Sunday, 11 July 2010

JOG + 6 - The final blog

With long distance support walker award winner Graham at Carlisle.

Leading KBW award winner Adrian with his wife Heather (5 KBW's), Julie (6 KBW's) and Dame of the Walk Jean at the splendid property in Looe kindly provided by Dave Russell.


The Great Glen Way was a big disappointment to me . However it was wonderfully signposted and had interesting interpretation panels at frequent intervals.
Do you remember the Kessock Bridge just outside Inverness? My trepidation was not helped by reading the road signs as I approached it!
This is the hotel we stayed at in Wick - Mackays. It's claim to fame is that the bistro is on the shortest street in the world (its in the Guinness Book of Records). The end of the building is actually the length of the whole street ie about 10 feet.


It is difficult to know where to start in summarising the walk. It was a wonderful experience and I tried my hardest to follow the advice that I had received - to enjoy the experience as well as the challenge. I think I managed to achieve this and saw some magnificent scenery and met many lovely people. It was an endless source of amazement to me how wonderful the British countryside is, and how it changes as one moves from county to county - each county had its own distinctive feel. With only one small exception everyone that I met on the walk was interested in my challenge and were supportive. Many went out of their way to help - in particular Charles who arranged free transport for Jean and our luggage when the car broke down.


I am truly grateful for all of the help that I have received and without which I would not have been able to complete the walk. The support took lots of different forms; walking with me;support driving; medical advice;organising Welsh Male Voice choirs; messages on the blog,facebook,email,text and phone;organising publicity etc. It is difficult to single out individuals because the support from everyone was important to me. However Martin and Shayne, perhaps unwittingly (but I suspect not) walked with me when my shin problems were at their worst, and when the pain came close to making me give up my ambition. Without their efforts I may not have reached JOG. At the same time Norman was giving me excellent medical advice which led to me reducing the intensity of the walk and which allowed me to continue northwards.


As you will have seen from the above photos I have made Jean the Dame of the Walk - she was absolutely magnificent throughout the whole walk, knowing how much the achievement meant to me. She gave me a good talking to during the "shin period" and was a great help for the last few weeks when we were on our own. I am pleased to say that she enjoyed the trip and that she overcame her concerns about driving down single track roads in isolated areas - and by the end she was actually enjoying the challenge! She visited many heritage centres, so if you have any questions on Scottish history now is the time to ask!


On the way back south I deliberately chose to drive along some of the roads that I had walked on - bringing back lots of memories. It also seemed a very long way, even in a car! We saw several other potential endtoenders either nearly completing their journey or just setting out. It made me feel warm inside to see that so many people have the ambition to achieve something worthwhile and to which I can relate.


If any of you are crazy enough to want to walk LEJOG I would say go for it. It is essential to work hard on the preparations such as training, using the right footwear, planning the route etc but the effort of doing so is well worthwhile. I will never be able to watch the weather on the TV again without thinking that I have walked the whole length of the country.


I really enjoyed the West Highland Way (except for the awful few miles along Loch Lomond) and I think that the scenery along the Way will probably be the lasting memory of the walk. There was a mixture of beautiful loch's, mountains, remote moors and altogether a sense of isolation. The camaraderie and atmosphere at the hotels was also memorable. I am afraid that the same cannot be said about the Great Glen Way which I found to be largely boring along forest tracks with little views of the wider scenery. I think that the powers that be are aware of this problem and are trying to improve things - such as moving the walk to the east coast of Loch Ness, but until this happens I cannot recommend that you walk the GGW.


The journey through Scotland was enhanced by so many of the towns and villages holding Gala days or weeks when we were there. You will remember seeing the photos showing the bunting out for the galas.

As promised I have worked out the final stats for the walk:-






950 -Miles walked



0 - Miles still to walk (yippee!)



55 - Walking days



7 - Rest days



17.3 - Average miles per walking day


1 - blister (honest!) and that wasn't painful


1 - lost toe nail



35 - Beds slept in



20 - Counties visited



104 - Bird species seen



14 - Wild mammal species seen



16 - Men in kilts (only 2 of which were wearing them other than as some sort of uniform)



1,672,000 - Estimated steps taken



118,750 - Estimated calories burnt by walking



3 - pounds weight that I put on during the walk



5 - different single malts sampled



19 - Support walkers (qualification at least 5 miles) plus 2 dogs



12 - Support drivers (plus 1 train, 1 taxi and 1 bus)



3,343 - miles on our 2 support cars (plus countless others in the other support cars)



0 - Kingfishers, loch ness monster, midges (almost!),red deer, eagles,ptarmigan



4 - most pints of beer on one days walk (with Neil, Phil,Andy and Karen - some of whom had more!)



