Started with a full scotish breakfast 🍳 (including haggis and black pudding) and left the B&B around 09:30 up the Glen Roy. Initially with a lot of rain and subsequently fighting against heavy heavy headwind.

Total of 30km in a little more than 7 hours.

And I stayed for the first time in a scotish bothy with 4 other challengers that I will meet again on friday in Braemar.

This is a very long stretch to Brae Roy Lodge (hunting lodge) and the further up the Glen. On the way the gourgeous Roy Falls.

Another 2 hours after that you cross into a new glen / valley starting with Loch Spey and River Spey. The namegiver of the famous whisky region Speyside.

Around 17:00 I arrived in the bothy … the fire was still going and the deer gazing outside not bothered by us.

After dinner and some very nice chatting we all went to sleep at around 21:30 … my plan for tomorrow will probably be to reach Newtonmore on a little more direct path. We will see!

Got up at 06:30 because I knew it would be a long day today, as i was 2 hours short of the place I actually wanted to be yesterday. Luckily I stopped when I stopped … the actual site would not have been very nice.

Well the weather was nice at least … quite a mess to pack everything when it is raining and blowing.

Then I got lost for the first time, because the new roads / paths for logging were not on my map. One extra hour.

And a little later I took the wrong valley down — please remember there are often no paths at all. Well made it down to the lake, but added another hour.

I subsequently passed the Neptun Staircase – part of the Caledonian Canal from Inverness to Fort Williams. I do not recall exactly, but around 15 shift lifting devices.

From here you were also able to see the Ben Nevis, the UK‘s highest mountain … only a little more than 1.300m (but from sealevel) and still quite a bit of snow up there. In 3 days I plan to go up the Cairn Toul, the second highest mountain, maybe I will reconsider as I am not prepared for that.

After that I had to follow the street to Spleanbridge and then I wanted to cheat a little bit (5km along a busy road) and take the train from there to Roybridge. Well, did not work – train was canceled … so I had to walk. My feet look terrible – so I treated myself for some good food at least.

Tomorrow is another long day with rain all day, but it should still not be too difficult … let’s see!

It rained till around 09:00 — I patiently waited in the tent. Very long day today … it actually took the 9h as indicated … I am completely exhausted and the first blisters show … now wonder with wet boots to start.

Day started with some major incline and the first Munro (Sgurr Corr – over 1.000m) and a traverse followed by an even steeper descent.

The rest was rather boring and very muddy.

I was short 2 miles / 3 km today … which I need to catch up tomorrow. Hope the boots dry.

At 10:15 I boarded the ferry to Inverie … with 20 other challengers … many of them in sneakers! How stupid is that!

Met a german on the ferry and we walked the first 3k together — eternally grateful, because he gave me his spare gas cartridge for my cooker — the german custom took it!

Pretty lousy weather and I can already say that it was miserable pretty much the whole day. The weather forecast said 15mm from 11-20:00 and a 40%-80% … well it was 40mm (my guess) and 100%!! And since it rained for the last few days here many rivers were impassable without taking your shoes off. All in all a terrible start … boots wet, clothes wet.

Below find some photos and videos of the first day. Took me over 8 hours without break 😥

Rained through the night and into the morning. So I left a little late … hope i can catch up with my plan.