Well it did happen! MY MAGICAL MOMENT OF DAY 3!
About 2km before my camping destination I came by a pretty run down building but with an intact roof … made me stop ✋ … door not closed … so I went in. Right side pretty dreadful, but why not look at the left side anyway.
Nice little bothy room and with that I quickly decided to change my plans and stay here instead.
There are quite a lot of people who stop by here … yesterday Graham Brook #27 of this years TGOC (the german that I am I corrected his year error).
And now it starts to rain … thanks 🙏 for that magical moment!
Off I went for a mere 20km (that turned out to become 23km because I had to revert) that were more exhausting than I imagined.
But recalling last years event I was also particularly tired and worn at day 4. No real food and no shower and no real drink since 4 days either. Today I was thinking continuously about the LOCH NESSS BUNK INN … and my dinner reservation at 6:30pm.
Remember what I wrote yesterday about taking detours?
Well, I did it again — I walked (on the map from the right) towards Corrimony and saw on the map the FALLS and the CAVE … well just a couple of hundred meters off the track and the promise of seeing something spectacular with a footbridge bringing you even closer and faster to your destination.
Found out it was impossible — while the map showed some decline it was a perpendicular wall. I made it to the falls that I believe are some of the most spectacular that I have seen in Scotland 🏴 – but since it was impossible to go down I had to return through almost impenetrable forest. But better than killing yourself.
Corrimony has many ancient monuments with the most notable being the chambered cairn several thousand years old.
The next 10k following the Affric Kintail trail were rather boring and I finally made it close to my destination walking through amazing trees and forests (Balmacaan estate and forest).
Then on to DRUMNADROCHIT and first in the local Co-Op buying supplies for the coming days and then on to my resting place … the Loch Ness Inn!
Dinner to come – will show some pictures tomorrow, but here one from the bunk room … 4 beds, till now the only one, but am sure that it will fill.
Tomorrow I am off for an early start as I need to walk for about an hour to catch my ferry across Loch Ness at 08:30 …. no there is normally no ferry, this is a private tour organised for the TGOC participants … no idea how many will show up.
🚶♂️ : 3
🦌 : 0
Total of almost 23km and 800 altitude meters
Readiness 78
Sleep 83 — not bad! Thank you bothy!
Activity 91
Learnings:
- You need to feel confident about making a decision despite having not enough information.
- If you get to a point where it is too difficult do not be too proud to turn around.
Magic Moments:
Up to now the Cider that I enjoy at the Bar of the Loch Ness Inn and the fact that they have 70 different Whiskeys … including 2 from Glenwyvis (some know that I am a voluntary director of that distillery).
My Travel Adventures 