Two years ago I vowed to complete the Great Glen Way by the end of 2010. Well, just over a year late I have finally finished it. Why did it take so long? I hear you ask, well, basically poor weather, and buying a house in need of a bit of work got in the way, but the biggest reason, and a completely insane one, was that on my last day on the GGW I came off my bike, and was within an inch of losing an eye. I still have the scars, and it just put me off going back to finish.
Anyway, the day started well. I drove up the hill out of Drumnadrochit, and dumped my bike at the top. Then I drove back down to park, before walking up the hill (it is very, very steep!) After picking up my bike, I cycled south along the quiet road to the end, which I had already reached from Invermoriston (and fallen off on the way back). I then returned to Drum, ending up pushing my bike down the hill as I could smell the brakes... After linking up with the car park in Drum, I drove up to Abriachan for the final stint, and here I cheated.
I followed the GGW north towards Inverness, but as it forked off the road into the forest, I stayed on the road down the hill a little way, before again dumping my bike and finding my own way down through the forest to Dochfur, and the canal which I had used to cycle into Inverness last autumn. Yes, I know that this means I have several miles of GGW still to walk, but I have connected The Fort to Inverness, which is what the GGW does after all!
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Tay & Tummel
I've just discovered that I made a post nearly 18 months ago with the same heading. Well, last Thursday I linked up with that days walk around Killiecrankie, by walking from Grandtully in Strathtay across the hills to Pitlochry and then north up the Tummel to Garry Bridge. It was a very pleasant walk, shockingly 15 miles when I measured it, marred only by the mist on the way out and the snow on the way back! I hadn't really planned to walk as far as Garry Bridge, but when I got to Loch Faskally it seems such a nice spot that it seemed a shame to turn back without exploring a bit more!
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Nairn to Inverness by bike. (or maybe not)
Today was another failure, of sorts. The town of Nairn lies about 16 miles east of the Highland Capital, and theres a cycle route connecting the two, so at first glance this was an easy day of cycling. However, before I even left home I knew that things would not be straightforward. The biggest problem is that the cycle route undulates a bit. I say a bit, I mean a lot. In order to avoid the main road, it takes a circuitous hilly route, and my legs don't like hills at the best of times. Easy then, take the A96... But that is just suicide. So I had a choice of death by Juggernaut or death by over exertion. Not good.
Looking at the map, I reckoned that there was a middle way, taking in some B roads that were less up and down. However, the big hill still needed to be climbed, and once I had reached the top of it, at the Culloden Battlefield, I knew that I had to turn back, freewheel down the hill and take to the coast road through Ardersier.
All in all, today was not an amazing day, the weather was sporadically dreary, the landscape underwhelming apart from a couple of stunning views of the Moray Firth, and the cycling a tad tedious, but at least I know now, and it's all good exercise to build my stamina up again, get me fit for climbing mountains and cycling 45 miles a day instead of a measly 32!
Looking at the map, I reckoned that there was a middle way, taking in some B roads that were less up and down. However, the big hill still needed to be climbed, and once I had reached the top of it, at the Culloden Battlefield, I knew that I had to turn back, freewheel down the hill and take to the coast road through Ardersier.
All in all, today was not an amazing day, the weather was sporadically dreary, the landscape underwhelming apart from a couple of stunning views of the Moray Firth, and the cycling a tad tedious, but at least I know now, and it's all good exercise to build my stamina up again, get me fit for climbing mountains and cycling 45 miles a day instead of a measly 32!
Strath Orchy
Yesterday I set off to do some cycling around Glen Orchy and Dalmally. However, the one thing that hadn't occurred to me when I checked the forecast was that the -2 meant it would be frosty and icy. Hence, as the car slithered down the glen I decided to change the plan, and walk at least part of the route instead. I'm rather glad that I did though, as the track along the west side of the River Orchy really wasn't fit for cycling, what with the gates tied up with string, the rickety bridges, muddy potholes and so on.
I walked from a little picnic site where there's a footbridge, down the west bank of the river all the way into Dalmally, and then back along the road. The A85 isn't really the best route for a walker, but it was only for a mile, and there was a wide verge most of the way!
With an hour or so before dusk, I then drove down to Dalmally and cycled the old B road through Stronmilchan and down into Lochawe village, so despite the last minute change of plan, I actually managed to do over half of what I had set out to do!
I walked from a little picnic site where there's a footbridge, down the west bank of the river all the way into Dalmally, and then back along the road. The A85 isn't really the best route for a walker, but it was only for a mile, and there was a wide verge most of the way!
With an hour or so before dusk, I then drove down to Dalmally and cycled the old B road through Stronmilchan and down into Lochawe village, so despite the last minute change of plan, I actually managed to do over half of what I had set out to do!
