Miles walked: Today 14.2 cumulative 1278.5

Today was a mixture of cloud and sunny intervals. The walk was very similar to yesterday. I mainly followed quiet lanes surrounded by farmland with tree covered hills on my left. Sunday stroll sort of walking, nothing dramatic just pleasant and peaceful. I was passed by virtually no cars, 2 cyclists and a couple of dog walkers.

I left Alness by a minor road that ran past the golf course. I made a mental note not to come back to play here. The hole that I walked past had a blind tee shot to a postage stamp sized green with bunkers at the front and bushes behind. Far too difficult for me.

I continued down the road which gently climbed uphill. The Firth came into view and I had a better view of the oil rigs that I mentioned yesterday. I counted nine of them

Eventually I turned off the road into Scotsburn wood. I passed an old mill at Scotsburn Farm

The track narrowed to a path that climbed between trees and bracken. The first thing I noticed was the absence of midges, the wee beasties do not live the east coast because of the prevailing breeze. I turned on to a forest track that initially afforded good views over the Firth but eventually I was surrounded by tall trees. There are meant to be two chambered cairns near the path but I failed to see either from the path and I didn’t fancy clambering through the undergrowth to try to find them.

I left the track to follow a path next to a burn that took me to the minor road into Tain

Tain has the distinction of being the first Royal Burgh, created by Malcolm III in 1066. It is a pretty town, there are some nice old stone buildings in the centre

Miles walked: 9.2 cumulative 1264.3

Another B&B to recommend: Netherton Farm, just outside Culbokie. I had a fantastic view across the Firth, breakfast was great. Thanks to Ros who, judging from the books and CDs lying around, has similar tastes to me. Game of Thrones, the first three volumes of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Weather Report CD etc. More importantly (for Angela), her Labrador kept me company at breakfast and her son had a senior role in communication management at Manchester City.

This was a very short day. Unless you camp you are limited by the distance between towns and villages. Some walkers do go straight to Tain (about 22 miles) but I thought a short day was more sensible. For most of this leg the days are either short or long. There is also pressure on accommodation with the growing popularity of the NC500 road route.

I set off downhill. Just before the Cromarty bridge I saw my first road sign for John O’Groats.

As I am continuing to Dunnet’s head I have about 120 miles to go. At least the end is in sight (metaphorically). I crossed Cromarty Firth by the A9 bridge, separated from the traffic by a pavement. Even though this bridge is low it was still quite windy in the middle of the Firth.

I have now left the Black Isle to enter Easter Ross. I followed a path uphill though a wood to join a farm track and then a minor road. The rest of the way to Alness was on tarmac, although when I joined the B road there was a cycle path separate to the road, running between it and the railway. Even though I was on a road it was quite pleasant walking with views of the Firth to the right and wooded hills to the left. I passed an old entrance to Foulis Castle, the seat of Clan Munro. The castle is really an 18th century mansion and can just be seen from the road

Cromarty port lies at the sea end of the Firth. It is known locally as the “oil rig graveyard” as decommissioned oil rigs are stored there, either to be reused if the industry picks up or to be broken down. They are a source of contention between the Port and local residents. They are also an eyesore

I passed through the village of Evanton. On top of the hill to the left I could see the Fyrish monument, too far away to photograph adequately with my I-phone and too much of a diversion to walk to. It was built on the orders Hector Munro to provide work for local people during the Highland Clearances. It is meant to represent the Gate of Negapatam in Madras, which Munro captured for the British.

I arrived in Alness early. In non COVID times I would have probably gone to look round the distillery but instead I bought the Guardian and had a lazy afternoon at the Station Hotel. Hopefully I will sample its wares later.

Miles walked: today 15.5 cumulative 1255.1

I have had four days off. Last Monday I took the train to Edinburgh, Angela came up from Manchester and we spent three and a half days wandering around Edinburgh, seeing friends (thanks for a lovely evening Nick and Janine) and sampling Edinburgh fine dining (the Kitchin). I needed the break, my left hamstring was getting sore. As we did mainly outdoor sightseeing and Edinburgh is hilly, it was not much of a rest! We will return post COVID to see the indoor attractions. I also needed a new pair of boots. The heels of my pair were now worn down to the mid-soles. I was worried about not having time to break a new pair in so I settled for a pair of lightweight Salomons.