66- Most miles walked by a support walker (Graham)


7 - Most KBW's awarded to one person -Adrian. Four others were awarded 6 - Graham, Sue S, Julie B and Martin.
60 - Different recipients of KBW's (plus 2 dogs). Thanks to all of you.
125 - KBW's awarded.

1,000 - my lifetime bird list after spotting merlin on Dartmoor


4340 -Hits on blog (counter put on on 19 May)


42 - Ordnance Survey Explorer maps used (plus 1 I wish I had used!) plus guide books for the WHW and GGW



8,000+ - Pounds raised for British Heart Foundation (money still coming in!)



1 - new gear box


Thanks very much for reading the blog throughout the last two months and I hope that you have enjoyed it. I have certainly enjoyed writing it and it has given me a sense of focus when walking as I was always looking out for things to write about. It will also give me a record of my walk which I will be able to look back on with fond memories.


Now that I have fulfilled a long held ambition a lot of you have asked me "what is next" - I honestly have no idea but I would not be surprised If I find another challenge that will intrigue me - watch this space!


The final thought is one that I have used before but I think that it is fitting.


"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." - Edmund Hillary


Cheers

Keith, Endtoender

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

JOG + 1 - The journey back home

The view from south of JOG showing the island of Stroma and in the distance the Old Man of Hoy. John O'Groats - on the last lap!

Warth Hill about 2 miles from JOG which was the last hill to climb on the walk. It doesn't compare with many of the hills that I encountered over the 950 miles but it was difficult because of the strong gusting winds as I reached the top of the hill.


Walker and main support driver enjoy reaching the end of the long road.

No caption needed!

Just to prove that the sun did shine on the last day. Overall the weather during the 9 weeks was fantastic and was much better than could have been expected.



I am holding a miniature of Clan Lindsay whisky and an engraved Clan Lindsay glass. The two were soon put together and I enjoyed a celebratory dram (or two!).
As promised I have included more photos of yesterday's wonderful events. I was in an end of term mood all day. I had to remind myself on a couple of occasions that it was still important to concentrate on the traffic, as my mind kept recounting incidents from the previous 9 weeks. The final day was a fulfilment of years of planning as well as all of the efforts of the previous 9 weeks and 950 miles and this made the final few miles very special. I started to get emotional over the last couple of miles as the scale of the achievement hit home - I started to sing "You will never walk alone" which was what the Welsh Male Voice Choir had sung when I visited the care home in Wrexham (it seems ages ago!). But the real emotion came from the realisation that I had received absolutely magnificent support from so many of you, without which I would not have been able to fulfil my crazy ambition, and that "I didn't walk alone". Thanks again to everyone who has helped in so many ways - whether walking, support driving, providing accommodation, donations to BHF and encouragement and emotional support.
Yesterday afternoon and evening were wonderful as we received so many messages of congratulation by phone, text, the blog and email as well as donations on justgiving. It was lovely to be able to share the good news with so many of you.
The atmosphere at JOG was full of camaraderie as as well as the lone walker there were a succession of cyclists finishing their personal challenges. We all swapped experiences of our journeys and celebrated together. In fact the last few days has been like this as from Helmsdale onwards nearly all endtoenders use the A9/A99 to reach JOG so that I have met many walkers and cyclists, and there is a splendid sense of fellowship in sharing a common goal with them. A major topic of conversation at JOG was Alan the "barefoot walker" - no one could belief what he was attempting to do. We passed him on the road this morning after he had walked about 20 miles and both of his feet were bandaged - not a good sign with over 900 miles and some much rougher tracks to be faced. If you want to follow his progress his website is www.thenaturalmindproject.org
Reaching JOG itself is a little confusing as I discovered that there is no start/finish line (as there is at LE) so I did not know when the target had been reached! This therefore spoiled my expectation of crossing the line and celebrating. However a wee dram soon removed this small problem as I queued to have the photo session at the "sign".
One aspect that I hadn't expected was that when I came over Warth Hill 2 miles from JOG I could see the Orkneys ahead of me. I hadn't realised that they were so close to the mainland. It may be silly but the fact that I had almost walked to the Orkneys made my achievement seem even more impressive. In any event the sight of the islands with the sun on them was lovely, and I could make out the waves lapping on the shores.
After the Lindsay whisky at JOG we had a bottle of bubbly back at the hotel. I also managed some Old Poultney single malt (which is distilled in Wick) after our meal. After so many weeks I didn't have to worry about how I would feel the next morning!
The adventure is now just about over - we will be back home on Thursday after picking up our repaired car tomorrow from the garage in Perth, where we are stopping tonight. But I am sure that I will always remember the fantastic experiences that I have had over the last few weeks.
As mentioned yesterday I will do a blog over the weekend including the final stats for the walk and giving my overall summary of KBW. The one stat that you can change is by making a donation to the BHF either via justgiving or by sending me a cheque made payable to the British Heart Foundation. I know that many of you have already made generous donations but I also know that many people have waited to see if I finish the walk- If you are in the latter group, please do not forget to make your donation.
"I'm glad I did it, partly because it was worth it, but mostly because I shall never have to do it again" - Mark Twain
Cheers
Keith, Endtoender

