Day 86: Alltsigh to West Temple, Drumnadrochit (11.6 miles)

Another indulgent slow start knowing I had a long day (18 miles) tomorrow. We arrived back at Alltsigh and I set off at 10:40 leaving Martin to decide what he would do for the day but potentially walking out to me from Drumnadrochit.

The path gradually climbed up through the forest, with occasional glimpses of the loch. There was however enough variation in the vegetation to keep me content along with the song of chaffinches, siskins, robins and wrens.

I was surprised how quickly, at 11:30, I reached the point where the high and low routes join, and for a while the path went through Heather and gorse.

A bird call I didn’t recognise turned out to be a great spotted woodpecker. The path suddenly opened up into meadows and a scattering of houses and farms. A pottery was advertising teas but no one was around so I continued on along what was now a minor road. The views across to the hills south of the great glen appeared across boggy moorland and I stopped for some lunch on the grass verge.

Continuing on I heard someone approaching from behind - a runner who paused for a chat and later made a donation - he was hoping to enter the Pennine Way spine race in future years having done the Sprint to Hebden Bridge in January. I am in awe of anyone who does this and amazed that he was in awe of what I am doing. After awhile he continued on his run, staying with the road while I turned off onto another forest track which zig zagged down into the valley eventually leading to Lewiston.

By this time I had established that Martin was miles away …. In fact he had driven up to Loch Cluanie to have a bit more time in the highlands. Ironically, Cluanie Inn would have been a pickup point if I had continued along the Cape Wrath Trail so I was tempted to tease him about getting our rendez-void point for the day confused. As it was, I had to prompt him to head back as he had the keys for the cottage!

I stopped at a cafe in Lewiston at 14:45 for a coffee and cake before walking the last 2 miles to the cottage. Taken aback to see the A82 had been closed to Inverness, it turned out there had been a road accident at the Inverness end in the morning. If that had been the following day, Martin would have had a long detour back to Fort Augustus to pick me up from Inverness.

I sat in the sun for less than half an hour before Martin returned. The road onward was opened shortly after. Although it had been a quiet day, it had been pleasant to walk in the sun and have no rain for the day. It felt a while since that had happened and heavy rain was forecast for the following afternoon…..

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