Category: Great Glen Way
From canal paths to high ridges: Pondering possibilities for Lochaber returns
21st October 2025 The Lochaber and West Highland Way albums in the online photo gallery recently got updates (an overhaul in the case of the former) from trips to the former during April 2009, July 2013 and June 2024. However, this activity itself spurred some notions of returning to Lochaber because I fancy making digital replacements for what I pruned from the gallery. Naturally, it would have been better to have those newer images in place before culling their predecessors.
It was a previous round of curation that led me to traipse me along sections of the West Highland Way last year, one between Fort William and Kinlochleven followed by another from Glen Coe to Bridge of Orchy. Those journeys replaced images of lesser quality than what I prefer these days, efforts that were rewarded, which is just as well given the wearying heat experienced on the former and the wintry showers encountered on the latter. None of this took from the success of the endeavour, an aspect that dulled any wishes to return to the area for a time afterwards.
Returning to those unused excuses for returning, I am collating a few here for further perusal. These go beyond an ascent of the Pap of Glencoe from the village that gives it part of its name or even any continuation as far as Sgor nan Fiannaidh though that looks like a craggy proposition on OS maps even if Harvey Maps show a path up there. Proceeding any closer to the Aonach Eagach is of no interest to me, given its intensity of exposure and the scrambling involved; this also might be going in the wrong direction too.
Otherwise, Glenfinnan may have its monument commemorating the Jacobite Rising at the head of Loch Shiel as well as its cinematic associations because of a famous viaduct, and short paths that lead to classic viewpoints of both landmarks, while longer circuits climb into the surrounding hills and a track up the glen reaches the Corryhully bothy. Bringing us more on topic, Kinlochleven turns up a lot here because of what lies on its doorstep, which is far more than the well visited Grey Mare's Tail waterfall or even the well trodden West Highland Way, which threads past some of what is described below.
Matters of Unfinished Business
Glen Nevis
An encounter with Glen Nevis was among my earliest incursions into the Scottish Highlands. That was a serendipitous affair that included a trot along a very short section of the mountain track leading to the top of none other than Ben Nevis. It granted me ample views of what lay about me after some forest track trampling in advance of an intrusion that met no reproach from others who were better equipped for their hiking. Apart from the possibility of reaching Scotland's country top, other traipsing through the glen on the West Highland Way has left me sated for now.
However, that still leaves other parts much further into the glen. After all, my second visit took me all the way to the car park at the end of the tarmac road on a stroll with my brother. While a dull day might have limited photography, that was not the point at the time. It was only a few years later that I went past the sign asking about visitor preparedness to reach wilder parts on a day laced with heavy rain. Before that, I had loitered around Achriabhach on a wonderful August evening on a circuit that followed forestry tracks from Fort William before sticking with tarmac for the way back. Then, gaining height on the path shadowing Allt Coire a' Mhusgain granted me a vantage point from which to savour my surroundings at a time when directional sunlight cast many shadows.
Surprisingly, there has been no follow up on those incursions for a good while since they were made. It is not before time that this should be something that is set to rights, though the vicissitudes of Lochaber's weather and the numbers drawn by the delights that await them mean that the errand is challenging. Overcoming those will bring rewards, though.
Great Glen Way
Around midsummer this year, I pottered along the Great Glen Way between Drumnadrochit and Inverness. The start was under cloudy skies without much hope of seeing sunshine, yet there were breaks in the cloud cover later and a fine end to the day. For a long time, my dalliance with the trail was at the other end: between Clunes of the western bank of Loch Lochy, Gairlochy, Banavie and Fort William.
The sprawling rambles started from Spean Bridge and passed the impressively situated Commando Memorial. Their reach included the shores of Loch Arkaig as much as Loch Lochy, with Achnacarry and the Mìle Dorcha as landmarks on my traipsing. Along the way, I surveyed sightings of the Grey Corries as much as the more dramatic side of Ben Nevis and its neighbouring hills. Since all got captured on film, I would fancy returning to make digital images of these alluring panoramas too.
