here I don't taste so good I've been so hungry today I just haven't bother taking my pack off to eat anything because I'm trying to make sure I've got enough for the next couple of days and now I have plums mmm now that's so sweet following the road I drop down to the shores of Loch teh setting my mind to the task of spotting a place to ward camp I was somewhat anxious about the task ahead but I did my best to remain calm and grounded Wow I never seen that walking in cycling friendly Road that's cool lookit a itself is a long and narrow look stretching for around 14 miles and is over a hundred and fifty meters deep at its deepest interestingly in the Iron Age many Celtic people would have lived on the lock on small defendable artificial islands called cran ox mostly finding this a bit awkward I mean I wanted to make a fair bit of progress along the Loch anyway so I'm just still walking but I didn't realize it was quite such a gradient down to the Loch and also it's just fields fields and fields and fields mostly for a livestock sheep and cattle and it kind of feels really wrong going into them and pitching up but also I want to be beside the look not next to the road if possible so I'm still walking feeling quite tired now it's getting late but we'll see what you can make of this definitely starting to struggle with my head space I've already made it to all ten rigged I think is how you pronounce it this next settlement as this is close to where the roots splits for tomorrow and I haven't found anyways camp yet huh okay so that's the junction for tomorrow I'm not supposed to be here right now it's not great really eventually having long since passed by where it hopes to stop for the day I jumped a fence and headed to the shores of Rock tape okay I found the field have left the road I'm going down and see if I can get to the side of the law or somewhere flat because it's very hilly oh it's so beautiful she's just getting quite late now let's see if we can get down to the shore of the Loch there it is you made it oh yes whoo Wow this feels like an adventure now oh okay I don't know how closes stupid to pitch or not like hat look clearly the water comes up to here so what I might do is pitch in the grass up there and then I can come down here for water or whatever right it's time to test out the new romance so it's a van Gogh Trek standard it weighs a kilogram it's supposed to be self inflating so that might save me some brush to rob a snazzy blue color I've got to admit I like the blue color but it's so thin it's 2 centimeters I'm used to 6 centimeters so like up here but is something to sleep on it's definitely a bit shorter than my other one and actually if I sit on it oh so I don't bottom out which is good so I am protected from the ground as long as I can sleep tonight then I'm sure I'll be fine so that is it day what day is it I don't even know what day is 3 day 3 on the trail is it take 3 I do four day whatever it is done on the trail that was a good day actually apart from my knee I do have a confession I've been thinking a lot more carefully about whether it's sensible to be doing the extension on the roadway or not that bit that makes it up to 95 miles so essentially it's 2 days it kind of just goes through the mountains it's quite exposed but it's supposed to be really beautiful obviously I'll be wild camping again tomorrow night and I don't know I'm gonna see how my knee is in the morning because at the moment if it was like how it is today then I don't think it's sensible to do that long extension I use my body every single day for my work so you know I'm very physically active and if there's an injury then it puts everything on hold and what I don't want to do is push my knee too far and find that I've injured it you know where I need to take more time out at the moment it's just about functioning is painful but it's functioning I just don't want to push that too far I want to make sure I'm respecting my body and not just being stubborn because I'd really like to do that long stretch but I just don't want to choose to do that and then cause myself further injury if that makes sense but anyway that's all of tomorrow's problems I'll decide in the morning so I'm just gonna go get some water from the lock boil it up have some food and then basically go to bed because I'm feeling quite wiped out actually it's been quite an emotional day really beautiful day really good day but I'm ready for some sleep so that's what I'm gonna do I will see you in the morning morning I'm deliberately taking it slow today just feeling a bit rough in here and here my knee it was pretty uncomfortable last night but it's doing all right right now but I think I definitely settled on the fact that I'm gonna take the original route of the Rob Roy way so basically today was walk to a Bethell D where I would have been tomorrow night had I done the extension which just feel like a shame because I know I'm missing out a scenic part of the trail but that's what I'm gonna do I'm gonna do that I'm not gonna beat myself up about it I've made the decision now that's quite a big deal for me to make a decision anyway so there we go it was a cool and blustery morning though I only had a relatively short day ahead of me just 15 miles to aberthol D the first