We got back on the trail today after our rest day yesterday. After a very delicious and filling breakfast at the Bank House B&B we did a little sight-seeing around Fort Augustus. We walked down to the head (or foot depending on how you look at it) of Loch Ness. It was very cool to see it in person, and we snapped a few photos. After looking around, and sitting around, for a few hours we finally caught the 14:00 bus to Cluanie, where we were supposed to end today. The drive only took about an hour but the scenery was spectacular. The road seemed treacherous, especially in a big bus! The driver was a professional though and was clearly used to this, and delivered us safely to our bus stop literally in the middle of nowhere. We had decided yesterday to walk 4-5 km along our route for tomorrow in order to make tomorrow a little less demanding. It actually felt great to have the packs back on. After about 1.5 km back along the road we headed north and were on our own again five minutes later. The conversations started up immediately and we seemed to get back into our normal groove. We had a very nice walk up An Caorann Mòr. I have no idea what that means, but if I had to guess it might be something like “Beautiful Solitary Hike Up Glen With Spectacular Mountains on Either Side”.
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| How to get your coat on without taking your pack off! |
After passing what seemed like a dozen perfect camp spots we decided it was time to pitch up, and of course couldn’t find anything suitable. After an other half-hour of searching, and a couple of kms later we found something dry and flat beside a babbling stream, which seems to be a requirement for our personal preferences now. Our spot is about three kilometres from a place Mandy and I camped in 2017, as our routes are about to intersect for one last time on this trip. I remember that day in 2017 as being one which Mandy had to drag me along to finish. It was also the day we discovered crème brûlée thanks to our very good friend TT - this was an event that changed our lives forever!! We are probably 7-8 kilometres into tomorrow’s walk now, which helps set us up for success.
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| Tomato Soup and Ham and Cheese Buns |
I have had time to reflect these past two days and have made a few observations:
Not starting with some shorter days was a mistake - we should have not been so ambitious right off the hop.
The 29 km mostly road day was a mistake - we should have broke it up or looked for an alternative route.
We have not been breaking enough, and we have been walking at too fast a pace. I need to remember that this is not a competition, and we are not in a race.
Hopefully we turn a new page over the next few days, stay a little more healthy, and have a bit more success.
A good family friend of ours wrote me some good advice before we left. He told me to go and expect that everything will work out, and that when it doesn’t just to deal with it. His advice was very helpful the last couple of days, and I will be sure to thank him when I get home.
I think our morale is up tonight as we are laying in our tents reading and writing blogs. We had tomato soup and ham and cheese buns for dinner tonight, with hot chocolate for dessert - how could we not be happy???
That’s it for today. Time to visit the restroom, and then call it a day. Thanks for reading everybody. Night-night!
Best meal from civilization the last few days:
Zach - Fish and chips at the Lock Inn with a pint of Bellhaven Best
Ben - Had three good ones and can’t decide: fish and chips st the Lock Inn, baked haddock filet in Fort William, and steak pie with potatoes and veggies at the Lock Inn again
JM - I also had steak pie, which I enjoyed, but all of those cooked veggies were extra-delicious!
Route notes: We were to follow the SNT official route between Fort Augustus and Cluanie on Days 6 and 7.
The 29 km mostly road day was a mistake - we should have broke it up or looked for an alternative route.
We have not been breaking enough, and we have been walking at too fast a pace. I need to remember that this is not a competition, and we are not in a race.
Hopefully we turn a new page over the next few days, stay a little more healthy, and have a bit more success.
A good family friend of ours wrote me some good advice before we left. He told me to go and expect that everything will work out, and that when it doesn’t just to deal with it. His advice was very helpful the last couple of days, and I will be sure to thank him when I get home.
I think our morale is up tonight as we are laying in our tents reading and writing blogs. We had tomato soup and ham and cheese buns for dinner tonight, with hot chocolate for dessert - how could we not be happy???
That’s it for today. Time to visit the restroom, and then call it a day. Thanks for reading everybody. Night-night!
Best meal from civilization the last few days:
Zach - Fish and chips at the Lock Inn with a pint of Bellhaven Best
Ben - Had three good ones and can’t decide: fish and chips st the Lock Inn, baked haddock filet in Fort William, and steak pie with potatoes and veggies at the Lock Inn again
JM - I also had steak pie, which I enjoyed, but all of those cooked veggies were extra-delicious!
Route notes: We were to follow the SNT official route between Fort Augustus and Cluanie on Days 6 and 7.
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