Northern Highlands

Strathpeffer - Kinbrace, 30^th May – 3^rd June 2015

 

Introduction

We returned to the north of Scotland, to Strathpeffer where we have finished last year, to resume our annual pilgrimage towards John O’Groats. We had started so long ago that it was difficult to recall the number of years and all the start/finish points. In fact my daughter was still at university when we began our journey and she is now expecting her fourth child. On the way north, I had called in to spend a few days with the grandchildren and had then met Mike in Glasgow on Friday 29^th May. Together we caught the 13.41 train from Queen Street Station and, after changing at Perth and Inverness, eventually disembarked at Dingwall at 17.45 and caught the last bus towards Contin. On reaching Strathpeffer, I took Mike to the wrong hotel. Having booked at several highland hotels, I was convinced that it was the Highland Hotel here in Strathpeffer. But it wasn’t. It was the Strathpeffer Hotel next to the bus stop. This did not augur well for the more demanding navigation still to come. The dining room was filled with a coach-load of elderly Germans. But we had a pleasant meal in the bar, fish and chips, bread & butter pudding and Maclachlan’s Real Ale (served cold from a cask). Afterwards we went for a postprandial and visited the Eagle Stone at the bottom edge of the village.

 

Saturday 30^th May 2015     Stathpeffer – Aultguish

The Wet Fish Road

The day dawned bright and fresh and not too cold so I donned my shorts. Little did I think at the time that it would be the only day I would wear them. After weaving through the Germans to get our breakfast, we set out soon after 9.00am and had a pleasant stroll up the hill and along the side of Loch Kinellan. Here we met a lone woman out walking without a dog. How rare is that now-a-days? She turned back to accompany us to the awkward fork in the forest and made sure we were on the right path. It was a wonderful help as there were tracks all over the forest but we unerringly found our way through and out onto the track to Rogie Falls. This was well worth visiting; an impressive sight when viewed from the middle of the footbridge. A fish ladder carved out of the rocks looked almost natural as it looped its way around the main falls. Back on the track we had an easy walk in the morning sunshine to Little Garve where we were very taken by the beautiful old bridge which the main road now bypasses. Here we met a woman finishing her run accompanied by her young son on his bike. She was training for the cross-Scotland race that passes through Tomich, one of our overnight stops last year. 

The map here was confusing. The original route onwards had been severed by the new road and looked impassable so we went the long way round, along the old road to the north-east and then across the main road and back along a forestry track. As we did so the weather turned, never to recover properly for the rest of our trip. By the time we reached the track junction, where a signpost indicated that the old drove road directly uphill from Little Garve might still exist, it was raining hard and we donned all our waterproofs. We had a quick bite to eat and set off uphill following the sign ‘Drove Road to Aultguish’.Unfortunately the underfoot conditions went downhill. The track was

swamped and our progress was slowed by continually having to scramble to either side to avoid deep puddles of slimy morass. After what seemed an age, we came out of the forest and onto an open moor. Now there was no protection from the squalls coming in from the west, but we could see the Aultguish Inn on the road below. But still the wet ground would not let go and in fact it got worse. In the end we abandoned the main path and slid down the wet hillside to the road some 500 yards short the inn. My legs were caked in brown peat so I stripped off shoes and socks and left them in the car park.

We had a lovely room. We were early enough to watch the Scottish Cup Final and to enjoy the exciting victory of the local Highland team. Then it was down for a pint before Jeff and Margaret arrived to join us for a meal. I had last met Mike’s old university mate and his wife at Struy on last year’s trip. And it was lovely to meet them again and exchange much news and opinion. Margaret, who seems an authority on this part of the world, told us that our wet afternoon tramp across the moors had followed the Fish Road, an old route for transporting fish from the west coast at Ullapool to the east side at Dingwall. We suggested it was more suitable for fish than for walkers. She also filled me with anticipation for a coffee shop at Shin Falls that we would pass in two days time. Then it was a last pint and an early night. We were in for a big day tomorrow.

 

Strathpeffer dep. 09.08, Aultguish Inn arr. 15.14.   GPS 16.69 miles in 5hr 52m 33s including a 10 min lunch stop.

We stayed at Aultguish Inn on the Garve to Ullapool road. I had exquisite venison & pheasant pie and Drambuie sponge pudding. The beer was Kildonan (4.4%) from Dundonnell Brewery at Little Loch Broom, by far the outstanding ale on this holiday.

