Ferness Cottage Bed and Breakfast Drumnadrochit

... would have been better on a clear day... and I'm pretty sure I was driving away from it, so would have been better going the other way. Anyway... Climb numero deux was over at Loch Lomond, on the quieter east side. By the time I rocked up I fully expected it to be packed, but it wasn't at all, maybe 20 odd cars there, brilliant. I had lunch ...

... phones through to the AA and books a transporter to take me back to take me back to Nottingham (East Leake).

Tow truck 1, turns up at 11:50 to take me on the first leg of the journey home from Fort William to Stirling. This takes approx 3 hours and I get dropped at Stirling service station where I am supposed to be met by the next tow truck. It takes about an hour for the next truck to turn up. Which was arranged for 14:30

Today's route from Inverarnan to Rowardennan has a reputation second only to the Devil's Staircase for being "difficult". Rocks and tree roots line the path at the northern end of Loch Lomond and the going is reported to be difficult.

It's with some trepidation that I set off then but the path isn't quite as bad as I feared. At least the rain has stopped! There is a lot of clambering up and down and in ...

... from the American and Canadian embassies in South-East of England. He very kindly shares his bottle of wine with me and we have a lovely supper. He's off to join his wife in the US until January when he gets back and I'm very envious that he will be in glorious sunshine soon!

What makes me smile today:

The thought that whatever the weather I have a bag of warm, dry clothes
Hugh's generous sponsorship and sharing of red wine. Thank you Hugh!

... in a Little House on the (Scottish) Prairie kinda way. This is the view from the lounge/front garden (I challenge you to spot another house) and what the locals think of Blairhoyle (see small print)...



Anyway, there is no ...

... that I'm taking it face on. I'm frustrated that everyone I meet coming the other way looks almost dry! Still, my waterproofs and boots are doing an excellent job and underneath I'm not really wet. The moor seems bleak in this weather but on a clear day there are obviously stunning views to be had.

Heading down to Inverornan, the clouds suddenly roll away and the sun comes out. I take my chances and stop for a quick snack, revelling in the chance ...

... me on the road just seconds before I get there. Aargh! It's an hour to the next one so I plod back to the bar. It turns out one lovely couple are staying down in Glencoe and offer me a lift. This is a very kind offer as the youth hostel in Glencoe is actually two miles from the bus stop and I take it up immediately!

Entering my room at the hostel, I hear "hello again". It's Helen, an Australian teacher, who I met at the youth hostel in Inverness ...

It was a day of rest today. It rained all day long and it was actually a welcomed respite. We have been going every day since we arrived nearly 2 weeks ago. We did attempt to go into Aberfoyle to the local market, however, the roads had a different idea. When we arrived at the edge of town, the road was flooded and we could not go any further. We simply turned around and came back.

... and the guy couldn't speak any English...hmmm....I'm not sure how that all worked out... I was really hungry, so I asked the lady hostel owner where I could get something to eat, but the only place open was an Indian restaurant. I kinda need to be in the mood for Indian food, and being in the Highlands of Scotland hadn't really prepped me for that, but as I was hungry, I went anyway. As I mentioned before ...

... end of our trip here. Our booking was done through internet about 1.5 months before our arrival and they responded promptly to our e-mails, which was very important to us. Payment was promptly made upon us obtaining the key and we were off in a jiffy to find "our" car at the car park outside the station. We found a cool 4-door silver coloured Ford Focus, very nice, spacious and comfortable! I was the designated ...