An added sense of adventure could send one's mind to ponder the heights of Meall na Teanga and Sron a' Choire Ghairbh, often suggested as a joint ascent in guidebooks. My first reaction to such an idea was that the realities of carless hiking make this implausible, until I got around to looking at timetables. An early start could make this happen with a spot of care, and Laggan sounds a better starting point than significantly more distant Fort William. However, routing by Mìle Dorcha could increase transport options with a diversion to Spean Bridge.
The stretching of logistical realities sent another flight of fancy into my mind: walking from Laggan to Fort William using the Great Glen Way. This is no quick stroll at 36 kilometres (22.5 miles), though it can be managed in a single day given adequate hours of daylight. The aforementioned section between Drumnadrochit and Inverness was around 32 km (20 miles), after all. If required, a 5 km (3 mile) diversion to Spean Bridge would shorten the distance with access to bus and rail services. However, the section beyond Gairlochy would add digital photos for me when the weather is offering, so the full distance still appeals and seeing those aforementioned hillwalking summits would do no harm either.
Loch Treig, Lairig Leacach & Glen Spean
It was May 2006 when I walked from Corrour station to Spean Bridge after overnight travel got me to Fort William, an escapade that inspired one of the first trip reports on here at a time when brevity was more my style. The sunlit landscapes, still brown after the winter and awaiting greening for the summer, caught my eye as much as Loch Treig itself and any remaining snow on the surrounding hilltops. Though the start may have been later than was ideal, I was still in ample time for a train back to Fort William, and I seem to remember that there were later bus services available in those friendlier times too.
While I might have had a digital camera with me then, film photography was my mainstay at the time and later fumbling meant that I lost the photos anyway. Thus, going that way again is something that appeals to me should such an opportunity arise. Lairig Leacach and the Grey Corries would again have my ephemeral company, though there are other route options in the area that may appeal just as well.
The descent to Spean Bridge had me skirting Leanachan Forest, which offers possibilities such as the 9.8 kilometres Leanachan and River Lundy circular, offering a sheltered outing when weather conditions make higher routes inadvisable. However, the mixture of walkers and mountain bikers does mean that you need to pay more attention at junctions, without being distracted by views of Ben Nevis through the trees.
Adjoining that is Torlundy and the Nevis Range gondola that lifts walkers to opportunities that would otherwise require long approaches. From the Top Station, well-made paths lead to the nearby Sgùrr Finnisg-aig and Meall Beag viewpoints, as well as a more challenging 9.5 kilometre route to Aonach Beag and Aonach Mòr for those possessing the required stamina and navigational skills. In contrast, the Snowgoose Trail turns the approach on its head, climbing for 6 kilometres from the car park to the mid-station restaurant, with the gondola available either up or down to ease the effort.
Staring from Kinlochleven offers another possibilities, with some of these passing Loch Eilde Mor, another location visited a good while ago and with remaining digital photos too, some of which now being in the Lochaber album to which I alluded earlier. One is a circuit that also takes in the 13 kilometres long Blackwater Reservoir and its one kilometre wide dam, an intriguing prospect that frequents quiet countryside with views towards the Pap of Glencoe.
Another trail links with the track between Corrour station and Loch Treig from where there can be a reprise of the hike to Spean Bridge made in 2006, while continuing past Loch Eilde Beag to meet the Abhainn Rath could be another option. Heading north from there towards Lairig Leacach means a potentially tricky river crossing, even if it could make use of the pair of Crocs that I acquired after a similar necessity in Gleann Eanaich during May of last year. While the map may show a ford, the width of the river remains concerning, espcially when weather conditions mean a spate is in full flow.
Otherwise, a more committing possibility might be to continue west to Glen Nevis, an idea with which I have toyed in the past, albeit with a start at Corrour station after arriving there on a northbound Caledonian Sleeper train. The economics of that mode of arrival are not so favourable these days, and securing a booking is challenging enough, possibly because of overtourism. With a sufficiently early start, the Kinlochleven start might be a more feasible option.
A Spectrum of Underused Prospects
Ardgour
It was December 2009 when I made my only crossing of the Corran Narrows to savour what lies on the other side of Loch Linnhe. Leaden clouds packed the sky to ensure a dark and sunless encounter. Nevertheless, seeing these parts on a brighter day remains an unused prospect. Once you get there, the council-commissioned Corran Ferry gets you to the other side in minutes to reach perhaps deserted hills and more remote walking to boot.