I arrived back in Inverness on Thursday afternoon. The far north east of Scotland is known as the Flow Country, derived from the Old Norse meaning “marsh.” It boasts of being the largest area of blanket bog in in the world. This might be great for wildlife but makes it difficult to walk on. Furthermore it is sparsely populated so to cross it you need to wild camp. Most walkers seem to stick to the east coast. In the past many have followed the A9 and A99 which is not the way I want to end an epic walk.

I am going to try to follow the nascent “John O’Groats Trail” (JOGT). This is a long distance path in development by Andy Robinson and Jay Wilson. Right of way access is different in Scotland and you can walk across any uncultivated land. I set off in some trepidation as I am not sure how easy it will be to follow the route, the paths are not well walked and are likely to be overgrown at this time of the year.

I have heard mixed reports from other walkers. The most recent blogs are from 2019 and describe a lot of barbed wire fences to climb. I know from the JOGT web site that improvements have been made within the limits of lockdown. One Lejoger e mailed me to say he recommended using the small lanes across the flow country. On the other hand, last week I saw a Jogler heading south (the man with a dog) who said it is OK so I will give it a go.

The JOGT starts where the GGW ends, at Flora MacDonald’s statue in front of Inverness castle. The first few days are easy walking, through farmland and woodland.

She was the lass who carried “the lad who is born to be king/ over the sea to Skye” after his escape from the battle of Culloden. I am not sure why the statue is in Inverness.

I walked down to the river and followed it towards the Beauly Firth. The first part of the riverbank was quite nice but then it runs through an industrial estate that was forgettable apart from the clock tower that is the only remnant of Oliver Cromwell’s fort

I now crossed the Firth by the cycle path on Kessock Bridge. It was windy on the crossing and I was grateful for the barrier between me and the traffic.

I was now on the Black Isle, which is really a peninsula. It is unclear how it got its name but it is thought to refer to the colour of the soil, the landscape is a mixture of woodland and farmland.

The path now climbed up through woodland to traverse across the slopes of Ord Hill. There were intermittent views back to Inverness and across the Firth. As I came out of the wood I passed through two fields consisting of hundreds, if not thousands, of fir trees growing in pots embedded in the ground

They are indeed destined to be Christmas trees. I joined a farm track, then a road and then another farm track that led down to Munlochy Bay. This is a tidal mud flat and a site of Special Scientific Interest because of its bird life. The tide was out but there were a large number of birds feeding on the flat

I was walking quite quickly so took the opportunity to stop in Munlochy for a pint. The way marking must have been good because I didn’t get lost after the alcohol. Instead, I walked through some rather delightful light wwoodland to arrive at a Clootie Well

The tradition dates back to pagan times. The sick would visit the well, that would be the home to a goddess or spirit, and tie a piece of cloth (the cloot) to a tree near the well. As the cloth rotted their sickness would depart leaving them healthy. Christianity frowned on the practice so most of wells have disappeared. This spring was said to be blessed by St Boniface. With the advent of synthetic materials the cloth does not always rot nowadays so offerings extended quite a way from the well. It was distressing to see children’s toys tied there, presumably from very sick kids. There was a significant number of face masks, a reminder we are still in the midst of a COVID pandemic.

I then had a long walk up a quiet lane. While this was not steep it seemed to go on forever. There were good views to the south and west of the highlands. At last I came to the brow of the hill. I could see the uplands of the far north east ahead of me. I turned off into Forest and descended towards Culbokie. The Cromarty Firth came into view with mountains to the west

After passing though another wood I entered Culbokie. My B&B was about 400 yards from the pub where I was having dinner, down a steep hill. There was a good view of the Firth and of Cromarty bridge which I will cross tomorrow morning

Miles walked: Today 21.3 cumulative 1239.6

It was raining when I woke up this morning and, I must admit, I really didn’t feel like a walk. By the time I was ready to leave the rain had slowed to a drizzle. I had stayed at the Loch Ness Inn which was in Lewiston, just before Drumnadrochit so I had an extra mile to walk today. Drumnadrochit is a popular tourist attraction on Loch Ness so there were delights such as the “Loch Ness Centre” and “Nessieland” to tempt me.

