Month: May 2017

After breaking all the rules last night by drinking too much and eating too little (understatement) and having raised £56 for the charity, we woke on time with fairly thick heads. A good breakfast and we were packed up ready to go earlier than usual with the prospect of a longer day ahead. The first episode to report was a “tummy problem” for me just after setting off but I managed to hold it all together for about 4 miles until I reached the Pottery workshop and tearoom at Grotaig. The owner was very understanding as I explained why I was passing through (or so to speak!) and apologised for the fact that there was a power cut. We had a brief chat about my trek and I marched off into the woods. 

The rest of the day was 2 very similar halves. A choice of low or high routes firstly to Invermoriston then onwards to Fort Augustus after lunch. The first was a no brainer, high route to see the views of Loch Ness and even BenNevis in the distance. A bit of steep up and down was quite strenuous but worth it. The second choice of routes after lunch was a bit tougher, should I go lower with the prospect of more shade and less tiring on the legs? Of course not! Even steeper climb but once again rewarded with stunning views, then a long steady descent into Fort Augustus and a traffic jam as the road was closed to allow a large tourist boat into the locks of the Caledonian Canal. Tonight will be less alcohol and more food!

A peaceful night by the river and an efficient start to the day and ready for off by 9am. The walk began with a short 1km sprint along the vergeless A832 to reach the safety of country lanes winding gradually upwards through farmland, forest and moors with a bitterly cold wind from the north biting at my neck under the grey sky. After 9 miles or so without to much to see I got a good view of some high ridges to the west and finally reached the Great Glen Way – the first of 5 national trails I will follow on this trek (although I will not walk any of them in their entirety). So away with the paper maps and out with the Trailblazer Guide. After a brief lunch stop the next 3 miles were on decent forest track initially up then gradually down towards the first views of Loch Ness through the trees and onto an easy path zigzagging through the forest down to the main road, by which time the sun had come out giving some amazing views across the Loch. The last 2 miles along the roadside path into Drumnadrochit were easy enough. So 17 miles closer to LE but then a return road trip on Betty to Inverness to find a vet to treat his enflamed toe and a tick removal, then back to Drum and a wild camp outside the Benleva Hotel under renovation but frequented by some fantastic local people.

Mmmm not the most exciting day, the initial low clouds and Scotch Mist made for a chilly and slightly damp start as I followed a quiet country lane towards Dingwall. There were views across the Cromarty Firth to the Black Isle and the long A9 road bridge which was never going to be on my route and wasn’t supposed to be on Cath’s either (more of that later). I descended into Dingwall via a pleasant diversion through Craig’s Wood, missing out some of the housing area but that’s all. Dingwall looks like quite an interesting place –  some historical buildings and it is a Royal Burgh. The next stretch to Maryburgh was alongside a main road but the old road running parallel is now a cycle route so I used that. I didn’t dwell in Maryburgh, not a terribly inspiring place and marched on to Conon Bridge. As I contemplated find a way to photograph the old bridge, Cath rang to let me know the Sat Nav had taken her the wrong way – yes back over the road bridge towards Inverness. To give her the benefit of the doubt it is probably the fastest road route but not quite the plan. She was actually not far away in Muir of Ord so I loitered in Conon Bridge and we finally met at the railway station, had some lunch and I took an extended break to catch up on emails. Back on the road it was a short hop along the vergeless A862 then a bit of a climb away from the main road and a skip around some windy lanes before the jump down into Muir of Ord. I was treated to some nice views of high mountains to the west with smatterings of snow still visible, but too far away for my IPhone camera to do any justice. 

The rest of the day was walking along the A862 again but at least now it had footpaths. Muir of Ord shows signs of failed industry and is not somewhere I would revisit, although it does have a golf course, which caught my attention. 2 miles further on I passed through Beauly which does justify its name, looking almost like a French village. I stopped briefly to take a look at the ruins of the abbey there. After that it was another mile or so to the camp at Lovat Bridge. Tomorrow I have a short final piece of road to negotiate then I will be picking up the Great Glen Way and starting my way down Loch Ness.

