18 May 2013: 16km. Started 09:30. Arrived 13:45.
The nice sunny weather had gone again and it was damp and drizzly with low cloud and even a bit windy at canal level. It must have been very windy in the hills. I enjoyed a relaxed breakfast – three Alpen sachets, croissant and a breakfast bar plus coffee. I chatted to a lady who was doing the Great Glen Way both ways – can’t remember why she wanted to do that! Jenny was starting her remote route despite the poor weather.
The route was flat and easy. I walked past a disused rail line with a big Douglas fir growing on the platform. The line had been built at great expense – designed to be a main link line. It never really came to fruition and certainly doesn’t look as though it will do so now. It would have been a superb tourist route with all the loch and mountain scenery.
I went past a bridge and dropped down to the canal. At one point, I had to stop at a lock as two boats passed through – the gates were operated electrically rather than by turning a handle.
In view of the weather, I wasn’t dawdling so I arrived very early at Fort Augustus, where there is an impressive flight of locks and I saw a couple of boats going up. I had coffee and cake at two different places before deciding to see if I could get into the hostel – successfully.
Morag’s Hostel was lovely and I would have stayed for two nights if I had realised, especially as I could have visited the town museum the next day. It was homely and relaxed with comfortable lounge areas. There was everything I needed – so I did some washing, made phone calls including sorting out onward accommodation as well as some work for after I’ve finished the walk. I was booked at Drumnadrochit already though for the next night so it would have meant cancelling that booking to stay longer.
Where's Kathryn? 