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Kelvin Way
Yesterday I walked most of the Kelvin Way from Milngavie down to the Forth and Clyde Canal. It was an interesting experience, and not at all what I expected. Disappointing is the word I would use...
The first section through Milngavie was nice enough - I made a slight detour to link up with the West Highland Way in Mugdock Country Park, but once out of the town, and walking along the Allander Water, the rot set in. Whether it was the recent storms, or whether it is always like it I don't know, but the little streams banks were clogged with litter. A recycling company could make a fortune by clearing it away. After a mile or so, I found the path hemmed in between the stream and a large, steep bank. At first glance I thought it was natural, but then the bank suddenly ended, in a tangle of broken concrete. Looking across the bleak windswept field, there were more banks stretching off into the distance, and these were split open to reveal a core of demolished building rubble. Not exactly an appealing sight.
The Kelvin itself was no better, still strewn with tons of litter, and I was glad to finally reach civilisation on the edge of Glasgow, even if it did look a bit rough in places. I worked my way on, sticking to the Kelvin Way which was now paved, rather than just a muddy trail where every step could result in my foot disappearing into the mud, and finally reached the canal at Maryhill. From there I detoured down to Anniesland Cross, before following city streets back up via Bearsden to the car.
The first section through Milngavie was nice enough - I made a slight detour to link up with the West Highland Way in Mugdock Country Park, but once out of the town, and walking along the Allander Water, the rot set in. Whether it was the recent storms, or whether it is always like it I don't know, but the little streams banks were clogged with litter. A recycling company could make a fortune by clearing it away. After a mile or so, I found the path hemmed in between the stream and a large, steep bank. At first glance I thought it was natural, but then the bank suddenly ended, in a tangle of broken concrete. Looking across the bleak windswept field, there were more banks stretching off into the distance, and these were split open to reveal a core of demolished building rubble. Not exactly an appealing sight.
The Kelvin itself was no better, still strewn with tons of litter, and I was glad to finally reach civilisation on the edge of Glasgow, even if it did look a bit rough in places. I worked my way on, sticking to the Kelvin Way which was now paved, rather than just a muddy trail where every step could result in my foot disappearing into the mud, and finally reached the canal at Maryhill. From there I detoured down to Anniesland Cross, before following city streets back up via Bearsden to the car.
Land Rover
I spent quite a lot of time on Tuesday working on the old Land Rover again. Yes, it is finally in Scotland, with an MOT and so on, even if its not in the best of health! To find out how it got here, see malpas-chronicles.blogspot.com, it's quite a story!
Anyway, I managed to fix the headlamp and the rear indicator that were dead. I've also found the wiper motor, and concluded that it needs replacing. This is an important feature on any vehicle in the west Highlands - without it the chances of crashing increase to certainty! There is also a fault with the Auxillary Fan. The fuse had blown, well sort of melted really, and I've only just got some new ones to see if they are the main problem, or if its more serious.
I've also picked up some clever straight to rust Hammerite to try and protect the old beast!
Anyway, I managed to fix the headlamp and the rear indicator that were dead. I've also found the wiper motor, and concluded that it needs replacing. This is an important feature on any vehicle in the west Highlands - without it the chances of crashing increase to certainty! There is also a fault with the Auxillary Fan. The fuse had blown, well sort of melted really, and I've only just got some new ones to see if they are the main problem, or if its more serious.
I've also picked up some clever straight to rust Hammerite to try and protect the old beast!
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Hello Again!
I'm back!
Sorry it's been so long, but I've been renovating my new house. I had to strip the interior - back to the bricks in places - so it took a bit of time. That's not to say I didn't get out at all in 2011, but I didn't really have any spare time to update the blog.
Anyway, it's the start of a new year, so I thought it was a good time to get back on the blog. I'm working on a new look for my website, so I haven't uploaded anything there. However, I have already been out this year, and you can visit Sabre to see what I was up to: http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Fort_Augustus_to_Glen_Moriston_Road
That's about it for now. I'm hoping to get out again this coming week, weather permitting, so hopefully there'll be more to tell then.
Sorry it's been so long, but I've been renovating my new house. I had to strip the interior - back to the bricks in places - so it took a bit of time. That's not to say I didn't get out at all in 2011, but I didn't really have any spare time to update the blog.
Anyway, it's the start of a new year, so I thought it was a good time to get back on the blog. I'm working on a new look for my website, so I haven't uploaded anything there. However, I have already been out this year, and you can visit Sabre to see what I was up to: http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Fort_Augustus_to_Glen_Moriston_Road
That's about it for now. I'm hoping to get out again this coming week, weather permitting, so hopefully there'll be more to tell then.
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