Walking 1000 miles from Lands end to John O'Groats in aid of The Air Ambulance (starts april 7th 2024)

Saturday 16 August 2014

Day-13 solo

Over sleeping after all the travelling, I wake up at 7.15, requiring a scramble to get everything packed away. I still managed after breakfast to be on the road by 8.30  so not too bad a start, first off I (weird not writing we!) stop at the shop in Cannich that's run by aussies (nice folk) and get the provisions topped up and had a good chin wag.
Then off down the road past yet another hydro electric dam! This one at an area called Fasnakyle, it's a great monolith of a building with random carvings of cows bears and a dragon or wyvern.... Wouldn't have looked out of place in Orwell's 1984!.
Over the great rocky channel of the river glass and on into the conservation village of Tomich with its quaint post office and imposing victorian water fountain.
Through an avenue of trees and then double back slightly to pick up the forestry commotion track up through the silver Birch woods, always a joy this but today I'm treated with a rainbow below me refracting from the sun behind me into the mists in the valley below, I can't think of a time I've looked down into a rainbow! With a little cheesy singing to myself I continue up and out of the woods and back into moor country, heading up to loch na Beinne Baine in increasing rain though still with some great mountain views (pic), I find a rather battered old bothy perfect timing for a dry lunch out of the rain!.
Fully fed I step out into improving weather and further great mountain vista to the west,I reach the highest point on the trail and look down on the valley of Invermoriston. At this point is convenient to mention the power lines that we've been following pretty much since Beauly an upgrade to the existing to a whopping 50kv line! Though here it looks unsightly and with the massive trail that was built for its construction it's a sad scar on the mountain behind and ahead of me, though the track does make my progress quick.
Descending rapidly the track heads Straight,but the old path leads east admittedly in the wrong direction but so much nicer to follow! Finding a path directly down hill through more Birch woods I stop for a breather on a very comfy rock with such a peaceful surrounding I could have easily dozed off! But with some miles yet to do I resisted.
Reaching the road in the valley I head over the river Moriston and pick up a trail heading diagonally up hill through the woods. This is until I reach an old General Wade road that's going to take me all the way to Fort Augustus tomorrow, tonight it just takes me past huge wood ant hills bustling with busy ants, further along and away from my industrious little friends I reach my planned stop for tonight, still in the woods but getting a nice 5pm finish is perfect, so the usual process of tent up, cook pasta do the blog and chill out starts for another evening.

4 comments:

  1. "Comfy rock". Not two words you often see strung together!

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    1. After some of the rocks of perched on this was comfy!

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  2. Pity is not on the menu,but consolation is. Sorry about the rupture and we r thinking of you as well as your little companion. Keep the view of Land's End in sight and the daily briefing will be a MUST.

    Mum & P

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  3. That stretch between Tomich and the the A87 at Glen Moriston is amazingly beautiful and remote as it gets. I travelled it on a scorching hot day in 2009 and there was no cover for most of it.

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