 

Sunday 31^st May 2015       Aultguish – Bonar Bridge

Walking with Wolves

Throughout the planning stage of this walk, I had realised that the next stage north from Aultguish would be long, whether we chose the western route to Oykel Bridge or the eastern alternative to Ardgay. Discouraging reports were coming in on the mountain path over to Oykel Bridge. Then I could not find accommodation in Ardgay so we had no alternative but to go all the way through to Bonar Bridge. At least there will be food there awaiting us. Oh for the old bothy or a new guest house at Alladale Lodge or Croik!

With such a big day ahead of us, we breakfasted early and were on the road by 8.45am heading eastwards and downhill. What a dreary day! Drizzle coming from a grey sky. At least there was no wind and the umbrellas went up. This kept us dry until we turned off the road and into Strath Vaich. The first two miles were tarmacked but this led onto a muddy track under some woodland and then up over a low hill and down beside the three-mile long Loch Vaich. There was some activity below us at Lubachlaggan but otherwise we saw no-one in the glen. As we climbed up towards the bealach, the wind got stronger and I had to fight to get my umbrella down before it was destroyed. This only resulted in me cutting my finger which bled profusely for much of the day.

A delightful path dropped down into Shangri La, or Deanich Lodge as it was called on the map. The next six or seven miles were the highlight of the trip, a steady descent down the beautiful Gleann Mor alongside the river as it meandered through meadows or roared down rapids. In the middle of this we stopped to eat our two-day-old butties and then dropped down steeply into Alladale. We learnt later that this is where the wolf might get reintroduced to the Scottish mountains. I recalled meeting two young conservation workers in Namibia last year, who had told me about this scheme and their keenness to come and work on it,

Listening for every howl, we hurried on as we still had a long way to go. The weather was improving and we removed our heavy gear for the length of Strath Carron. It was to be ten miles of road walking at the end of a strenuous day. We crossed to the south side of the river, onto a quiet narrow lane. The map showed a riverside path for the last two miles, but this failed to materialise and we were tarmac-bound all the way. It seemed an age to get to Ardgay and then we marched straight through, over the railway and around the head of the Dornoch Firth into Bonar Bridge. The new bridge is quite elegant and, on the other side, the hotel was advertising its meals. It was only a few more yards to our overnight accommodation and the end of a very long day. I am getting too old for days like this.

Aultguish dep.08.45, Bonar Bridge arr. 18.15, GPS 30.56 miles in 9hrs 11m 17s walking time plus a 20 minute lunch stop (12.55-13.15).

We stayed at Kyle House, Dornoch Road, Bonar Bridge. We ate at the Old Bridge Hotel: haggis parcels for starters and fish & chips yet again. The beer was Belhaven Bitter but I was so thirsty, who cares.

 

Monday 1^st June 2015    Bonar Bridge – Lairg

No Coffee at Shin Falls

I had recovered better than I expected from yesterday’s exertions but I was still looking forward to a rest day. After a leisurely breakfast and without the usual hurried packing of sacks, we wandered down to the local shop and restocked our lunch-snacks. It was bright and breezy but with a cold wind that kept us under full body cover. I don’t think the shorts are going to appear again on this trip. In fact I sought out a pair of gloves.

I had considered backtracking to Ardgay and following the forest roads to the west of the river round to Carbisdale Castle. But the thought of retracing yesterday’s tarmac, and the worry about not being able to re-cross the river, put us off the idea and instead we marched for about 1½ miles north out of Bonar Bridge along the main road to Lairg. At the entrance to the Balblair forestry walks, we took to the forestry track that runs parallel to the road to the east of the river and which then drops you back onto it near Invershin Hotel. Here we were able to see the castle and read its short history from an interpretive board place beside the road. We also found that we could cross the river at this point. In 2000 a new footbridge was hung from the side of the railway bridge thus negating the need to have stations on each side of the river.

On Saturday night last, Margaret has heighten my interest in the Shin Falls by telling me of the coffee shop owned by Al Fayed. So for two days I had anticipated my first cappuccino of the trip. These thoughts speeded my footsteps over the next two miles or so of road, even though I was determined to stay off full pace for this my rest day. The sound of roaring water took us down some steps to the falls which were slightly disappointing after the Rogie Falls of two days ago. But we paused for a few minutes and took photographs and delighted in the situation. Then it was back up to the road and the visitor centre. Disaster! The silence and bareness was a huge shock. Everything had been burned down in a fire that had destroyed the centre, restaurant and coffee shop. There was nothing but a large slap of concrete and a nearly deserted car park. I was going to have to forego my coffee and cake.

