The West Highland Way Day 2: Drymen to Rowardennan
Hiking Drymen to Rowardennan
July 25, 2023
Estimated Hiking Time: 7hours
23.4 km | 14.5 miles (our actual: 26.5 km /16.5 miles)
Ascent: 460 m | 1,509.2 ft
Descent: 489 m | 1,604.3 ft
We were staying in an inn off the trail in Drymen (pronounced Dreemen or Dreymen depending on who you ask) so, as always, that mileage added onto the official route numbers. The day started with some light rain but only enough to require an umbrella at the start. Later in the day there was a bit more, this time just enough to give us a good practice run with all our rain gear. Overall we were blessed with a good weather day, overcast and cool, perfect for hiking.
We left Drymen and hiked through a Garadhban Forest before climbing the first major summit of the route, the 361 meter (1,184 ft) Conic Hill, which sits astride the Great Divide separating the highlands and lowlands of Scotland. The climb is fairly steep, with beautiful surroundings, and at the top we had fantastic views over Loch Lomond (Lake Lomond), Britain’s largest body of fresh water covering 27 square miles.
One of the visions I had for this trip was to see a farmer in a kilt herding sheep down a green hill or along a road, you all know what I’m talking about. The traditional and very cliché scene from the movies. It was very fun to stand at the top of the hill and watch the sheep being herded by sheep dogs, yet my dream of a farmer in a kilt was replaced with a guy in a truck. Oh well…herding happens differently these days it would seem.
Conic Hill was by far the most crowded we’d experienced on the trail as there were many day hikers and families coming up from the other side. We took some pics, and then descended a steep path into Balmaha, a small village on the shores of Lock Lomand that would be our first place to take a break.
Leaving Balmaha the path alternates between the loch shore, forest, and headlands. Much to my great happiness, this portion of the trail also offered my first siting of the Highland Long Haired Cows. This was the 2nd dream I had…I really really wanted to see these Highland Long Haired Cows. After seeing many short haired cows on day 1…I was starting to wonder. My hopes stayed high after a gal at a shop said it was guaranteed even though most will tell you there’s no guarantee you’ll see Highland Cows. This is because they get moved around fields to new grazing grounds, so it’s hard to predict where the free-roaming ones will be on any given day.
They are quite the special breed. Highland cows flourish where feebler cows can’t exist; live in freezing and wet weather; provide economic contribution to remote areas of Scotland by making use of poor grazing ground; live longer; and have a friendlier temperament. As a breed, they’re exceptionally hardy and robust, making them worthy of their worldwide popularity. Highland cows are the oldest registered cattle breed in the world although, this is simply because their Herd Book predates all others.
The collective name for a group of cows is usually a herd. However, a group of Highland cattle is known as a “fold” – named after the open shelters they’re kept in over winter.
It's unclear whether it’s their super-vision or heightened senses that enables them to navigate the rugged land with a long fringe of hair (‘dossan’) blocking their view. But even if they can’t see well, they certainly know what they’re looking for. During the day, they can dig through the snow with their horns to find food. This enables them to keep grazing where other cattle can’t.
I think I’m obsessed with these creatures now…I just love them. It turns out, this was my one and only sighting of the Highland Long Haired Cows so I am grateful it was a good one!
Back to our hiking, there were many “shortish” and very steep ups and downs along this section of the route. Relentlessly so and much more challenging than we expected. As we got closer to Rowardennan (our stop for the night) we would see signs and make calculations that we were 2km away…again and again and again. This was the craziest experience. Everyone on the path we passed would say the exact same thing. It’s like the Inn we were supposed to stay was pulling a Harry Potter, one hiker said it must be on wheels and it just keeps moving farther away. It would feel like we were almost there and then it was yet another 2km. Once we finally arrived, the receptionist confirmed that everyone who showed up there had the exact same experience. It ended up being way more of a monster day than expected. We did a sometimes very hard, always beautiful, 16.5 miles/26.5 km taking the full 7 hours they said it would.
Happily, our meal this evening was the best we’ve had so far and we were hungry!!