Monday, 5 July 2010

Day 62 - Mission Accomplished!!!!!

The target is reached! Exactly 2 months after leaving Lands End I arrive at John O'Groats. The Orkneys can be seen in the background.
Andrew promised me a generous donation to the BHF if I walked the last mile. Good try Andrew, but I did make it and here is the evidence.
Not the smartest of signs but it is probably one of the most photographed.

This is Alan whose tee shirt says "Barefoot Challenge" and he really intends to walk JOGLE in bare feet. Having just done it in boots all I could do was to wish him luck - I think that he will need it!



I arrived at John O'Groats at 2.20 this afternoon - in good health and very good spirits. After 62 days on the road there really was a sense of achievement in reaching my goal. Thanks to all of you for your support - both practical and emotional, and I have been very touched by all of the messages of encouragement that I have received over the last few days.
Although the walk has finished this is not the end of the blog. I will fill in the details of today's events in a blog tomorrow when I will also include more photos of today's walk and reaching the end of the road. In a week or so I will also do a summary of the walk including all of the stats and my more considered reflections of my experiences over the last 9 weeks.
I must go now - there is more bubbly to drink!
Cheers
Keith








Sunday, 4 July 2010

Day 61 - Almost there!

A storm cloud over Wick as I approach at the end of the day.


What seems to be a typical Caithness scene. Relatively flat land with a mixture of new and derelict farmhouses.


The flags are out for me in Lybster - but they were not too enthusiastic, only managing 2 strings of flags!




How the well dressed walker combats rain and strong winds - self portrait. This season's style is to wear a floppy cricket cap under the hood of a waterproof - remember where you heard it first!




The walk today was almost abandoned. The weather forecast of heavy rain and gale force winds was reasonably accurate this morning. When I got out of the car at my start point (Dunbeath) the wind was so strong that I almost got back into the car. However I decided to give it a few miles to see how it went - agreeing to meet Jean down the road in case I decided to call it a day. The wind was only really bad in unprotected areas near the clifftops- fortunately there were only a few of these. I therefore decided to carry on with my plan to reach Wick which was a total walk of 21 miles today.




The weather in fact relented shortly before lunch with the wind dying away and the rain turning to intermittent showers. There were some heavy showers around - some of them thundery (see the photo above) but my luck was in and they all missed me, but it did encourage me to hurry along to ensure that I stayed dry. The weather has made me realise that the rosy view that I had of Sutherland and Caithness was based on the fact that the weather has been excellent. Now that I have seen bad weather in July and how it changed the feel of the place, I can only wonder what it would be like to live here in the winter.


The day started well with a phone call from Phil informing me that Captain's day at the golf club had raised over £800 for the BHF. Don't forget that donations can still be made to the justgiving page or by sending me a cheque.