The Druim na Sgriodain loop is one of the more convenient possibilities in an area more amenable to backpacking than day hikes, especially given the sparse bus timetable that is prioritised for locals more than visitors. Returning to the route, it is one that includes 12.2 kilometres of walking with 795 metres of ascent, an undertaking that would engage you for much of a day with its challenging terrain. After that, there is Garbh Bheinn, at 885 metres, often compared to a Munro and demanding of the kind of respect, making it one for dry, settled weather when visibility remains good.
This is an area for those seeking solitude and remoteness, especially when you venture into neighbouring Morvern and Sunart. As with much of the Scottish Highlands, it helps to have calm conditions along with a sense of self-sufficiency. While my incursions may be limited, I retain hopes of witnessing panoramas that sprawl over water and hill, gifts of clear sunlit days.
Ben Nevis
For someone with a fascination with a fascination with hill country and a long history of frequenting Fort William, it may come as a surprise to you to hear that I never visited the 1,345-metre high top of Ben Nevis. All that I have is a little taste of the Mountain Track from my first-ever foray into Glen Nevis. Advancing awareness of how ill-equipped I was for the full venture throttled any uprisings of ambition, assuming there ever were any, which exceeds any sense of reality.
My brother was wondering about reaching the summit when we went this way on our round trip of Scotland. The answer that seven or eight hours (allowing oneself nine might be no bad idea) were needed was sufficient for dulling any ambitions. Parking up a car at the youth hostel would have gained us a starting point for a 14.2 kilometre out and back hike if we were so equipped. If we had known, a partial climb might have been in order: after all, following the Mountain Trail to Halfway Lochan offers a 7.7 kilometre return route to a fine viewpoint at around 610 metres, one that offers views over Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe.
While the Mountain track might be my choice if I get to make an ascent, there are other possibilities for more experienced walkers, and the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête is a celebrated adventurous option. This 17.9 kilometre ridge route from the North Face car park is exposed and steep, involving scrambling and pathless sections that require assured footing and good judgement, particularly if cloud presses low over the massif. Thus, this is no place for novices.
Returning to the subject of partial ascents, the North Face approach to the CIC Hut is another fine outing in its own right. This 11.1 kilometre return route climbs steadily beside the Allt a' Mhuilinn to reach the memorial hut beneath Ben Nevis's towering cliffs. Nevertheless, you can continue to the summit from here, stretching your hiking distance to around 25.6 kilometres on a challenge that can take 11 or 12 hours with some backtracking as you round the mountain to reach the upper section of the Mountain Track.
Continuing the theme of combining the Mountain Track and the North Face Path, I spied another option on the map that gains views along its length, if not the top of Scotland's highest hill. This opens up going from Torlundy to Fort William via the CIC Hut, a 17.5-kilometre route that opens with a sustained climb. As a means of getting to know the terrain, this has its appeal and opens up possibilities for reconnaissance before committing to any sort of summit attempt, as grandiose as that makes things sound.
The Mamores
Continuing on the mountaineering thread brings me to things that are flights of fancy to someone who normally summits on a single hill (maybe two at times) in one day, rather than doing a round of them. There are some of those with renown to be found among the Mamores. This is the kind of hill country where safety needs added care. For example, the north-eastern ridge of Sgùrr a' Mhàim should never be used for descent, as it has been associated with fatalities. After all, you are covering the kind of ground that needs added experience, a head for heights, proper equipment and the ability to navigate in poor visibility.
One is the 15.9 kilometre Ring of Steall, linking four summits in a committing loop, and the 13.4 kilometre Stob Bàn and Mullach nan Coirean round. Both are technical and strenuous with ridge walking, scrambling, traversal of narrow arêtes and steep descents. Both are dwarfed by the 39.8 kilometre Mamores Tour that takes in the summits of Mullach nan Coirean, Sgùrr a' Mhàim, Am Bodach, An Gearanach, Na Gruagaichean, Binnein Mòr and others, and the descent from Binnein Beag that requires great care.
Glen Nevis acts as an access point for much of this, as does Kinlochleven, from which stalker's paths will convey you to the likes of Sgurr Eilde Mor, Binnein Mor, Sgor nam Fiannaidh and Am Bodach. While reaching those heights on more modest incursions appears tempting, the potential of these making for challenging mountain days provides pause for thought.
