Last night was the first time I encountered other hikers doing this trail. Four or so friends in camp, the lady I ate with and the two in the last section of yesterdays walk. Today there were a few sat on the side of the road but once I'd left town I was alone again. The path out of town goes along the main road for a while before rising into the An Leacann forest hills overlooking Loch Ness. The view stretching back was stunning.
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| Loch Ness |
The climb up is hard, but I'm yet to get to a hill and enjoy it which I think says more about my own fitness than the difficulty factor of the hill. Huffing and puffing I trudged on wards, pulling the rain covers over my bag as the drizzle began. Along this path there's a rather good outdoor center, raised by the locals to create a safe place for people to go and learn about the outdoors. I dropped in to use their toilets before heading across the Corryfoyness Ford to Creag Bhan. I was told to look out for a cafe about ten miles through today and sure enough I'd have had to be blind to miss it. There were dozens and dozens of signs everywhere with things like 'coffee?', 'beans on toast?', 'scrambled eggs?' and 'real coco?' making me hungrier by the moment. I wondered up the strange path to the door of the cafe, bark underfoot wet and rather slippy. Chickens were running wild and the actual house further along was fenced off, a horde of huskies running behind it barking. Not exactly how I pictured the organic cafe I was told about. Still a very friendly lady came walking towards me and explained they were doing some construction work at the moment but if I wished to have a drink I could sit on the terrace further down.
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| Abriachan Eco-Campsite and Cafe |
It was a very strange place, the lady had to walk nearly 150 meters between the house and the little shack like building I was sat in, first to take the order, then to bring the drink and twice after that. That's well over half a kilometer for one customer. The hot chocolate was a generous portion and good strength however. The lady warned me weary of the chickens as they were rather cheeky and spoiled. I'd never met a pampered chicken before so allowed it to approach, excited to pet it if allowed. In a flash it had jumped on the table and stolen my bloody biscuit! Outsmarted by a chicken...
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| Bunchrew Caravan Campsite, view looking at Beauly Firth River |
The rest of today was dull enough, more pine forests and snippets of lane walking. At one point I was walking along a road when I saw a herd of cows walking towards me. Unsure of what to do, the road narrow and with fences on either side, I climbed to sit against the fence and wait for them to pass. They had three handlers who coaxed them along, yelling for me to stay put while they past.
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| Bunchrew Caravan Campsite |
Before the end of the Great Glenn I turned directly north, dropping down off the ridge to the Bunchrew Caravan Campsite along Beauly Firth river, a few miles west of Inverness. 18 miles walked I happily set up camp, the site rather stunning and views set to match. With toilets and shower facilities in good condition and a small shop with computers at reception you couldn't ask for more. Rain, however, did dampen the evening. Just after I pitched it began to pour and continued all night. I ran to the burger van which had opened fifty or so meters away and ordered myself a chicken burger with chips. Eating in my tent I happily lay around ringing a few people, (yes I had signal!) and watched an episode of two of West Wing on my phone. The rain not stopping I gave up waiting and ran to the shower block to wash. Back in bed I wasted a little more time before going to sleep, the rain still heavy against the tent, but dry and warm I wasn't the least bothered. The Great Glen was done, an easy trek tomorrow before the final stretch to home. All would be on roads but the finish line was in sight and I couldn't wait to reach it.
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