No dawn chorus today, but I did wake up and go for a wee anyway. To make up for the lack of birdsong a few geese began having an enormous argument around 6 o’clock. The day was grey and chilly, but that didn’t stop a woman going for a swim in the loch! After breakfast I packed up and set off, heading north east along the side of Loch Ossian on a road through the trees that gently rolled. Once past the loch the trees stopped and the landscape opened out in a broad valley, the road running past Loch Ghuilbinn in between the snow capped hills.
After five miles I came to some woods and the road started descending. I heard more cuckoos, and for the first time in a very long while heard the sound of road traffic. Riding through Fersit I came to the An Dubh Lochan and stopped for a photo of the hills and trees reflected in the still water.
The road continued descending to reach the A86 where I turned left and rode through Roy Bridge, with a closed cafe, reluctantly passed the Glen Spean brewery and shop and came into Spean Bridge where I stopped for lunch at Faith’s cafe with a few other Roamers. After a very pleasant lunch break I headed back on the A86 for a short while before turning off onto a public path that ran alongside the River Spean on the trackbed of the former Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway and went past General Wade’s High Bridge, where the first shots were fired in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. I had a good view of Ben Nevis from here, and also passed the remains of a railway viaduct over the Spean. The path joined the B8004 just down from the Spean Bridge Commando Memorial, but not before I had to clamber over a slightly wobbly stile after lifting my bike over a fence.
Turning west here I rode towards Gairlochy, passing the Mucomir Hydro Electric Power Station which takes water from Loch Lochy, and crossing the Caledonian Canal to turn right onto NCN 78, the Caledonia Way. I rode for a couple of miles with Loch Lochy on my right, then turned off towards Achnacarry for a pre-planned diversion to see Loch Arkaig and an impressive looking waterfall. I passed the Clan Cameron Museum, a long single storey whitewashed building, and what looked like the seat of Clan Cameron with some old Steading Apartments opposite. At the head of Loch Arkaig I crossed a wooden bridge and turned back east to come to the Eas Chia-Aig waterfalls, which certainly turned out to be impressive.
I rejoined NCN 78 along the loch, and in a few miles came across a large wooden statue of a bear and cub, with hiking equipment, which signalled where a basic camping / rest spot was situated on the loch side. Shortly after this a series of hairpin bends diverted the route away from the loch due to exploratory works for the Coire Glas Hydro scheme.
It wasn’t a long diversion though, and I rejoined the original route and came to the Laggan Locks where I crossed the canal and continued on to North Laggan. Here, I continued on NCN 78 and came across Invergarry Station, where the Invergarry Station Project were restoring the platform and buildings. The former line continued for around three miles through gates, bridges and some wet patches in places before leaving to run alongside Loch Oich to the Aberchalder Swing Bridge carrying the A82 over the canal. As I pulled up at the gates to cross the road the swing bridge started closing, allowing me to nip across unhindered by traffic, and in a short while I came to the Cullochy Lock where I crossed to the other side of the wide canal towpath. It started raining now for a while, and I rode along the towpath avoiding the potholes and puddles where I could. Four miles later, and with the rain having passed, I rolled into Fort Augustus where I stopped to pick up some supplies and have a coffee, and managed to get a photo of a rainbow over Loch Ness.
I rode out of Fort Augustus to find my campsite for the night which was four miles along the Great Glen Way, passing Morag’s Hostel where I knew a number of my fellow Roamers were staying. I found the way onto the Great Glen Way, which was a short steep scramble up a soft slope, and at the top followed the way for a few rolling miles until I came to a sign for my campsite. I had to follow a track through the woods, waymarked with white tree stumps and over plenty of tree roots, but managed to find it ok. I checked in, put the tent up and had a hot shower then had my tea before retiring for the night.
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