Between the rush and the ramble: Swiss cities, Scottish hills and life’s rhythms
28th June 2025 Much has happened since I last posted something on here. After an extended and frustrating period, I am embarking on a freelance assignment with a new client. This came unexpectedly while I was pursing a search for permanent employment. It also turns out that things may be improving on the freelance market, given what I am starting to see elsewhere. Those other opportunities can go to others; when you choose one for yourself, you are implicitly rejecting all everything and everyone else, as a Capuchin priest preached on marriage on a Sunday morning near the end of last year. Sometimes, wisdom can be portable from one context to another.
From Geneva's Via Jacobi to Zurich's Hidden Woodlands
Bookending the above frenzy were trips away from home, first to a conference and then for leisure. The former took me to Geneva, where I got to explore the place in parallel. A Saturday arrival allowed for a Sunday saunter from Coppet back to Geneva that followed the Via Jacobi for much of the way, albeit with some deviations south of Versoix and near Geneva's Botanic Gardens. After getting sated by other strolling around the city, I embarked on an evening visit to Bern on the Friday before I returned to the UK, going by rail all the way home for the sake of added variety.
Zurich also got two visits. The first saw me go to Lucerne on arrival to make the best of the better day of the weekend with some lakeside strolling before venturing into a shady woodland with some ascent involved as I turned back towards the city centre again. A boat trip around Zurichsee made a lot of the mixed weather that came my way the next day, especially during an amble from Rapperswil to nearby Pfäffikon under breaking skies before returning by train. Some city strolling around Zurich followed the passing of a rain shower to round off the trip ahead of a return flight the next day.
The lack of sunny weather around Zurich drew me back later, even if temperatures were higher than what suits me. After following up a work opportunity, I caught up with the place on a sunny if sweltering evening to make some better photos. The next day, I went to Basel to potter through its Altstadt on a circuit taking in the banks of the River Rhine. That was completed in sufficient time to allow more wandering around Zurich after attending to a matter. More photos were made before my rambling among extensive woodland adjoining the city. That had me passing the city's zoo while remarking at the peace that surrounded me in the late evening, a counterpoint to what else was happening in my life.
An Ascent of Fionn Bheinn and a Section of the Great Glen Way
The action that resulted in the new freelance contract happened after all this and to celebrate the success, I made use of a trip idea that was thwarted by a previous frenzy of similar activity. Thus, I went north to Inverness when some sunny weather was on offer. After a late arrival caused by a tardy start, I went on a day trip to Achnasheen to make an ascent of Fionn Bheinn and take whatever views that gained me. An octogenarian was going the same way, but I decided to pass him and hike my own hike in the hope that the gradient would cause him to opt for a short stroll.
The route has a reputation for being boggy, and even a year with a lot of dry weather did not mean my avoiding soggy ground. That made the going more challenging on the initial stage of the ascent before gradients slackened for a while. It was only near the top that I met with better ground. By then, the views really opened out around me, as they had been doing while I gained height. Heat haze curtailed photographic hopes, albeit without taking from any scenic delights. For my descent, I went down by Sàil an Tuim Bhàin and Achnasheen Plantation to return to Achnasheen where I would have a lengthy wait for my train.
It was around five minutes before that arrived that my elderly counterpart arrived after reaching the top, further irking my conscience about having passed him on the way, even if I did need my own quiet time. The American was talkative, and I grabbed a step for getting him onto the train from the low platform, watching that he was OK after his extraordinary exertions. He seemingly ventured further up the carriage, apparently meeting some acquaintances. That was where our encounter ended.
Though myself wearied by my own actions around Fionn Bheinn, I stuck with my plan to follow the Great Glen Way from Drumnadrochit back to Inverness. The day started cloudy, and I contented myself with that as I departed from Drumnadrochit. Nevertheless, cloud cover began to break as I climbed up from the A82. Until the late afternoon, sunshine was to come and go. Before that, I deviated around by Carn na Leitire and relished some quiet road walking in advance of venturing onto trails again.