I followed the A82 through Drumnadrochit. After a couple of miles I left the road to climb through the Tychat estate where I had a good view across the bay to the ruin of Urquart castle. This was a strategically important castle and was often involved in the Scottish Wars of Independence, the fights for control between Comyn and Robert the Bruce and between the Scottish Crown and the Lords of the Isles.

I was too far away to pick out any detail, but you will have seen pictures of this castle on the top of biscuit tins and on calendars.

I entered the forest and the path started to climb steeply into the mist. I met John who was walking the GGW and we would pass each other throughout the morning. There were occasional views through the trees to something grey but it was impossible to decide whether this was Loch or mist. Today was very much a day of showers and I was continually taking my cagoule on and off.

Towards the top of the forest there was an information board that told me I was walking through an old Canadian logging camp. About 2000 lumberjacks volunteered to come to Scotland during the second world war to harvest trees for the war effort, many stayed and settled in Scotland.

The path emerged into open moorland for about half a mile before it re-entered the forest. Here the views were limited by the mist so this morning’s walk was not particularly interesting. After I while crossed a minor road. I joined a narrow path winding through the trees. I started seeing signs for coffee, I thought they were a mirage but…

This is the Abriachan Forest Eco Camp. It is set in old, natural woodland. It is run by a remarkable couple. The man described himself as a “retired Thespian.” He told me not to leave my rucksack on the ground, apparently not long before I arrived one of his free range pigs and munched it’s way through someone’s map.

I had a cafetière of excellent coffee and an enormous slab of lemon cake accompanied by some fresh fruit, others were tucking into lentil and vegetable soup. If you do walk or cycle the GGW this place is a MUST STOP.

I caught up with John here and we walked to Inverness together for the rest of the day. We joined a road that eventually came out into open moorland. By now it had brightened up and I could look back towards the mountains. To the North East I thought I could see the sea and the curve of the North East Scottish coast. After about a mile the path left the would and descended slowly though open moorland.

Inverness came into view in the distance and we entered more woodland. This is when I appreciate a walking companion as there was nothing to see for several miles. A voice called out to us and a man poked his head out of a small tent. He looked rather wet and said that he had just bought the tent but it turned out not to be waterproof. He told us he had been “kicked out” by his partner and was heading off to Ullapool and the Summer Isles to find work for the summer. We wished him luck and continued downhill.

We emerged from the forest and descended through fields and scrub. This soon gave way to the practice area of a golf course and football pitches and them a housing estate. We rejoined the Caledonian canal and crossed the A82 for the last time at a swing bridge. We parted company, John went to find his B&B and I continued into central Inverness.

The path went through a sports complex to join the River Ness. I crossed the river to walk through a series of small islands that were partially landscaped and contained mature trees.

There were several sculptures and I finally caught sight of the Loch Ness Monster

It was now raining heavily. I crossed to the east bank of the river and followed it into central Inverness and the castle, which is the official end of the GGW. It was then a short distance to the Travelodge. Tomorrow I will head down to Edinburgh for a few days off.

Miles walked: Today 14.2 miles Cumulative 1218.3

I had a leisurely start this morning as I had to wait for the shop to open to buy lunch. The cloud was down almost to the village. It had rained in the night but was now dry. I set off up a steep lane around the back of the Glenmoriston hotel. Before long the path left the road and I had to make a choice between the low and high routes. From reading other blogs and from looking at the map the low route stays in the trees. I hate spending all day walking through forest and, as it was not raining, I chose the high route and hoped the mist would lift.

The path climbed to the top of the wood and ran just above the edge of the trees. I could see across the moor to the left but the hill tops were hidden in the mist. Loch Ness is narrow and lies in a deep valley which was full of cloud this morning. The far side of the valley was hidden by the mist. I suspect this would be a good walk on a clear day.

On the shoulder of Meall Doire Bharath there is a sculpture called the Viewcatcher.

The principle of the Viewcatcher reminded me of the sculpture “Framing the Landscape” that I saw on Day 60. Viewcatcher is meant to highlight the view of the group of Munros north of Loch Cluanie. Unfortunately all I could see today was mist.

It now started to rain lightly and I began to wish I had chosen the lower route. I passed the link path that descended down to Alltsigh but decided to stay on the upper path. The path ducked back into the forest and by the time it re-emerged it had stopped raining. I crossed the Troll’s Bridge, which has some poems on a board nearby written by the children of a local primary school.

