Day 20, Sun 27 July, Kinross to Calais Muir Wood

It was pouring with rain again when I woke, so I stayed in my tent hoping it would ease but at 8.30 am decided to pack up. I put the tent in the bottom section of my pack which was a lot heavier being so wet. About a kilometre past Kinross the rain eased, but it started again at Keltybridge and eased again by the time I got to Kingseat. At least I didn’t need sun tan lotion or midge repellent!

South of Kingseat the navigation got a bit tricky. A lot of new housing in areas where my maps showed tracks. (quite expensive houses - 434,000 pounds!).

One place near Halbeath I stopped to take photographs of some murals on the old leisure centre (a new one has just been built). I was looking at the map and a chap stopped to ask if he could help. Just the day before he said that he had donated to leukaemia research! South from here the road got more like a farm track and I came across an area which looked as if it was part of a scrap yard, cars, bits of washing machines etc. A large black dog leapt out at me barking ferociously. It lunged at me several times but was tied round its waist by a rope. I was about a metre away form its jaws. Then I heard a couple of people shouting at me and they said that I couldn’t go on as the route was blocked off. After I showed them my map which indicated a navigable path they admitted that I could go on, but would have to climb a fence. (There is now an alternative route via the new leisure centre which I think would be the better option). The track petered out at the fence, which was easy enough to climb over with the pack off.

I didn’t change my rote to look for a B&B so pitched my tent at Duloch Hamlet. The camp site here is more of a wild camp, a cold water tap, no showers, a composting toilet which seemed to be very effective, it didn’t smell. The owners provide wood for you to build a camp fire. (This as the type of camping I did with my brother Gordon all those years ago, except we had to look for our own wood!).

I had a good evening meal at the Queen Hotel in Inverkeithing (steak and salad followed with a pavlova with grapes, strawberries, blueberries, plums, mangoes).

My tent has dried off.