Then, I got word of some property that I had lost without my realising it and arranged a meet up with the finders to get it back before leaving Inverness for home. The kindness of others never fails to surprise me, leaving me to wonder at my own helpfulness or my perceived lack of it. A friendly chat ensued with passing fellow walkers after those phone calls; they were local and shared with me some knowledge about drove roads before we parted. They also said about travel being downhill from where we were, and they were not at all wrong about that. Being back in Inverness at an appropriate hour meant that I could attend to yet another matter before resting a while in advance of some gentler river bank wandering on a balmy summer's evening. It attempted to belie the forecast of rain for the next day, a failed ruse if ever there was one.
On being reunited with my lost property, I caught the next train to Edinburgh. Travelling meant that I was indoors from any rain. Even a delay due to overrunning engineering works around Pitlochry failed to scupper my progress, despite it meaning that a later departure from Edinburgh was my lot. The mixture of satisfaction and being humbled by the actions of others brought no cause for complaint.
In Reflection
For me, these recent months have been a reminder that life rarely unfolds as we expect it; we never know enough to plan everything; that is an ongoing life lesson for me. Here are some prompts: a freelance opportunity that emerged after a long wait, the kindness of strangers who returned lost property and chance encounters on hill country paths. Then, you can get a contrast between the frenetic pace of a search for work and the measured rhythm of walking at the same time as a juxtaposition of paths trampled and life experienced: sometimes boggy and challenging underfoot, otherwise offering clearer paths and broader views. It all exhibits how mysterious we are and how life is likewise.
There has been much closure to complement all of this mix of parallels and contrasts, too. There may be the prospect of following the South Loch Ness Trail, but that can wait for a weekday when bus times work better for such a venture. Having considered possibilities while I was up north, I am decided on that awaiting another time. With so much satisfaction otherwise gained, there can be no cause for complaint. Other things matter now as life proceeds into a new chapter.
Frantic: When life’s vicissitudes collide with getting away for a long weekend
3rd May 2025 The past week has been hectic for me, hence the title. However, the result of my exertions was an offer for my freelance services that clashed with another opportunity that came to nothing. The offer was accepted despite warnings that it could be rescinded. The coming week will show whether that was a bluff or not.
All this was happening during the first real sign of heat that we experienced this year; the hot, sunny weather was a foretaste of summer. There were local strolls in the midst of the frenzy, a necessity for keeping my mind in order throughout all of it. My mind even turned to a Scottish incursion centred on Inverness that would have allowed a visit to Fionn Bheinn near Achnasheen as well as a stroll from Drumnadrochit back to Inverness along part of the Great Glen Way.
However, there was too much happening to allow the getaway to become a reality. A hotel booking was cancelled after learning that the weather was not as enticing as I might have desired during a sequence of simplification. Having the prospects for another time will do no harm, though. Ideas are not so plentiful in my head as I write these words, anyway.
Business is set to return me to Geneva for a conference, which will be handy for getting to see the place again. The initial motivation for all of this was making connections for securing freelance work as well as building up my knowledge. Some of that may be less pressing after the past week, though it will be good to get out among colleagues again. Wandering the city in pleasant sunshine will be a bonus too.
These are times when being a solopreneur can be isolating, especially when trying to source work in a challenging market. Thus, it is just as well that the wonders of nature at springtime offer much needed solace and consolation. While my wanderings may be curtailed this year, any such encounter only spurs desire for deeper incursions. There may be time for those later.
2024: A year of Celtic trails and French summits
31st December 2024 There once was a time when every year would get a retrospective review at the end, or not long afterwards. That has slipped for various reasons. However, this piece reinstates that for this year. Whatever happens in coming years cannot be known; we only know the present, and our recollections of the past are prone to the ravages of time, though some have better memories than others.
Highland Rambles to Start a Year
For me, this year began in Aviemore after the preceding disruption of storm Gerrit. New Year's Day was spent hiking around Rothiemurchus, with many wishing Happy New Year to each other. Lochan Mor, Loch an Eilein, Loch Gamhna and Loch Morlich all featured as landmarks on an amble on a crisp sunny winter's day. The volume of traffic along the road between Aviemore and Glen More was more akin to a motorway than a thoroughfare in a protected part of Scotland. With no public transport in operation, private transport possibly was the only realistic option for getting around.