I climbed to the high point on the GGW at 450 metres and there was a glimpse of the loch through the mist

It started to drizzle again so I headed down and before long re-entered the forest. After about a mile I arrived at the path junction with the lower route. There was a family group of cyclists comprising three generations: gran, mum and two children. Mum had a broken chain and asked if I had any tools that may help. I know nothing about bike repair but fortunately another two cyclists came by with the necessary kit. I would see the family periodically during the afternoon.

A short while later I met a woman riding one horse and leading a second one. She started at John O’Groats and is heading for Land’s End. She hasn’t really planned a route but was aiming for Fort Augustus and the was going to cross the Corrieyairack pass and then was going to have a think about which way to go next.

There was a gentle descent through the forest and I made good progress. The teenage children passed me and it was obvious that they did not consider this activity a good idea for a holiday. It sounded like they would have preferred a less active vacation. Maybe they will change their minds as they get older.

There was a prehistoric fort marked on the map. There did appear to be some mounds on the ground which may have been the fort but I am never very good at identifying prehistoric sites and this was no exception. I now joined a lane that climbed up through farmland.it was not particularly interesting and seemed to go on forever. At last I crested the brow of the hill and turned off the road to descend into Drumnadrochnit and the Loch Ness Inn. I passed another horsewoman who asked me if I had got very wet in the torrential rain they had earlier. She was surprised when I said I had only had some light drizzle. It is amazing how local the weather can be in the hills. I have seen the weather forecast, I do not think I will be as lucky tomorrow.

Miles walked: Today 17.9 cumulative 1204.1

An early start for me. I had two cooked breakfasts: porridge followed by scrambled eggs and (lots of) smoked salmon. The weather was cloudy when I left but the Weatherperson on STV kept her promise and the sun soon came out.

Today’s walk was excellent. I started by climbing up a path adjacent to the hotel. At first this passed through mixed woodland and rhododendron bushes but these were soon replaced by pine trees. These were spaced sufficiently wide apart so there was undergrowth between them. I had intermittent views over Loch Oich. There was little wind and the loch looked absolutely smooth with a very attractive reflection of the trees on the far shore.

After a couple of miles the path descended to meet the A82 at Oich Bridge.

This is one of the earliest examples of a double cantilever bridge, it was built in 1854 (by a brewer, James Dredge). It was originally a road bridge but is now used as a pedestrian bridge, the road crosses the river by a modern swing bridge.

I crossed the river Oich by the swing bridge and joined the towpath of the Caledonian canal at the lock leading into Loch Oich. The gates are motor driven and operated by a lock keeper who was sunbathing until a boat appeared.

I followed the canal for about four miles to Fort Augustus. The sun came out and it was a very pleasant walk. There were no walkers but a few cyclists passed me. At one point the canal became very wide, with a small island in the middle. at this point the far side looked more like a riverbank rather than a canal.

I arrived in Fort Augustus in time for lunch. The fort was built by General Wade as part of the response to the Jacobite rebellion. It lies at the head of Loch Ness. This is the third loch along the Great Glen. There is a fourth lock below Loch Ness, Loch Dochfour, but I do not think this will be visible from the path. After wandering almost in isolation it was a shock to encounter coachloads of tourists and gift shops selling Nessie mementos. Of course, Loch Ness is a major tourist attraction. I had lunch in a cafe overlooking the locks. There was a man playing piano outside one of the pubs, he is pushing it from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise money for mental health and autism charities.

The canal drops down to Loch Ness by a flight of lochs. I crossed the river at the bottom Loch and then I climbed up steeply through forest alongside the Allt na Criche to reach open ground high above Loch Ness. The sun had gone away for the day but there were good views back to Fort Augustus, Loch Ness, the Caledonian Canal and Loch Oich

The path (the high level alternative of the GGW) now ran for several miles high above the loch with superb views along Loch Ness. The Loch is the largest inland lake in the UK by volume. It is long and narrow but up to 500 feet deep.

As I got closer to Invermoriston the northern half of the loch came into view. There were also good views towards the Monadhliath mountains to the South. These were covered in cloud and it looked like there were areas of showers, fortunately these passed me by to the south.

