After the effort needed for yesterdays hike, you will be pleased to hear that today you will be walking nearly two miles less and over much easier terrain from Inverarnan to Tyndrum. With Loch Lomond now behind you, and approximately 40 miles completed, the views will change and the backdrop of your journey will become much more mountainous, with today involving walking through a lot of forest land.

The famous Drovers Inn or the Beinglas Farm campsite will normally be the starting point for today’s journey. Rejoin the West Highland Way at the edge of the camp site, indicated by the thistle logo and continue north.

The path will quickly lead you into woodland, which initially can be slightly boggy. However, after a short distance the path will veer off to the left but follow the sign post which directs you to a stony, and much less muddy path to the right. From here, the ground underneath is more solid and less prone to becoming bogged down. The path will continue snaking through the woodland and will cross some small bridges before dropping down to river level and passing some attractive waterfalls.

Shortly after the waterfalls, keep left as the path forks and take the bridge opposite the farmhouse which leads back into woodland. Once out of this section of woodland you will find yourself again by the river where you will pass under the railway and also through a tunnel which passes underneath the A82. After this you will be directed to the right by a signpost with the thistle logo, which will take you through farm land used for grazing by cows and sheep.

Once more woodland is reached you will find a junction where the West Highland Way is met by a path to Crianlarich. If you require any refreshments the path down to Crianlarich is a 15 minute detour off the main route. After this point the West Highland Way turns left and embarks on a steep uphill climb. As the hill reaches its peak there are some great views of the area and a picnic area set aside.

The route then drops slightly before going through some more forest. There are some more short uphill sections shortly ahead before some right and left turns through intersecting trails. Be sure to take notice of the signposts and only follow the ones marked with the thistle logo, “West Highland Way” or “WHW”.

Soon you will be in more open fields and will pass an 8th Century graveyard and later the “King’s Field” where Robert the Bruce was defeated by the English in 1306. Keep to the main path and follow signposts through the fields before you eventually come to a bridge which leads back into another section of woodland.

Keep pressing on through the woods and continue through several gates until you reach a minor road. This leads into Tyndrum where you can find refreshments, campsites, a hostel and a B&B. It is also the end of Day 4 and time for some well earned rest.