The next day saw a return to Inverness for a hike from there to the shores of Loch Ness at Lochend. The paths by the River Ness and the Caledonian Canal were pleasant, though sunshine was scarce. The same could not be said for walking along the side of the A82, yet seeds were sown for future rambles that use Inverness as a base. Walking back from Drumnadrochit to Inverness along part of the Great Glen Way is among these, as is a circuit through the hills near Achnashellach train station in Scotland's more remote northwest. South Loch Ness Trail is another option that appeals. If other things had not intruded, these ideas may have been used sometime this year. For now, they remain in my catalogue of ideas for the future.
February's Fresh Start In Cork
The rest of January was occupied with many handover sessions in advance of a work contract coming to an end. This was a process that took its toll on me, setting some of the scene for the start of February. Nevertheless, property hunting took me to Cork for around two weeks. That was complemented by strolls along the disjointed sections of the Cork Harbour Greenway along with some pottering around Crosshaven, Fota and Cobh. A day trip to Killarney saw me reprise part of a route taken during the first full day of my stay there in August 2022; the initial idea was to head to Glengarriff, but the bus ticket machine would not sell me a day return ticket and I took that as a sign that it might be best left for another time. The deviation around by Torc Waterfall made for a late return to Killarney bus station; it was as well that later services operate on a Sunday, or my incaution might have left me marooned. There was a circuit of Muckross Lake too, which might have made the day a little too long in hindsight.
March in Aberystwyth: Coastal Walks and Windy Summits
In March, there was a return visit to Aberystwyth to follow up on a stay there the preceding September. A good weather window was what prompted me, and I got in some coastal walking on the first full day there. The main stretch was part of the Wales Coast Path that returned me to Aberystwyth from Borth after some pottering around Aberystwyth. Pumlumon Fawr got an ascent on a bracing day with a cold gusty wind reducing the time spent on the said summit. It might have been better not to have gone up there at all, but for my stubbornness. Lower level hiking was less affected by the wind and I wandered about by Bwlch Nant-yr-Arian before continuing to Ponterwyd. The tale of my day made a bus driver laugh when I said it was the wind that was the greatest challenge.
April Escapades: From Stirling to the Tops and Lochs of Central Scotland
Eastertide house decluttering and a run of uninspiring weather meant that it was the end of April when I next got out and about. This time, I based myself in Stirling. The preceding November saw me making an impromptu incursion into the Ochil Hills by following a track while wearing trail shoes. That act eliminated those eminences from my attention, so it was the need to experience a hike around Ben Ledi with more sunshine that became the main motivation. Before that, I enjoyed a delightful stroll around Stirling in the pleasant evening sunshine, even if it wearied me a bit for the main ascent.
The route to Ben Ledi went along that of the Rob Roy Way from Callander before deviating onto a forestry track that carried me around Boschastle Hill. That saved some steep ascent at the beginning, only for more height gain to try my legs on the way up to the summit. With sunlit views like I never saw them before, there were ample excuses for rest breaks to ease the burden. Once over the summit, I descended below Bealach nan Crop into Stank Glen from where I reached the shore of Loch Lubnaig, where I loitered a while before dropping into a Forest Holidays shop for some refreshments. The way back to Callander from there was swifter than I had expected, allowing me to use an earlier bus for the return to Stirling.
The next day saw me back in Callander for what became a hike to Aberfoyle along the southern shore of Loch Venachar before a diversion to Brig o' Turk prompted by curiosity and Loch Achray. Concerns about making the last bus of the day and the growing heat persuaded me not to visit Loch Katrine, so I hotfooted the rest of the way on forestry tracks, only to find that my fears were unfounded. The initial plan had been to do a circuit of Loch Venachar until distances and the heat caused a change of mind. Very weary legs were rested in Aberfoyle before that bus appeared, and the stop also allowed a chance to imbibe some refreshments.
May: Revisiting the Trails around Aviemore, Rothiemurchus and Kingussie
The start of May was graced with a repeat visit to Aviemore. The main motivation might have been an out and back hike to Loch Eanaich after high water halted the errand the previous December. That was just as well since there still was a stream crossing without a bridge that got me wet feet and boots. This was the sort of thing that perhaps was best left for the last day of a stay instead of the first. Nevertheless, I got where I fancied going. Ronald Turnbull has published a route leading this way to Carn Ban Mor and other nearby hills. It does not look like a day hike to me unless you make use of a mountain bike. Backpacking might be the better approach after some strength training to cope with your load. The next day saw me reprise a hike from Kingussie to Aviemore with variations to the route. This included closer proximity to Glen Feshie and a more direct if muddier route from Moor of Feshie to Loch Gamhna. Otherwise, it was good to redo this with longer hours of daylight.