A lady dog-walked was sitting in the car park and she told us that, as the storm damage forestry clearances were not taking place today, it would be possible to climb up into the plantations and pick up a forest track towards Lairg. This kept us off tarmac for two miles but then we had no alternative, without a big diversion, but to strike out again towards our target. From the map we could see a footbridge marked over the River Shin leading towards the railway station. We were hopeful for a way across the river as it would shorten our route into our overnight accommodation. We found the lovely suspension bridge and crossed one at a time as it appeared a little frail and swayed slightly. On the other side we met a male dog-walker who asked us where we were heading and when I told him we had crossed the river to find our bed & breakfast for the night, he introduced himself as Clive, the owner of the Highland House. We were almost there. Passing Lairg Station, it was only a few yards down the road to the lonely roadside house with its Saltire flying in the front garden. Clive had phoned ahead and we were expected.

As it was still only lunchtime, I had a quick shower and change of clothes and we walked up the road into town. Using the wall of the dam just north of the b&b, we crossed the river yet again and walked up the quiet lane to the Ferrycross Visitor Centre. Mike fancied a walk up to the local view point but I was more interested in my cake and cappuccino. So I spent a quiet half hour restocking mentally and physically in preparation for the big push that was to follow over the next few days. Mike re-joined me for a quick drink and we walked over the bridge into Lairg village centre. Blink and you miss this. The visitor centre quoted Paul Theroux, the travel writer, on arriving by train.

. ‘..the train pulled out and left me in a sort of pine-scented silence. Lairg Station was two miles from Lairg, but even Lairg was nowhere…’  

It was time for a pint so we nipped into the Nip Inn which was the bar of the Lairg Highland Hotel. So it was not a long stagger into next door’s restaurant for a meal of tandoori chicken & rice followed by sticky toffee pudding and ice cream. The beer was bottled Dark Island (4.6%) from Orkney brewery. By the time we finished, it was raining hard so we asked the hotel to get us a taxi and we rode out of town in style but at least we kept our only change of clothes warm and dry.

We stayed at Highland House, 88 Lower Toroboll, Lairg.

Bonar Bridge dep. 09.46, Highland House (a mile south of Lairg) arr. 14.00, GPS 11.43 miles in 3hr 59m 18s walking time plus a 13 min halt to eat a flap-jack and some nuts.

 

Tuesday 2^nd June 2015     Lairg – Crask

Road from Nowhere
The rained had ceased by the time we left Highland House and once more traipsed up the road into Lairg. We called at the local store to stock up with sandwiches for the next few days. We were heading out into a very remote part of the world now and would not be encountering any more shops. We had thought long and hard about an off-road alternative for today’s walk. The forests to the east of the road were criss-crossed with paths and it looked a distinct possibility to take a narrow lane northwards out of town to Seval and then over some open land to the edge of a forest. Global Earth had shown a forestry ride from the end of the path which would link up with the major forest track running north. But was there an unclimbable deer fence? And Mike had noticed that this track crosses a large burn without any indication of a bridge. Previous experiences of wading Scottish rivers had alerted us to the difficulties and dangers of river crossings especially after heavy rain.

So we took the safer option and walked eleven miles up the main road, which was single track for most of the way and would have been very quiet except for the fleets of German motorbikes. The weather had deteriorated again with heavy showers of rain blowing in on a very cold wind. So we were back to wearing full waterproofs, hats and gloves. Near North Dalchork we took a three mile loop through the forest to give our feet a break but, as most of the plantations had been clear-felled, we got preciously little shelter from the wind. The last mile was back on the road. It was a wonderful moment when we came round a bend and saw the Crask Inn ahead, two lonely buildings set in a huge landscape of bleak moorland with distant snow-covered mountains beyond.

As we approached the inn, it appeared to be closed. All was quiet and in darkness. There was a great sense of relief when, on trying the door handle, the door open and we entered a small dark room which had a bar at one end. A bell on the counter brought the lady owner who was out in the back trying to start the generator. But she paused in her task and made us a cup of tea and then eventually started the machine and gave us light. Her husband came in and lit the peat/wood-burning stove and
we got some warmth at last. Other people started to arrive. A couple of Dutch motorcyclists pulled in for a cup of tea before moving on, a Swiss cyclist who was staying in the bunkhouse across the road (the second building) and then a group of English cyclists in the early stages of a north-to-south end-to-end attempt. The inn and its bunkhouse were full by evening and we had a delightful night of good food, beer and chat in the company of a great set of people. Outside the rain was driven against the windows. Surely this bad weather must pass eventually.