five miles were along the road which followed the southern shores of the Loch it was good to be able to enjoy views over the water again though I wasn't thoroughly impressed by the blue and black clouds hinting at a change in the weather the walk along the road was otherwise pretty monotonous I was feeling really off in my headspace and struggling to handle the noise so I kept my earphones in and marched along to choose in the bid to keep my spirits up at the same time I tried to lose myself in the landscapes around me the cloud-capped summits and monotone Moors tumbling waterfalls bubbling burns and colorful trees transitioning into their autumnal colors as they said farewell to their foliage a spotted a standing stone that adds significance likely dating to the Bronze Age and then much to my delight a red squirrel which for once didn't run away we have finally made it to action and this is where we will be leaving the road so I'm gonna keep my eye open for a path and you should follow a river uphill so see what we can find the drizzles getting heavier now it's kind of that like fine wet stuff that makes everything wet I really having to sort of drill myself today just focusing on putting one foot in front of the other I'm just lacking focus I guess engagement I don't really know me is not super great but right now actually my head's on other things anyway look what we've got hermit cave let's have a look oh I stalking there oh man this is cool oh look at the waterfall Wow Wow oh it's so big I was not expecting that I'm a bit mind blown this was the fools of our card at just under 25 meters tall it was surrounded by a wonderfully wooded gorge and proved to be a magical spot that simply took my breath away here we are above forty nine and a half miles along Queens Drive heading off I think to the right I'm hoping to the right so this trail is named after Queen Victoria she used to come and my the views over looked a the views that I can't see today that looks like some kind of shoe mule I some old burial mound maybe dating to the Bronze Age three thousand years ago or so just sat there in this prominent position overlooked in the log the weather gradually grew wetter as the clouds moved in and I followed the lonely track through fears filled with sheltering sheep and over little wooden bridges that each boasted some significance in their tales of construction it might still be a bit drizzly but it's definitely my favorite part of today so far we've actually got a fuse now overlocked a and the rainbow is just dazzling it's really nice and then we got this sunshine on our side as well so I didn't seem to be in the worst of the weather knocked a is famous for its salmon farming industry and I spotted a few farms from my viewpoints as well as the village of Kenmore sitting at the northern head of the Loch Baldrick's estate Kenmore hell this area is a hundred and eighty acres containing small remnants of an ancient Caledonian forest cool which once covered most of the Scottish Highlands thanks to a unique partnership this wonderful woodland is being restored to its former glory and the network of forest paths you will enable what will enable you to experience for yourself the rebirth of future generations of a vital part of Scottish is not Scotland's natural heritage and I just spotted Golden Eagles in this area caper Kelly's red grouse and red squirrel we can take them off and I saw a grouse I didn't film it very well golden eagle that's the dream here we go our 37 miles and if I wanted to go into Kenmore you know I head down the road to the left see the clouds quite low over there here we are Tom Bulli house I think that's what is good so this is where we leave the road and we head off onto another track can't really miss that sign can i that's a shame we're leaving a good quality chat right follow in the Rob Roy way okay okay lovely oops oh okay we've rejoined the track that was a random little diversion look at this mud you would know what happens to be walking through that Wow nice deep [Applause] whoo so we've fun - getting views up towards a befo D and probably got about two two bit miles to go pretty soon we'll be leaving the plantations behind and then we'll be in to our native deciduous woodlands that should be nice you can see as well here we've got other older Pines covered in lichen and then over here we have the new growth different pines that have been planted plantations in their rows it's quite a contrast see how we're back in our deciduous forests so you can see this is mostly silver birch here and we've got a hazel tree here for example growing beside this river there's oak up there there's a real mixture actually all covered in lichen indicating this is a nice clean airspace here's an oak as well I just love our native trees I think they're really diverse and beautiful [Applause] can you hear that might just be a giveaway for us coming up here we go the Falls of Manas the deep roar of tumbling water shook me to my core stirring primal emotions the left-knee feeling deeply connected with the wild landscape the craggy and steep Glen was crammed with trees of every kind forming an amphitheater for the Falls and burns which scored away violently at the rocks really enjoying this just their constant Sun and the water no