June: West Highland Retrospectives and French Forays
The West Highland Way got some repeat attention at the start of June during a stay in Fort William. First up was the section between Fort William and Kinlochleven after a deviation around by Cow Hill near the start. Though used by many more people on the day, it was great to revisit a trail that I had not walked for more than twenty years, even if it took a toll on me because of a rush to catch a bus at a reasonable hour. That was not how things worked out for me between Glen Coe and Bridge of Orchy. Though wintry showers peppered the day, there were periods of bright sunshine that may up for these and a shorter route with better public transport connections made for a more relaxing hike. All was settled gain, even if the numbers heading north made me wonder about overtourism. My recollection of passing the same way around twenty years before was that things were much quieter back then.
This also was a year with two trips to France. A passport bungle meant that I could not use a booked ferry trip, so I rearranged it for later. The stay in Paris still went ahead in May. Rennes and Versailles were the object of side trips during a getaway that featured mixed weather and extensive urban walking. The summer solstice was when I used the ferry booking between Portsmouth and Saint-Malo, where there was the only episode of mixed weather. Otherwise, there was no shortage of sunshine in Paris or Versailles, even if restrictions were becoming more intrusive ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Grenoble became my main base, allowing plenty of hiking to happen. The routes took me to Mont Rachais, the Desert de Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Charvet, Sassenage, Mont-Saint-Martin and along the River Isère. While tongue-tied by my grasp of French at times, much was to be enjoyed, too. All was accomplished by surface travel, which was even better in these days of climate crisis. That may set up some excursions in times to come.
A Southern Irish Summer: Traversing Hilltops, Coastlines and Peninsulas
Somewhat like 2010, 2024 feels like a year of two halves after I acquired a new Irish base in Cork city. Thus, July and August saw a lot of Irish traipsing in between attending to other matters that have been in the offing for a while. Killarney saw two back to back day trips, the second saw me reach the summit of Mangerton after being stymied by going around by Knockreer and Ross Castle on the first day. A full day was spent traversing the Ballyhoura Mountains from Ballyhea to Seefin and back. The three Atlantic peninsulas of West Cork, Mizen, Beara and Sheep's Head, all got visits. The first involved hiking from Schull to Ballydehob and the last allowed me to go from Kilcrohane to Ahakista via the top of Seefin (the name pops up in a few places on this evidence). Glengarriff's Nature Trails were a lure to the Beara Peninsula early in August, only to be followed with possibly the soggiest and wettest hike in my life along the Beara Way from Adrigole to Glengarriff. Other summertime forays took me to Cashel and Cahir, as well as the Knockmealdown Mountain foothills on a saunter from Cappoquin to Lismore.
A Subsequent Lull
The summer wanderings were followed by a lull in August. Fatigue and other distractions like testing out Generative AI curtailed things in the autumn before the weather fell into a rut uncongenial to hill wandering. There still was a loop around Great Island in Cork Harbour as well as more local forays to known spots until thing perked up more recently with visits to Blarney, Ballincollig and Kinsale.
Ideas for an Open Book
2025 remains an open book at this stage, though there are some ideas that are readily to hand. One is a sojourn in Inverness, while a transatlantic escapade cannot be ruled out either. Given recent political developments, Canada looks more likely than its southern neighbour. The need to use Virgin points may encourage me to go to Canada yet. Toronto could be a base for what surrounds it, and Galway could act in a similar fashion in Ireland. Business matters need added attention, so I do not have a free hand in all of this. Only time will tell what happens next.
In times of plummeting mercury
12th November 2009 It had to come as it often does at the start of November. Temperatures fell on a Sunday night after a fairly pleasant day that saw me fail to get out into the open air as I would have liked. What followed it was a day that mixed fine crisp winter sun and typical November misty murkiness. Some may say that it's still autumn, but the weather feels like winter even if trees retain the last leaves after some stormy interludes. A lunchtime walk had me surveying what's left of the golden shreds after the Indian summer that came to us in September and October.
