Wednesday the 7th of May was the start of our six-day walk to Inverness. We woke up at 7.30am in our tent at the Glen Nevis campsite to the sound of rain hitting canvas. I lingered in my sleeping bag for a while but it became clear that the rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon. It took a while to stuff my wet tent back into its bag and after I'd dressed, packed up and visited the campsite shop for our dinner for the next two days, it was getting on for 9am.
 |
| So it begins |
The rain eased off a bit as we arrived into Fort William, but grey clouds still loomed over us so I decided we should keep our wet weather gear on (yes, Sybil wears a waterproof coat too. She isn't friends with the rain). The Great Glen Way has a slightly uninspiring start directly from the train station and through the nearby Morrisons car park before heading away on a path in front of some houses where Sybil could stretch her legs.
 |
| Passing Caol |
There was a bit of road-walking as we made our way through Caol, where I stopped at a cafe to have a moral-boosting cup of hot chocolate and something warm for breakfast. Sybil had already eaten, but she still shared a little of my fried egg sandwich. The Way passed a slim shingle beach where the local birdlife was still out in force despite the persistent rain. I saw a wheatear, a flock of oystercatchers on the shinty pitch, sand martins swooping low all around us and my first hooded crow.
 |
| A bedraggled hooded crow |
We were suddently instructed to veer right by a GGW signpost as we reached the start of the Caledonian Canal, which was to be our almost constant companion all the way to Gairlochy. The walk finally felt "official"; now if only the rain would stop!
 |
| Calendonian Canal |
Unfortunately it was not to be as the heavens continued to pour on us all day, save for a half-hour break about eight miles out of Fort William. We soon reached Neptune's Staircase, which is a pretty impressive set of eight locks that allows boats to ascend or descend the slope. No pictures though, as the rain was still beating down and I didn't want to risk my camera getting wet.
 |
| Still marching along the canal |
There were some nice views of the hills and mountains of the Glen quite close at hand. Closer to Gairlochy it was possible to look back and see the snow-patched slopes of Ben Nevis in the distance. We stopped to have lunch and had a quick chat with several couples who had started the Great Glen Way the same day as us. Unlike us though they were all off to cushy B&Bs at the end of the day, while we had to try our best to dry off in our tent. Ah well, at least we had chosen the cheaper (free) option.
We were stopped at the Moy swing bridge while a farmer directed her flock of sheep and their lambs across to the other side of the canal. I had a chat to one of the couples we had met and found out they lived in Inverness and were walking home. A bit less travelling than us to do then!
The rain was really coming down now and instead of pausing at Gairlochy, we carried on into the forest to find somewhere a bit more sheltered to spend the night. Camping was permitted at Gairlochy locks but it was only half three in the afternoon and I didn't want to be sitting around bored in the tent while the rain carried on. I wanted get a bit more distance covered so we had a headstart the following morning.
 |
| Our home for the night |
In the forest was a little fairy garden with gnomes and fairies set around the trees. Unfortunately with the rain dampening my spirits, I didn't take the time to explore it and I wish I had done now. The rain started to ease off a little and I found a nice grassy area between the path and the road at the side of Loch Lochy to pitch the tent for the night. After such a wet first day, I could only hope for better weather for us in the morning.
No comments:
Post a Comment