sorts of different streams and waterfalls joining the river and the path as well which just zigzags some of its stones some of it boardwalk great fun the area is famous for the perks of a Bethell DS popularized by Robert Burns who in 1787 wrote the salt the books of Albert feldy just sitting down for five minutes and my friends there actually are you doing spits speechless eventually after much doing and re I emerged into a pathology itself dampened by the drizzle and busy with traffic there was little to look at as I passed through the main streets except perhaps the old cinema built in 1939 and a cool billboard detailing about the force mind whereby rights has been mined for over 30 years so that is in penultimate day on the rural way is done earlier than expected but right now the Weber is okay so let's get my tent up whilst it's reasonably dry and then if it is set to change will be all prepared I'll see you tomorrow for the final day to Pitlochry on the roadway here we go to 1/7 this is us I'm always space to run around mine it's very close the winds picked up yesterday as expected and a port down all night but the range of stopped it's still very windy at the moment which is not quite what expected but never mind it is ways we got the River Tay here finally see it we can't quite close to it and they can see the Ducks or hear the Ducks even but now we can finally see the river which is nice so we'll be following that for pretty much half of the day actually and then we sort of go up over the hills and drop down into Pitlochry this is it the final day on the robbery way feels a bit unbelievable to be honest but I'm really looking forward to it should be a dry day as in precipitation wise hopefully so let's just enjoy it and make the most of every step the main road out of town took me past jewelers distillery which was established in the late 1800s Jewess is currently the world's most awarded blended Scotch whisky with more than 500 medals earned in international competitions the distillery is open for tours and tastings though I had a trail to hike so passed on by without even so much as a sip here we are liqu path to Graham Tully for miles so that four miles is along the river and then from granddaddy that's where we climb up into the hills up over the top to pitlochry here we go dropping down for his giant leaves the river tay is the longest river in scotland and the seventh longest in the united kingdom at around 117 miles long it was wonderful to follow its banks and i marveled at the amount of water that must have been traveling from its 2,000 square mile catchment area I'm aware I can't even see the river right now but I wanted to talk about something I very briefly mentioned earlier which is wildlife so you know I was hoping to see things like kingfishers differs herons maybe but I haven't seen any at the moment but the river tay is actually a triple s I so sites of special scientific interest and it's a special conservation area of conservation so an SI C and various other designations like that but one thing because really worth mentioning is that it hosts two thirds of the UK's freshwater pearl population now there are endangered species so they're in decline which is amazing that so many of them are flourishing in this ecosystem that means it's a healthy River it means it's got just the right conditions conditions for the freshwater pearls I just think wow our freshwater pearls are right here in the wild it's incredible so there's just interesting things like that that really help you to appreciate and connects with the landscape because I don't know they just take you a little bit deeper and it's really interesting I think the path once again followed the track bed of an old railway this time part of the highland railway branch you know it feels really good today I'm feeling a lot more sort of back to my normal self I feel good in hearing and here today which is so nice before this trip I was having a real rough patch and then hitting the trail is all sort of dissolved a little bit of course we had a couple of ruffles last few days but you know that's part of it like the trail is such a great metaphor for life and in life we have ups and downs with highs and lows we have good times bad times and it's exactly the same on the trail and it's just being out to work with that and adapt to that and be kind to yourself throughout and you know again coming back to the adaption with my injuries they're feeling pretty tender today I'm just men to be feeling a bit more on top of them but you know being able to look after myself and make that decision to go you know I'm just gonna do the original route and not the extension I've already mentioned not an easy decision for me but one I feel sort of proud of and I know I'll come away from this trail feeling quite satisfied that you know I've done the right thing in protecting the longevity of my body there is absolutely a hundred percent a time for pushing through digging deep and gritting your teeth but I'm not feeling like this is one of those times and the so important to sort of stay tuned in to an experience and be like what is this about is this about me digging deep and showing what's possible or is this about me finding my brother then sort of stepping back and going