Taybri one

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This walk enjoys great scenery for much of the route but can be quite exposed in poor weather. The walk consists mainly of forestry and estate paths along Loch Etive and in Glen Kinglass. There are sheep and cows along this route. The section from Taynuilt Station is a quiet road walk down through the village and old Iron Works. The section between the Iron Works and the Smokehouse takes you through fields that sometimes have cows in them so dogs need to be kept under close control and, at certain times of the year it might be prudent to walk round cows with their calves rather than follow a direct path from one end to the other in the field.

The path undulates along Loch Etive with some good views of the mountains around lower Glen Etive. From the Loch Etive/ Glen Kinglass junction the path climbs to a height of nearly 300 metres with the section from Glenkinglass Lodge (approx 4.5km) accounting for nearly 200 metres of that climb? The section higher up Glen Kinglass after Glenkinglass Lodge is a bit more rugged with wet boggy sections and areas of slippery rocks with a number of stream crossings and a rickety bridge or 2. The section between the high point near Loch Dochard and Victoria Bridge is on grassier paths that are very boggy in places closer to Victoria Bridge. From Victoria Bridge the path follows the route of the West Highland Way over the hill from the Inveroran Hotel to Bridge of Orchy. This section is very rocky and usually quite busy depending on the time of day.
I walked this in May 2022 in good weather for most of the way but in very wet and windy conditions from Loch Dochard. You need to be equipped with good footwear and enough clothing to cope with changes in the weather. There are no points along the way to take alternative routes if bad weather hits although there are houses well in to the route where assistance could be found if necessary.
I’m 68 and reasonably fit. I walked this route with a full pack and it took me 8.5 hours. I was equipped for weather changes and walked in t-shirt and shorts in warm dry conditions from Taynuilt Station as far as Glenkinglass Lodge when the weather deteriorated and it became showery then cold and very wet with driving rain. I had enough kit to wild camp out and there are nice spots in the trees beside the river around the junction of Glen Kinglass and the Loch Etive path, beside Loch Dochard and near the Inveroran Hotel. I used trains at both ends and travel was restricted at the time. The Oban and West Highland lines have infrequent services throughout the day at the best of times so care needs to be taken in planning the route to match train times.
I think the walk would be easier to do by starting at Bridge of Orchy. All of the more challenging terrain would come in the early section to Glenkinglass Lodge with good estate and forestry track almost all of the route to Taynuilt. That might also suit the train timetable from Oban.
I only have a few pictures of the earlier part of the walk as far as the Loch Etive Glen Kinglass junction. Most of what I took was video for my family. I will try to add additional pictures later.

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