We caught the bus back to Invermoriston to start our walk today. The route was very similar to yesterday, but longer and this time we carried our bags! Unlike yesterday however, we only had occasional glimpses of Loch Ness. We met a party of walkers from Iceland, who were very friendly and we spent some time taking photos of each other (there were nine of them!) The midges made their presence felt and the Iceland group donned their head nets. We fortunately find that our midge spray is working! After we had stopped for a lunch break, the path followed a long, long climb before finally descending to Drumnadrochit, and our hotel for the next two nights.

A Backward Glance

We’ve been away over three months now and being grandparents, severance from the ones granting us that privilege is hardest. Mums keep us up to date on all their shenanigans of course, but unaffiliated reports their school teachers provide shows how they are seen and valued more broadly. We have half a dozen of them and reading their school reports and keeping abreast of all their achievements is a full time joy for us. One of our grandchildren in particular has an understated quality about her that can go unrecognised in the fast pace of life, especially in a classroom. Big respect to her teacher though, who in their end of term report eloquently described the person we know and love with perfect insight and appreciation – she’s in good hands. We continued our walk today along Loch Ness, again at elevations and distances from the water’s edge that kept us well clear of any possible monster attacks. When we arrived at a monument called ‘The View Catcher’ an ‘eye in the sky’ through which could be viewed the impressive mountains along the northern horizon, we were caught up in a photo frenzy with a group of walkers from Iceland. I told an older chap in their number that I believed they were all Viking descendants and should not have been let back into Scotland after all their ancestors had done. He apologised and explained that they only got in on their wive’s passports because they have a direct line of origin to this country. While I was trying to work out whether that was a genuine apology or just an added insult, the leader of the group gave me her phone to take a photo of them all together, who were now brandishing a large flag of Scotland. I complained but eventually gave in to her request. We set off on our way before them, but of course it wasn’t long until they were passing us one after another. It was then that I noticed the leader was at the ‘back’ with the older gentleman I’d previously been rude to. I waited for a downhill section, gathered my strength and hurriedly caught up with Carol. I then carefully explained that on walking expeditions the real leader is the one behind not the person in front. She gave me the look I last saw the time I tried to explain that money didn’t exist. “Yes captain”, I said, in an appropriately subordinate and meek voice – then quickly resumed my leader position again. The path took us through repeated areas of planted tall pines on perilously steep slopes, separated by clearings with good views over Loch Ness far below. Unlike the teacher’s report about our granddaughter, any attempt I make to describe our trek along the Great Glen Way fails to convey the understated reality, which is both magnificent and quietly beautiful at the same time.