to know what I'll come back because either way it takes courage and it's just important to be able to create space and you know compassion and kindness as you work through decisions like that as I work through decisions like that that's what I had to do is create a space and offer kindness and compassion to myself long gone are the days where it's sort of pull down your helmet and solder on because I just really help anybody if you get to the end and you're in broken pieces means you can't carry on when you get back you have to have much longer recovery period so I feel very accomplished actually and I really enjoyed yesterday just by not feeling great really beautiful with all the Falls and gorges and places to explore so there's positives to all things if you're willing to look for them oh okay I ducked under an old railway arch and popped out into the old station yard now a camp site for the Scottish canoe Association before emerging onto the main road through grant early itself I'm sure many hikers will be delighted to learn that there's a chocolate shop just off the trail famous for their fresh cream truffles crossing over the river I noted some kayaking slaloms upstream so waited around for some action though it seemed no one dead braved the whitewater whilst I was watching here we go public footpath - Pitlochry robbery way the path climb steadily into the hills passing a rugged looking golf course before ducking into a forest alongside Tully power 'i burn through the defense ready whoo meter the fence marked my entrance into a pathless stretch across open scrubland which offered fantastic views back over the river tay grande Tully and a befell D nope I think I found myself in a bit of a predicament oh it's good you some of this looks drier up ahead there nice Scots pine best be quiet guys I've just spotted a wild Triceratops they're lying down in the grass can you see the spikes on its back and its head there best keep moving we don't want it to know we're here dude dude dude a dead - daily haha shucks help I want to get to that rock I think we do I can I know it's quite deep um let's just give it a go three two one good rock rock grass all fun and games out here through the deer gate phone app forest here we go then back in the forest and we've got two and a half miles to go to Pitlochry feeling a bit terrified suddenly really just don't want this to end help big scar in the landscape Wow forestry work two miles ah I'm so pleased that the majority of these few miles left or through the forest here they're just such peaceful places and even though they are managed landscapes whether they're plantations like this with the odd Scots pine dusted about whether their native woodlands with silver birch and oak and hazel and ash in all of those beautiful trees that I've already talked about how much I love and I really do love a forest for me or a place where I feel very grounded and connected I just understand how they work I can read their signs I know the noise is nothing makes me afraid here and I mean thinking about the importance of connection forests are one place one natural landscape that I feel very connected to and I think it's so important to have connection in our lives because it brings us a sense of meaning and purpose and I feel often when our connections are not present when we feel unconnected disconnected from the natural world or from other people or from a sense of meaning and purpose that we can find ourselves in quite dark in difficult places so it's really important to commit to looking after ourselves by maintaining our strands of connection and one of those is that connection with nature I think are often led to believe that we are separate from nature but we are very much a part of nature in fact we are nature we have such deep roots with the world that we walk through and I know so much of it is managed now but it's still neat show this is still a tree do you know I mean whether somebody has planted that or not this tree has grown because of everything around it has provided the right conditions and I just love that it's a big miracle that were apparently walking through every single day and it really brings a sense of wonder and or if you're only willing to open your eyes and receive that so coming back to connection we don't have too many forests like this down in the southwest of England where I currently call home and that's why it's a real treat for me to be able to come here to Scotland and spend time in these landscapes where I feel like every breath oh gosh he's literally cleaning me out you know we've already seen the like in and how they indicate that this is a clean air space and it really feels like that a breath feels like a breath and not just a gasp so I want to encourage you to commit to spending time in landscapes that you feel connected to even if they are in faraway lands can you do it yearly just head out there for a week or so even less a long weekend whatever you need just have that space to find that grounding and to be reassured that you know what you're okay it's okay the world has many highs and lows ups and downs we've really talked about how the trail is a great metaphor for that for spending time in places that just reassure you and remind you who you are is really really