We camped at a delightful little site – Inchintaury Farm near to Edderton. The owner Alan gave us the pitch free of charge and was very talkative about all sorts of things. There was one other campervan on site a German/scot by the name of Dagmar Finlayson generously donated to my cause. 

My reward for doing the extra miles yesterday was a short jaunt today along the B9176, more jumping up and down onto verges to avoid the traffic, which included about 50 trucks of various ages, shapes and sizes participating in a vintage truck rally. One was pulled in by the roadside so I stopped to inquire as to the problem. The driver was busy wringing out wet baby clothes and wiping vomit from them – while his partner was putting the said baby into a clean outfit. I offered my sympathies, told them it brought back memories and went on my way. Cath and PJ were waiting at Strathrory Bridge and we had a quick chat before I plodded on. Eventually I can through a couple of hamlets the second of which had a great idea for a school sign – check the plastic bottles in the picture. Before getting to Evanton I met two lovely ladies picnicking in the corner of a field. I stopped again to say hello, chatted for a while and they very kindly donated £20 to my charity. I never cease to be amazed by people’s kindness and generosity. I finally arrived at the camp site mid afternoon and had plenty of time to relax in the sunshine, tend to my toenails and later on to the Novar Arms and some fantastic conversation with locals.

Woke up to fog today which had burned off by the time I set off on one of the days I had been least looking forward to on the entire trek due to the unavoidable amount of road walking involved. When I planned the route from JOG down to Fort William there were really 3 options:

1. Main roads down the east coast – no thank you!!

2. Head into the western Highlands without too much experience in that type of country and risking the weather, and making it virtually impossible to schedule in the motor home support – maybe another time.

3. Plot a more central route using as much off road and minor roads as possible before getting to the Great Glen Way south of Inverness. 

The dilemma was how to manage the 2-3 day section between Lairg and Beauly with a lack of off road options and now being far enough south that there are no more single track A and B roads. This was the compromise and it meant about 4 miles along the now busy A836 either side of Ardgay and a long section on the B9176 over Struie Hill, all of which not achievable in a single day. In poor weather this would have been a real problem as there are no paths and limited verges to walk on, so very much at the mercy of the speeding motorists. 

The walk started with a great view back across the Loch to Lairg and then onto a quiet country lane alongside the River Shin. I chose a woodland walk through Achany Wood and Shin Forest which was not as deforested as what I had seen on previous days and boasted some very tall pines providing a bit of shade on what was becoming a warm day in the sunshine. After leaving the forest I had my first main road section where Cath caught up with me in Betty, before crossing a footbridge next to the railway line over the Kyle of Sutherland at Invershin. Another quiet lane stretch before arriving in Ardgay and a late lunch stop with Cath and some respite from the sun and increasing wind – at the same time preparing myself mentally for the next 5 miles to our scheduled meeting point at the Struie Hill viewpoint. The 3 miles along the A836 were not enjoyable other than the masochistic pleasure of being blasted by drafts from passing HGVs and speedsters whilst hopping up onto whatever verge I could find. I just tried to keep going as fast as I could. The turn off onto the B9176 signalled the start of the 2 mile uphill stint to Struie viewpoint – again little verges to rake refuge from speeding traffic although less problematic than the A road and despite a strong headwind I quite enjoyed the push to the waiting Cath and fabulous views over the Kyle of Sutherland below. As I had gained some time and to take advantage of the fine weather I decided to carry on for an extra 2 miles or so to the turn off for our campsite, a lovely little place called Inchintaury with views all the way out to the Dornoch Firth road bridge – I will do a separate review on campsites elsewhere. This will make tomorrow’s continuation along the B9176 to Evanton a bit shorter and less daunting. 

