Having just woken up from a blissful nights sleep, the last week seems almost like a dream. Seventy-Three miles across Scotland has filled my head with mountains, autumn leaves, lochs, locks, sheep, farms, and the people of the highlands. We traveled from Fort William to Inverness, following the Lochs and the Caledonian Canal that connects them, from one side of Scotland to the other.
The route – from http://www.greatglenway.com
The route cuts across the country, in a north-easterly direction. It traverses forest tracks, tow paths, canal side strolls, steep hills – affording breath taking views and some good-ole’ fresh mountain air. Before leaving, we had warily watched the weather reports call for day after day of rain. Upon arriving in Scotland, we were repeatedly told how much it had rained the week before. Our week, however, saw only a few stray drops – we were blessed with dry, and sometimes even sunny, weather. And as our train rumbled out of Inverness, sending us back to London, the rain started again. Whew! talk about perfect timing.
Rather than give a detailed, lengthy description of each day, I thought I might tell you about some of the most beautiful sights and most interesting people we met along the way.
Hiking what seemed to be the very last week of the season, our days were very quite, as far as other hikers were concerned. Our first night we stopped at Gairlochy, our second at Laggan – arriving at both rather early. Finding ourselves amongst very small company at the hostels, we were afforded two quiet afternoons or reading and resting up for our longest day on Wednesday.
Monday was relatively tame and straight-forward, while Tuesday brought a couple of Scottish curiosities with it. We had been noticing the large number of garden gnomes and lawn ornaments, but the “Fairy Glen” we came across in the middle of the woods was on a whole new level.
Welcome to Fairy Glen
Rationally thinking, someone had obviously spent a lot of time putting together this fairy-like realm in the middle of the woods, just off the GGW. There was even a guest book of the visitors who had stopped here, some coming year after year. But I couldn’t help feeling that I was being drawn into a real, other-worldly dimension of fairies and woodland creatures – a place where they had collected those little objects that we often believe we have misplaced, but that have actually been snatched up by an impish sprite. With no other souls around, we inched our way quietly through the different scenes – nearly expecting the fairies to come to life at any moment.
Rain BootsFairy House
Animals around a Maypole
A day that had started with our unexpected fairy visitors, ended with some long expected ones – the highland sheep!
Sheep on the trail!
Having traveled 10 and 13 miles our first two days, we doubled our distance on Wednesday, walking 22 miles. Need I say that we were a little sore? Aching feet and tired legs aside, our day on Wednesday was very much worth it. Our first stretch brought us to Ft. Augustus, located at the bottom of Loch Ness itself! This little town was the biggest we had seen since leaving Ft. William, so we stopped in a cafe for a cup of tea. I’m sure our muddy boots and wind-swept hair made quite a sight! We then stopped at the local butcher’s for some hot pies. I clutched my hot, haggis (that’s right!) pie in my chilled fingers, cherishing every bite. Little did I know we were about to climb – up and up and up. The haggis wasn’t very happy about that, but when we reached the top, we were treated to some beautiful views!
Overlooking Loch Ness
We hiked, and hiked some more. Until we reached Invermoriston. While this is usually a stopping place on the trail – complete with hotel and clog shop – we had our eyes set on a B&B that promised a three-course Scottish dinner. So we snapped some pictures, and moved on towards our last four miles.
Invermoriston
We even climbed a little extra to take in a fantastic view – definitely earning our dinner.
The View
Finally, we made it to our B&B – Briarbank, in Altsigh. And oh was it worth those four extra miles. Our hosts were so nice, and so very, very Scottish! The first course of dinner was home-made chicken soup – warming our bones after a long, chilly day. Then came carrots, cabbage, mashed potatoes, and the best meat pie I have had in my entire life. After we were already quite full, we were served scones with tea – some of them shaped like Nessie. The B&B is right on the other side of the road from Loch Ness – with clear views of the water. We asked our thickly accented, kilt-wearing host if he had ever seen the monster. “Of course!” he said. “Let me tell you how to see her. You take a bottle of whisky, and you start drinking it – looking out over the loch. When you reach the bottom of the bottle, look through it, out towards the loch, and you will see her!”
Dreaming of Nessie and the promise of a full Scottish breakfast, we fell fast asleep. I woke up to the smell of bacon (ham). We rolled out of bed, and sat ourselves at the breakfast table, ready to fuel up for the day. We expected small servings of eggs, sausage, and bacon – but we were surprised to find plates with 2 eggs, 4 sausages, 4 pieces of bacon, and a big slice of black pudding. So. Much. Food. But if we could conquer the Great Glen Way, then we could conquer this monumental breakfast. Had I known we were about to climb for three miles straight, I might have fore-gone the clean plate club, but I was on a mission – no regrets! Yes, I ate it all, even the black pudding, which is, indeed, made with blood. Sounds gross, but as the saying goes – “when in Rome…” I was determined to take in as much Scottish hospitality as possible.
Before departing our lovely B&B, we asked for a picture…
Briarbank B&B
We hiked 10 miles to Drumnadrochit – our next stop. We passed through some farm land, meeting many a sheep and cow along the way.
Peaks behind farmland
Curious Cow
When we reached Drumnadrochit, we were thinking of the advice we had been given at Briarbank, and we did want to see Nessie, so we thought it appropriate to stop at the local highland restaurant, which happened to serve a wide range of scotch and whiskey. Fortunately, we came across some vouchers for a free dram of house whiskey at our B&B. And guess who we found – Nessie!
Having a dram with Nessie
Hardly able to believe it, we had already made it to Friday – the last day. We put in our final 18 miles before arriving in Inverness. The final day brought us to the highest point of the Great Glen Way – at 1230 ft.
The Highest Point – with Nessie!
The altitude brought a change in landscape and temperature. The ground was hard, the plants were scrubby, and our fingers were very cold. This would be the perfect time for a cafe stop, right? But everyone knows there are no stops before Inverness. Except for this one, of course….
Trail-side Cafe?
Not really knowing what to expect, we made our way off the trail, only to be met by a big-bearded mountain man. He lead us to the “cafe,” which meant a little shack with outdoor seating. Being led by a bearded man through an empty, muddy, campsite is a little disconcerting, but when his wife rushed out to meet us with a kind word and a good-natured smile, our hesitations were put to rest. We ended up having a lovely cup of tea and some toasties (toast with melted cheese, tomatoes, and onions) in the company of a Scottish mountain couple, their dogs, and their chickens.Towards the end, we were even joined by two older, British men hiking the GGW. It was probably my favorite stop.
Our Table
- Not your average cafe
Dog!
Warmed by our tea and very amused with our find, we descended the final 10 miles to Inverness. Hips popping, knees burning, and feet pounding, we trudged through Inverness to the castle. We got a couple of wary looks – I’m sure we looked very muddy and bedraggled. We felt rather out of place back in the city, fitting in more with the mountain couple we had met earlier than the city people going out on a Friday night. I’d like to believe that, had they known that we had just put 73 miles behind us in 5 days, they would have looked in wonder rather than confusion. Who knows. In any case, we had made it!
Victory!
Miles of beautiful scenery and memories of Scottish people and culture lay behind us. By the end, it felt as if this was all we had ever been doing with lives. It is still surreal to think that I have midterms and papers back here in London. But, I will remember that the world is much bigger than this – it is more than studying and assignments. There are Lochs and Mountains, trail-side cafes and lovely Scottish couples out there. And sometimes, we are given the great privileged of meeting them and getting a little glimpse into their stories.
Worth a Journey 