important much to my disappointment the tree cover didn't last for long and soon I was tackling a steady descent fast pasture lands in to pitlochry yourself we're approaching the a9 Scotland's main sort of road that runs through the country go be careful crossing this one I can't just run because they're going too fast okay ready I've in my own hands the route took me alongside some beautifully well-kept slate buildings and on into the crowds it was particularly busy as I seem to have arrived during some late summer festival going on at the theater my personal highlight of that stretch was watching a little Jack Russell dog run off with someone's hot dog still the masses of people proved to be a little overwhelming so I pressed on towards a rather exciting feature near the end of the trail now I'm fascinated by most of Scotland's wildlife but there's one species one animal that I'd be really excited to potentially see on my trip here because we're moving into autumn and they might just be coming up River let's go see if we can see some salmon Pitlochry is perhaps best known for his Dam and power station built between 1947 and 1951 across the river tunnel it was one of the pioneering schemes for hydroelectricity in the area the dam attracts visitors from all around the world though not just for its design but also for its fish ladder in 1943 an act of parliament made a duty of care on the north of Scotland a cheapy board to preserve fish stocks in waterways installed in 1952 it was the first of its kind in Scotland our first glance the pools appear cold and empty but then much to my astonishment I spotted shimmering fish swimming about darkened by the murky waters it was an extraordinary experience to witness these creatures on their journey back to their birth winters yeah climbing higher at the dab I was able to pair inside and see the dusty engine room then exposed myself to ISIL wings by walking along his top with amazing views both up and down the river well that was the coolest thing actually being able to see the salmon on their migratory journey back to the very place that they were born absolutely loved that circle of life just blows my mind I read a lot of books about salmon I studied them alone I just find it so fascinating their internal compass and how they navigate from the ocean up the rivers to the streams that they were born in oh my gosh love it right Rob Roy way let's finish this trail once and for all the way took me over the river virus suspension bridge built in 1913 to replace a ferry that had served since the 12th century as I made my way on towards the end of the way I could scarcely breathe swallowing the complex mixture of emotions that always seemed to arise as adventures come to a close here we go then so just like in trimming at the start of the walk here in pitlochry there is no official pluck to mark the end so instead I've come to the beautiful flowers here in the memorial garden I think it's a very fitting place to reflect on the adventure that we've had over the last few days I wanted to say thank you so much for walking with me it's been really great that you guys could come along and I can share this adventure with you and I hope that we have done a Rob Roy proud as we've journeyed through this small section of his home country I know that I will definitely be back very soon but perhaps you've been inspired to Don your walking boots to head outside and to spend more time in the wild I sure hope so there's plenty of places to head out and explore so guys that's it for me I'm gonna head out and have a look around pitlochry and then I'm gonna catch a train back to Glasgow the adventure is over but the end always signals the start of something new who knows where I'll be heading next time maybe I'll see you on the trail I definitely see you in the next video enjoy your adventures and stay wild Pitlochry is a largely Victorian town which developed into a tourist resort after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert business of the area in 1842 I didn't really look around much instead I planted myself on the veranda of a cafe and watch the world go by as I reflected on how the trail itself had presented little challenges but internally I had undertaken a great journey dealing with mental health on a walk is always difficult but for me it's generally in my safe place and I rested in gratitude knowing that I learnt many valuable lessons and grown stronger through the experience I was certain that it wouldn't be long before I returned to these lands of the north - once again lose myself in its untamed history and wild landscapes [Music]

Channel: Abbie Barnes / Spend More Time In The WILD

Views: 250,199

Keywords: Abbie barnes, Thru Hiking, Backpacking, Song Thrush Productions, Adventure, Hiking, Day Hikes, Gear review, Foraging, Walking, Mental health, wellbeing, physical health, Nature, mindfulness, Trekking, National Park, Mountain, spend more time in the wild, travel, trail, community, long distance, national trail, scotland, lake district, snowdonia, dogs, camping, wild camping, expedition, stay wild, great glen way, west highland way, fort william, inverness, glasgow, braveheart, ben nevis, mountain

Id: H4yXW6M70kQ

Length: 92min 17sec (5537 seconds)

Published: Mon May 11 2020