Apart from the chill in the air, November brought us some unsettled weather too and that seems set to continue; we may be in the midst of a lull at the moment but something more dramatic lies ahead of us if forecasters are right, and they are far from infallible. Thus, it is somewhat timely that The New York Times has brought us an article concerned with the avoidance of hibernation. The activity at the heart of it may be running, but the same malady afflicts those who explore the outdoors world so it's interesting to read another take on the subject, especially given November's habit of bringing grey murky weather with it.
It is tempting to retreat to virtual explorations on one's PC when it looks not so alluring out of doors. Nevertheless, that can have its place too and might even result in putting you out over your activation energy barrier to enjoy what abounds at this time of year. In recent weeks, I have been sprucing up old members of my online photo gallery. The ones of Skye are as good as done until I get to add to that collection from a day's walking over Ben Tianavaig last year. Lochaber has come next for a spot of improvement and Argyll hasn't escaped either with an old print taken by the shores of Loch Etive seeing an attempt to better it with a new scan and subsequent Photoshop work; there's a knack in keeping things realistic, a line on the wrong side of which I don't want to find myself.
The trouble with all this tinkering with old photos and is that it consumes spare time like it's going out of fashion, so a short session can gobble time that was set aside for other things. That's what happened to me on Sunday but it has its benefits too. Looking at those old photos reminds you of places where you haven't been for a while. For instance, I now think of that photo of Loch Etive as a less than sharp specimen and wonder about a return visit. In the past, I have played with the idea of a two-day walk from Taynuilt to Glen Coe or vice versa with an overnight stopover at a bothy. Nothing has come of it so far, but the idea of revisiting Loch Etive and passing along Glen Etive for the first time makes the notion attractive. If the weather was to play ball, then it would be even better.
While on the subject of a wandering mindset, there are places in Lochaber to revisit. Loch Treig and the Grey Corries fit in here and there's what's around Corrour too; the idea of disembarking from a Sleeper to walk to Fort William has come to mind from time to time. More civilised spots like Loch Lochy and Loch Arkaig also beckon. Mind you, a spot of bicycle hire might be an idea for the latter pair because progress along the Caledonian Canal as it rounds Meall Bhanabhie can seem so slow as to be infuriating. Still, this is a nice part of the world that should be traffic free and the distances involved make bicycle travel look the more useful. For long-distance travel on foot, there's the Great Glen Way of which I have sampled only a little and it would take me by Loch Lochy on its way to parts that have yet to host my footfall.
Continuing the theme of exploring pastures new, there's around Mallaig too with some introductory possibilities from Morar to gain a sense of what lies about there; it is remote country too, replete with possibilities around Loch Morar and Loch Arkaig for the more adventurous. It's been a few years since I ventured around by these parts while en route from Skye to Oban and the only stops were Mallaig and Glenfinnan. With the options already described and others like Knoydart and the Small Isles within reach, it is perhaps small wonder that the summer excursion that eventually took me to Aviemore could have taken to towards Mallaig instead. In the end, I decided that it was better to try for a time when the weather would have been more suitable for showing off the landscape at its best. Nevertheless, it is good to have such a scheme in mind, for the sake of avoiding indecision if noting else.
Having skirted around it, I suppose that Skye well deserves a longer mention. That walk from Elgol to Sligachan may not get repeated after seeing my surroundings bathed in the sort of light that would have been in order for a week based in Mallaig. However, there are other paths to follow and other parts to savour. Glen Brittle is but one of these and a spot of cycling might be in order given that's how I got about on my first visit to the island. It's never any harm to see new sides to an old favourite.
With all of these, what really hits me is how well peering at old photos can act as a muse as well as being an uplifting distraction from any greyness that is about. It is tempting to say that shortening days curtail the possibilities but I am minded to convert the delights of afar into experiencing what lies on my doorstep. Making use of the latter may set me up for heading further afield yet. In a way, it's amazing what indoor inspiration can achieve so long as you don't spend all of your time lost in the reverie and fail to get out at all. After all, November isn't always murky and December's bright moments should not be missed either.