The path entered thick forest and I had a very steep descent to Glenmoriston. Half way down I met a man on his way to Land’s End from John O’Groats. He was accompanied by a medium sized dog so I am not sure how the dog’s paws will cope with the rocky paths ahead of them. We discussed routes and went our separate ways.

As I entered Invermoriston, I passed St Columba’s well. This is at the site of a spring that was considered to supply poisoned water that caused boils. Legend says that when St Columba passed through the village he blessed the well, purifying the water and giving it healing properties.

I stayed at Darroch View B&B which was very nice. Hayley had booked me a table at the Glenmoriston Arms. Mushrooms in a garlic and white wine sauce and salmon fillet were very nice, but maybe I should have had one glass of malt less.

Miles walked: today 20 cumulative 1186.2

For once on this leg I didn’t have porridge for breakfast. Instead a fresh fruit salad followed by eggs, mushroom, avocado, tomato and a potato scone. Oh yes, and home made bread. I would have liked to stay at Old Pines for longer. After all that food, I was lucky the road back to the GGW was downhill.

The swing bridge at a Gairlochy was open when I arrived, with a queue of traffic waiting for a yacht to pass through the gap

I rejoined the GGW which followed the northwest shore of Loch Lochy. The path passed around some houses before arriving at the shore of the loch. I could see the old pepperpot lighthouse that used to guide boats coming down the loch to the entrance of the Caledonian Canal. I do not think it is still in use.

The GGW now followed the loch all the way to Laggan lock at the north end. The first third of the walk was very pleasant. The path hugged the loch shore, or was separated from it by a few trees. Unfortunately, it was very overcast and the cloud was down below the mountain tops otherwise there would have been superb views back to the Ben Nevis range of mountains.

There were a series of information boards giving information about the commandos who trained here, with quotes from the book “Castle Commando” by Donald Gilchrist. The commando new recruits would arrive at Spean Bridge station and then they were marched along the route I am taking before turning off halfway along the loch to their camp at Achnacarry. Their training would take place on the loch and in the adjacent hills. Sometimes they would have to attack an “enemy” position. This would be manned by the trainers who would have live ammunition but be told to “just miss.”

About a third of the way along the loch I walked through the village of Clunes, which mainly consists of rather large, fine houses. After the village the path entered dense pine woodland and views were restricted apart from one section where the mature trees were being harvested and replanted. There were few people about today. Apart from dog walkers I only saw two trekkers, walking in the other direction and there few few cyclists. Even on the loch there was little activity, maybe there was too little wind for the yachts.

I came to the end of the loch and left the main GGW for the Invergarry loop. The main route rejoins the Caledonian canal which links Loch Lochy with the next loch, Loch Oich. Instead I climbed a minor road and, at some point between the lochs, I crossed the watershed into East Scotland for the last time. The weather was deteriorating but I could see along Loch Oich.

I descended down to my old friend, the A82, but turned off almost immediately to climb through dense woodland (again). According to the map, down the hill by the loch, there is a monument called “The Well of the Seven Heads.” The story behind it is a little complex, but in essence, in the 17th century, during a period of interclan strife, seven alleged murderers were beheaded and the heads were washed in the loch before being presented to the clan chief.

For the first time for ages it began to rain. I put on wet weather gear and hurried through the forest to Invergarry. I was staying at the Invergarry Hotel. Another recommended stopping place, with excellent food.

Miles walked: today 12.6 cumulative 1166.2

I had a two day rest in Fort William. All the accommodation I could find here was expensive, so I stayed in the Premier Inn. DONT STAY THERE. It was a stifling 27 degrees C in the room the first night. The window would only open a crack so there was little or no ventilation. Very unpleasant. Fortunately I had my Swiss Army Knife so I was able to unscrew the safety lock on the window and let some air in. The room cooled down and the rest of the stay was OK.

After repairing the lock (how unrock and roll, I bet Keith Moon never tidied up after himself) I left this morning. For the next five days I am following the Great Glen Way (from now, shortened to GGW) up to Inverness.

The Great Glen traverses Scotland from Fort William to Inverness, and forms part of a rift that extends across to Shetland to the northeast and across Ireland and the Atlantic as far the mid Atlantic Ridge. Minor seismic activity has bern recorded over the last 159 years. Geologically, it separates the Grampian Mountains to the south from the North West Highlands.

