The Highlands, Day 1

Downtown Inverness.

Right, another big one.  Don't seem to have done much walking this year, and it is also way too long since I was up a Scottish mountain.  Time to kill two birds with one stone then.  I take the quick way north, flying to Inverness - this is how airports should be, no queues, apart from the one for taxis.  I get a bus instead, and reach my hotel in time for a beer or two.  There is, of course, a wedding reception..

On a loch.

Next morning, after a massive breakfast and a bit of shopping, I head off along the river Ness.  It is very pleasant, but I have steeper walking in mind, and soon start heading up.  I get a glimpse of Loch Ness, then pass by numerous other lochs.  I fill my cunning water filter from one... and while it may be removing the disease causing nasties, the water that emerges is still yellow and peaty.

My whole route today is on roads, but hardly busy ones - indeed for the last two or three hours of walking I see no life other than sheep, rabbits and grouse (grice?).  To be fair, this road doesn't really go anywhere, and indeed my destination today is pretty much the middle of nowhere.  Reaching a suitably bleak spot I erect my tent on a flattish patch of sand, and cook up a plate of macaroni cheese - the yellow water doesn't seem to cause any problem there.  And then, to bed.

Al fresco camping.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.