Day 71: Drumnadrochit

Distance: 14.8 miles
Nessie sightings: zero :(

Today was one of the nicest walks of our entire trip. After two days of rain, the morning dawned sunny with blue skies. We had said since the beginning that we can handle lots of rain, but it would be great to have one nice day on Loch Lomand, and one nice day on Loch Ness. We've had both!


We started with the best breakfast we've had since Edinburgh! The coffee was good, there were croissants and cheese included with the cold breakfast, and the cooked breakfast was also good. I even enjoyed my morning chunk of haggis! While eating we watched the sunshine and looked forward to getting out in it.


The day was as nice outside as it looked from inside. It was cool, but not cold, perfect weather for a thousand foot climb through the forest. At the top, we followed a short spur path to our first lookout, the stone seat. The views were amazing. From the stone seat, the path continued high above Loch Ness, with one incredible view after another.


We were a bit high to get good views of the monster splashing around, but we knew she was there. Perhaps on the far side, near the Spital of Boleskine.


The main thing that slowed us down was the scenery. Both Michael and I couldn't help but take one picture after another, trying to capture what was all around us. Unfortunately, or maybe not, you really need to be there to see it all: the color of the water, the forests on the far bank, the snow topped peak hills just beyond, and the sky above that. It's just too much to capture in photos. But we did try.


Michael's blisteritis continues to plague him, especially by the end of the day. But, as you can see below, he is still on his feet and walking.


We made it to Drumnadrochit around 4:30. Our B&B host, Alastair, gave us a ride a couple of miles down the road to the most famous castle on Loch Ness, and one of the most famous in the country. If you've ever seen pictures of the loch, you've likely seen Urquhart Castle.


Alastair is a retired Glasgow detective who looks the part. He's a great guy, and seems happy enough to put up with us. He and his wife, Vanessa, are wonderful hosts.


Tomorrow the weather is looking fair, probably not as nice as today, but hopefully better than yesterday. We have a long walk into Inverness. From there, Michael and Jan will head back to Edinburgh (in a car!) and Dawn and I will get ready for our last nine day push to John O' Groats.

Location:The Shore of Loch Ness