I have noticed that, since Kinlochleven, the road signs and information boards have been printed in Gaelic and English. I asked the guide about this a few days ago and he said in the North West Highlands and Islands Gaelic is taught as a second language in schools. In the Middle Ages there was unrest between the Highlanders and Lowlanders and I am following the route taken in 1411 by Donald, Lord of the Isles and his army when they sacked Inverness and unsuccessfully attacked Aberdeen.

I set off on a path that ran between the river Lochy and a McDonalds (sadly the American fast food emporium) and a housing estate. Ben Nevis was in view all day but the top was hidden by cloud at the moment. I passed the ruins of Inverlochy castle

This was originally built by the Comyn family, rivals to Robert the Bruce for the Scottish crown; and was the first castle taken by Robert during his resurgence to power. Around the side are battlements built during the 19th century to make the castle look more interesting when Queen Victoria visited. Apparently she was not amused.

Just before Caol the path crosses the river Lochy adjacent to the West Coast Railway, made famous in the Harry Potter films. Further along the line is the Glenfinnan viaduct over which Harry and Ron fly in Film 2. It is a commercial line running to Mallaig. A steam service runs for tourists and crossed the bridge in a timely manner for me.

The engine used in the film is now in the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London but some of the carriages used are on the train.

I now joined the Caledonian Canal. This was engineered by Thomas Telford and originally opened in 1822. It runs intermittently between Fort William and Inverness. It is much wider than a normal canal as it was designed to carry sea going vessels. The canal was constructed to join the four lochs that lie along the Great Glen. Many of the workers on the project came from families displaced by the Highland Clearances. By the time it was completed, vessels were becoming too large to use it and it was not a commercial success. Near the beginning there is an impressive series of eight locks, Neptune’s Staircase, which raises the level of the canal by 70 feet.

There were no more locks until Gairlochy so I made good progress on the flat path. A few yachts and other boats motored along the canal. Most of the people that passed me were cyclists. There were a few dog walkers but until I stopped for lunch I only saw one pair walking the GGW.while I was eating my sandwich a man caught up with me. He was an ex-soldier paramedic who has suffered severe back injuries while attending a casualty. He started at Lands End about 6 weeks ago and is hoping to complete Lejog in 10-14 days. His injuries prevent him from carrying a pack so he walks, then gets a bus or train back to where he was the night before, picks up his gear and gets a bus back to where he stopped walking. I feel slightly inadequate doing the walk in stages.

The hills around the canal gradually got higher. Ben Nevis was often in view but remained covered with cloud. About a mile before Gairlochy we came to the Moy Swing Bridge.

Each side of the bridge is operated manually, there is a dinghy which the bridge keeper uses to row across the canal to close the other side. It is not used very often, only for the farmer at Moy Farm who has fields on either side of the canal.

A mile further on we came to the double loch at Gairlochy used by boats to enter and leave Loch Lochy

I had decided to break the walk here rather than walk at least another 14 miles to find accommodation in South Laggan. This involved a 2 mile road walk to a hotel halfway to Spean Bridge. Just after the hotel is the Commando Memorial

This was built as a memorial to those commandos who were killed in the Second World War and unveiled by the Queen Mother in 1952. Nearby is a an area where those who have served as commandos can have their ashes scattered. There is also an Area of Remembrance where personal tributes can be left by bereaved families, both to those that served in the Second World War or more recent conflicts. I found this area very moving.

I had short walk back down the road to the Old Pines . This was the best place I have stayed on this trip to Scotland and one of the best on Lejog. I was greeted with a pot of tea and home made shortbread, my room was nice and the food was stunning. Certainly a place to return to with Angela.

Miles walked: Today 16.3 cumulative 1153.6

Today was my last day on the WHW. Thunderstorms were forecast for later in afternoon so I set off early. Just before the Bothy Bar (great burgers) I turned on to the footpath that climbed through light deciduous woodland to join the Old Military Road. At the top of the wood there were good views back to Kinlochleven and across Loch Leven to the Pap of Glencoe and the mountains above Ballachulish.