An odd day! Having slept ok on our sloping pitch, I took PJ for a quick walk pre-breakfast and he decided to try some peat bog hopping – one dirty dog! After breakfast and pack away was organised I set off again under clear blue skies. Getting to Lairg by road is straightforward just one road to follow for about 13 miles. I had planned a more scenic winding route through forestry land before rejoining the main road near the end of the day. After about 3 miles I suddenly realised my maps had fallen out of my pocket. After a short retracing of my steps and no sign I decided to carry on using my memory of the route with occasional GPS checking my position. That worked well as I wound my way through areas of destroyed and healthy forest past logging operations and a strong smell of fresh pine – I had to video the monster felling and stripping a pine tree. The day got warmer and the undulating forest track was easy walking. Eventually I left the forest back onto the main single track road  towards Lairg. After it became 2 lanes I had a mile or so of verge hopping to stay out of the way of speeding cars. As Loch Shin cam into view I turned off road for the final mile to arrive at Lairg. Tonight we are on a camp site for the first time since JOG – we have electricity and wifi so I’ve been busy getting all up to date.

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This was my first full day off road so it promised to be the best day yet through some more challenging terrain and a decent hill to get over. 

There had been a light frost overnight and it was still a bit chilly when I set off with clear blue skies overhead. Nevertheless I went for shorts and had decided to carry a bigger bag with my tent, sleeping bag and enough to get me through a night alone in the event that something unexpected happened. Cath had her most difficult day driving also to get through so it was wise to take some precaution. The added weight would also be good for my legs. As it turned out, something unexpected did happen – after I had set off, Cath almost stepped on an adder whilst walking the dog. Fortunately that was the only mishap. 

The morning walk was long, and it seemed to take forever to get to Loch Choire, along a sand and gravel track with little change in scenery. After a lunch stop the path became more difficult as I headed rounded the north side of the Loch towards a col looming at the far end of the valley past Loch a Bheallaich. Heading for the col another walker appeared almost from nowhere – a Scottish lady called Fiona who had just come down from Ben Klibreck. We walked together and chatted for a short while before I left her behind climbing up to the pass at the top of the col. the view back down the valley was the best so far. The final 3 miles to Crask Inn were straight across a boggy moor, one of those occasions where it took again forever to get to the Inn that could be seen in the distance. The path was not always easy to follow – a good job the weather was fine. I finally arrived to find Cath there safe and sound with PJ and Betty. 

The new managers at the Crask Inn were great – good beer and a friendly dog. We had another fantastic sunset setting the trees on fire and got another £15 donations to the charity. We camped on the car park opposite – a bit of a slope but I was tired enough to sleep with no problem. 

Today was a fairly undemanding walk south then west along two single track, mostly deserted, minor roads. Decided to try on a brand new pair of socks kindly donated by Bridgedale – my favourites. The route took me through Forsinard and Kinbrace with great views of the Flow Country, a single railway line and the odd deer. Talked with a guy in Forsinard about why there are “RSPB Not Welcome Here” signs all over the place – seems the RSPB own substantial land in Scotland but are not very good landlords. Stopped for lunch with Cath in Kinbrace on the station car park, waited for a train to come through then carried on the final 5 miles of the day. Badanloch was a great location, by the side of the road between two lochs. We were treated to lapwings showing off, deer roaming in the moorland and a gorgeous sunset. This wild camping lark is not bad really!

A sheltered night in Betty on the Brown Trout car park massive thanks to the people we met in the bar who donated £28 for the charity – a fantastic start! After breakfast we drove 5 miles back to Mybster and today’s start point. In summary today was not terribly exciting, very windy, mostly from behind, and few highlights. The first 7 miles to the isolated Strathmore Lodge through a mixture of farmland then open moors dominated by a massive wind farm. After that onto a stony then sandy track through some fine pine forestry past the choppy Loch More and 7miles later arriving at Altnabreac Station for a rest. Probably the most remote railway station I will ever visit but reassured that I could easily have wild camped there as originally planned. After lunch the next 7 miles were about as mind numbing as I have experienced – areas shown as forestry on the map now just desolate landscape made bare by logging or fire/disease. The last 3 miles to Forsinain were better – a return to pine forest, a small climb around Sletill Hill, my first real close-up encounter with a deer (unfortunately a dead one) and the sight of the waiting Betty as arranged, although Cath and PJ were not there – they had walked to meet me and taken the wrong path – this has happened before, so not a major drama and we were very quickly reunited. Our chosen wild camp spot was perfect. Even had an inquisitive otter sniffing around!