Lairg (Highland House) dep. 09.39, Crask arr. 14.30, GPS 15.22 miles in 4hrs 31m 47s walking time plus a 14 minute (13.03-13.17) lunch halt.

We stayed in the Crask Inn, one of the most remote places one can imagine. I had a prawn cocktail for starters, then venison casserole and finished with Bakewell tart and ice cream. The beers were served draught from pins from the Black Isle Brewery Co., Blonde (4.6%) and Red Kite (4.2%).

 

Wednesday 3^rd June 2015     Crask Inn – Kinbrace Station

Burnt Out Bothy

What a dreadful morning. All the weather forecasts we had heard during the trip had promised us summer starting today. Not in the north of Scotland, it wasn’t! The windows of the inn were awash with rain driving across the bleak landscape. We had had our earliest breakfast, 7.30am, as we had a train to catch and we had no idea of the state of the ground we must cross. Soon after 8.30am, we stepped out into the wind and rain. At least it was on our backs.

The first three miles or so were on a very wet path that crossed endless streams and marshes. But all things come to an end and we eventually pulled up to the bealach and on to firmer ground. Round a

corner the view opened up and what a view it turned out to be. Below us was a sunlit glen descending to Loch a' Bhealaich and Loch Choire. Our path was beautifully engineered across the face of the mountain, dropping at a welcome and steady gradient. This led us out into the glen and a long tramp on good tracks, some quite sandy, along the lochsides. As we approached Loch Choire House we saw smoke rising out of the trees and I recalled that a bothy had recently burnt down. When we arrived, we found the smoke to be coming from the demolition team that was tidying up the ruins. No more overnight bivvying here for a while!

Rather than follow the wide vehicle track for its full length, we took instead an alternative ‘short cut’, a path marked on the map crossing some higher ground. It was hardly shorter in time as there were some awkward wet sections and a couple of climbs over gates in the very high deer fences. So it was a relief to get back onto the wide estate road. The surface was smooth and pleasant to walk on. At Gearnsary we sheltered behind a wall and had a quick bite to eat, finishing off butties we had bought two days previously in Lairg.

The final push was in improving weather. The sun shone during the afternoon and if it had not been for the biting wind, we might have mistaken it for the promised arrival of better weather. Eventually Badanloch Lodge came into view at the end of the eponymous loch. As we crossed the wall of the dam, the bitingly cold wind threatened my sun hat which I had to remove or risk losing it. Lapwings started to mob us: we must have been traversing their nesting ground. A large herd of red deer crossed our path and then some geese (they must have been greylags but I was most surprised to see these here in June) and oyster catchers. There was more wildlife here than we had seen on the entire trip so far. It seemed a long four miles to Kinbrace but we had time to spare and slowed to a more comfortable pace. And the sun was shining on us now as we dropped down to a river bridge and up into the delightfully situated village of Kinbrace. This looked an absolute picture in the sunshine. I was very glad to have made it. The cold weather and the wind had made this a challenging few days.

Crask dep. 08.35, Kinbrace arr. 16.45, GPS 25.30 miles in 7hrs 52m 25s walking time plus a 20 minute lunch stop.

 

Aftermath

We arrived at Kinbrace Station with enough time to strip off our walking gear and change into our travelling clothes. The train was 10 minutes late and remained so all the way to Inverness. This left us without much time to make the connection and to settle onto the Caledonian Sleeper before it pulled out and headed south into the night. The bottles of Fyne went down well although they were rather expensive. Sampled the Highland at 4.8% and the Avalanche at 4.2%. These went well with a macaroni cheese which got us through the night. We arrived in Crewe before the buffet bars were open but we did get a bacon bap before leaving the station to catch the first bus. The sun was shining as I walked home from the bus stop. It all looked so verdant and felt so warm and fertile. It was hard to believe that 24 hours earlier we had been struggling across the Flow Country in such awful conditions. Another world. The total mileage for the trip was another 98 miles towards John O’Groats. Next year we shall be there (DV).