Day 5
Tuesday 13th May - Drumnadrochit to Allt Calder
Another day, another hangover....
Today's job was to get on Mr Menzies ferry to Inverfarigaig. This involved a 3km walk along the main road and a long wait was there were around 35 chalengers wanting to cross and only space on the boat for 12.
The journey is worth waiting for, though and a bargain at just £5. I was on the last boat that morning and we landed at 10:30 am at a ruined pier.
Some more road walking followed as far as Errogie (only a few cars, though), then I went through the Farraline estate and climbed over the rough heather moorland to Dunmaglass Lodge where I chatted to a gardner for a short while before stopping for a brew. Dunmaglass Lodge is nothing less than a palace and is just one of several such places in the Monadhliath mountains. There seems to be quite a lot of spare dosh sloshing around these hills.
I then climbed into the main hills, stopping at a small hut to be treated to a couple of brews of strong and sweet turkish-style coffee from Humphrey who seemed to have taken up residence. Humph has a certain style and was busy scoffing sirloin steak sandwhiches (!) causing quite a bit of smoke.
I was getting quite tired by this time, but determined to cross the ridge and get as far as the next lodge - which Humphrey predicted would take me till half past nine. he would have been right, but I gave up at the foot of the Allt Calder - a very beautiful spot in Strathdearn - a wild campers paradise.
Feet not happy!
17 miles (80 so far) and 2850 feet of ascent.
Phew....