The path was steep in places and I was pleased that I had had a quiet day yesterday. Above the wood the gradient of the path became more gentle and I made good progress up the Laraig Mor. After about an hour I was in a daydream, humming a tune, when a “hallo” came from the side of the path. Now, I am not saying I cannot sing in tune but I am banned from singing within at leat 800 yards of another human so I apologised for the racket. The treating came from a girl having a rest, watching a video on her phone. “I don’t really like walking” she said. I asked why she was doing the WHW and she said she had some holiday from work so thought she would give it a go. Hopefully she will look back on the walk with good memories and become a convert to the outdoors.

A bit further on I could see the outline of the Aonach Eagach across the loch.

This is a 3k long knife edge ridge between two Munros which gives a difficult scramble in the summer and a serious ice climbing challenge in winter. It is an exhilarating scramble but there are steep drops on either side so should only be attempted by experienced scramblers and due consideration needs to be given to the risks before attempting it.

The Laraig Mor was similar to the pass connecting Tyndrum to the Bridge of Orchy but felt much more remote as there was no accompanying road or railway.

By now I had been joined by the solo girl who said she didn’t like walking, an English couple and two walkers who were being led by a guide. We walked at a similar pace so spent a lot of the day with each other.

The path runs around the southwest side of the Mamores. The peaks of the Mamores are not visible from the pass but there were good views of the lesser hills to the left of the pass. We passed Lochan Lunn Da Brah. The guide pointed out a small island with a tree on that was an old crannog (bottom right of the lochan)

Folklore says that Macbeth stayed on the Crannog but I am not sure of the evidence for this. Most of his exploits were in the North East of the Highlands. It is only recently I learned that he was a real king. I guess this was probably because the Shakespeare play is listed as a tragedy rather than as one of his historical plays. Anyway, Macbeth was the last Celtic king of Scotland. He was much maligned by Shakespeare. He did kill Duncan but in a battle rather than murder him in his sleep. He also had a legitimately claim to the throne. For more detail, most of the Scottish history I have referred to was gleaned from Magnus Magnusson “Scotland History of a Nation.” To be fair to Shakespeare, the play is a good story and many modern film makers take just as many liberties with historical fact.

The path ran through woodland for a mile or so and then climbed to a small outcrop giving us our first view of Ben Nevis.

You can just see the tourist path climbing up the mountain but a far superior, but a long, more rewarding ascent can be had via a scramble up the Carn Mor Dearg arête. This has the advantage of a good view of the rock architecture on the north face of Ben Nevis but, because of the drop off the arête, should only be attempted by experienced walkers in good summer conditions. It is a long day’s walk and I remember being very relieved when the Glen Nevis Restaurant came into view.

The descent from the pass was completed by a forest track down to the Glen Nevis road and a mile or two of road walking into Fort William and the end of the WHW. It is an excellent walk. The guide said that in a normal year there are usually up to 300 people a day on each section of the walk. It is internationally recognised but there are few foreign walkers this year because of COVID. I have read that some grumble that it doesn’t go over any summits but there is nothing to stop you taking a day out to climb a mountain, as I did. Also Ben Nevis is there at the end if you want to attempt it.

I now have two rest days in Fort William, then a 5 day walk up the Great Glen to Inverness.

This was my third free day to go Munro bagging. I set off with good intentions to climb Na Gruagaichean. I was tired and the first 1000 feet was steep. I had hoped that the weather would be good enough to climb a mountain on one of the three days so I was happy to have achieved two. I decided that the climb today would be harder than the pronunciation of the above mountain so I went for a leisurely stroll.

My porridge was as good as I had hoped. It was topped with a banana, honey, pecan nuts and a small amount of chocolate chips. I am not sure where my hosts, Sarah and Jack, are from. It sound like they have done a lot of travelling before settling down to start a family and run a guest house aimed for hikers. Jack had put a scratch off chart of the Munros in the wall of the breakfast room. That can go on my a Christmas wish list.

Not far from the start of the walk I arrived at the foot of the Gray Mare’s Tail waterfall. This is a 50 metre high, narrow fall that was very impressive

There was now a steep climb up to a dirt track that leads into the mountains from Mamore Lodge.

I had good views along Loch Leven, the Pap of Glencoe was easy to recognise

I now had a fairly level walk with good views of the Mamores on my left. I went as far as Loch Eidle Mor, remote in the mountains, and then returned to Kinlochleven via an alternative woodland path. The tops will wait for another time.