Laggan to Fort Augustus: LEJoG Day 70

An easy day along the bed of an old railway and, as the sun appeared, on the gravel track beside the Caledonian Canal.

Rain was falling as I rose from my bed, but the forecast promised dry weather later. Nevertheless I was glad of the drying room at the Great Glen hostel as all the wet clothes I left there after yesterday's downpour were now crispy dry. Thanks to the hostel's kitchen and "shop" I fortified myself with porridge and coffee before setting off.

Invergarry railway station.

Soon I was at the Invergarry railway station. Last in use in 1947 a charity is trying to restore it and a length of adjoining track. For several kilometres I followed the old track bed, through trees with occasional views of the adjacent Loch Oich. A basic campsite with a few tents and people around a fire looked attractive and an old tunnel added dark variety. Several bikes passed by, one with a dog running beside it and another pulling a trailer containing their less active dog peering out apprehensively as he bounced along.

Reaching the end of the loch I stopped before the swing bridge at the entrance to the next section of canal for a "brew", made attractive as the drizzle had now ceased and there was a convenient picnic table. While drinking coffee and eating biscuits I watched the bridge open for a passing cruiser as the traffic patiently waited. On the other side of the canal there was the "Bridge of Oich", an old suspension bridge over the river, now going nowhere. The white painted suspension rods made a mathematically attractive pattern as I approached it. 

Bridge of Oich.

The remainder of my walk was beside the canal, admiring the many red berries on the rowan trees and exchanging salutations with passing people. Undoubtedly the arrival of the sun and blue skies improved my enjoyment of the walk and the mountainous scenery on each side of me. A lady with a Bernese Mountain dog pointed out what might have been a golden eagle, and said to look out for deer and red squirrels. She had also seen the droppings of otters and pine martens nearby. Much of the route was on a wooded strip of land between the canal and the river, in places reinforced with steel piles.

Canalside track.

A flight of locks, to lower boats down into Loch Ness, marked my arrival at Fort Augustus, busy with visitors at the lock side hostelries. Loch Ness is the largest freshwater loch or lake by volume in Britain and there was time for me to take a quick cruise with an entertaining commentary. Loch Ness is of course famous for its monster.

My sighting of the Loch Ness monster.