Tougher walking

After a breakfast that was 2/3 the size of yesterday's, by request, we set off on the first substantial leg of the Kintyre Way. Started by taking a small shortcut (according to our host, one that is taken by most walkers on the Way) along the road before turning off onto a haul road. This road used by the timber industry, construction traffic for the wind farm, and traffic related to the wind farm, was  to form our route for most of the day. In the first part of the day there was virtually no traffic. Towards the end there were half a dozen or so lorries coming past. This was triply annoying: they kicked up dust; it was very difficult for us to pass us without us stopping, often just off the road, and this broke up the natural rhythm of walking; and they disturbed the peace and tranquility of the walk. Climbing up through the forest, Arran came into view, and then the wind farm. Then linking up with some of the circular walks based in Carradale we came down to the hamlet and our hotel.

At one of the stops, I sat on my map case, and heard a crack. A cursory check revealed no damage, and I assumed that it had been a piece of gravel turning over. Much later in the day, we stopped for a break on a very low wall, had our first encounter with midges, and set off again. Some way down the path, when I went to consult my map, I realised I had left my map case, maps, and my camera behind. So retracing my steps to the last stop, recovering my camera, and returning to Ani Sherab and Phen was my additional bit of walking for the day - about 15 minutes in all.

Then onto Carradale, with blisters and tired legs starting to appear. No pictures for today. I was carrying my camera, but too busy concentrating on walking to take any. When we got to the B&B in Carradale, and I was unpacking my rucsac, I realised that the circlip holding my compass together had come adrift (from sitting on it). I could not get the circlip back into position, and asked Phen for help. After a while of trying he managed to refit the clip. He then turned the compass over, and realised, and showed me that I had cracked the case so badly that it was no longer usable. So bye-bye compass.

Blisters, aches and pains, forced us to review what we intend to do tomorrow. We are going to skip a portion of the route at the beginning by taking a bus and then giving ourselves a variety of options tomorrow.