As thought yesterday I am starting to see more endtoenders. There is a smug feeling of oneupmanship when meeting people going south, in all their innocence, when I have almost finished the walk. However when talking to two girls on their second walking day I did feel a little bit of envy of what enjoyment and challenges they have to look forward to over the next couple of months.


Tomorrow I have about 17 miles from Wick to reach John O'Groats (I have checked and the JOG council use a capital O) and I hope to reach the end of my odyssey at about 3.00pm. The champagne will be served at about 3.05pm! As mentioned I also plan to walk to Duncansby Head which I regard as a bit of gilding of the lily - but I may as well go there whilst in the area!


Thanks to all of you who have sent me messages of support in the last few days - in particular Martin, Phil, Sue, Julie and Lisa - KBW's to you all!


"Happy is the man who has acquired the love of walking for its own sake." - WJ Holland


Cheers

Keith

Saturday, 3 July 2010

Day 60 - Along the coast

A view of the Caithness coastline south of Dunbeath.
The splendid view from the grounds of our hotel for yesterday and today - the Navidale house Hotel at Helmsdale - offering plenty of opportunities for bird watching or just relaxing.
Entering Caithness also marked the 900 mile marker. You may recall that the 300 miles was achieved at Norton Lindsey; the 600 miles was at Lindsay Tower; so I expected that the 900 mile marker would have some Lindsay connection. However the best that I can do is that the daughter of the Countess of Caithness married the 14th Earl of Crawford, George Lindsay, in 1621 - OK it is a bit tenuous! I understand that tickets are still available for the Royal National Mod (whatever that is!)
The 20 mile target to Dunbeath was achieved without any great incident. This leaves 38 miles to go to JOG but I have now decided to carry on to Duncansby Head, the extreme tip of Britain, which is a further 2 miles. I still hope to finish on Monday afternoon although I have just heard the weather forecast for tomorrow which is for heavy rain and gales. As I still have about 8 miles along the coast, before heading in land, it may not make for easy walking.
All of today's route was along the A9 and most was along the coast. This led to having to walk up and down several steep hills as the road dipped down to the villages along the coast. I am however told that there are now no more major hills left to encounter. The traffic was light so never became an irritant although the lack of cycle lanes etc meant that it was essential to concentrate the whole day to avoid tangling with the vehicles. A particular problem was that several times a car was about to pull out to give me space when the unobservant driver behind decided to overtake into a narrowing lane, making the first car veer back into "my" space. A similar problem occurred several times when cars going in the same direction as me decided to overtake which meant that they came very close to me, which was a surprise as I had no idea what was happening behind my back.
From what I have seen of Caithness so far it is more like I expected the far north of Scotland to be. There are isolated farms and cottages in bleak countryside and the land doesn't look to be very fertile. This contrasts with Sutherland which is both attractive as well as productive.
Lisa posted a comment yesterday asking what was in the Lindsay & Co showroom that was pictured in the blog yesterday. My shopping consultant informs me that the showroom is for the nearby hardware store and it displays such items as lawnmowers and other gardening equipment. Lindsay & Co also had a gift and card shop on the other side of the road.
Now that I am nearing the end of the journey I have mixed feelings - I want to finish the task and to achieve something that I have planned for years, but I think that I will miss the new routine that I have grown used to. I guess that I will have to wait a few weeks to come to terms with the events of the last two months. What I will not be doing is taking up Phil's suggestion that I turn around and walk back to Lands End!
I met a couple today who have just set off on their way to LE. They are doing it the long way with their route covering 1300 miles compared t0 my 950. They are doing the Pennine Way and also the South West Coath Path, both of which I decided were too long when walked as part of LEJOG. They expect t0 take 13 weeks to complete the walk. These are the first walkers that I have met who are going south - I have seen only I other going north (Benno - who I am sure is enjoying watching Holland in the World Cup!). the couple did however tell me that they had met a chap about an hour ahead of me who was going north - they said that they "didn't respect him" because he was doing the walk in stages over a period rather than doing it all in one go. They did however think that my schedule was acceptable! I have seen several end to end cyclists today and I expect to see more walkers and cyclists as I approach JOG - there are numerous routes used by endtoenders but they all converge at JOG!
"Walks. The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird." - Jules Renard
Cheers
Keith



Friday, 2 July 2010

Day 59 - By Loch and Sea (or Firth)

A view over Loch Fleet, near Golspie, which is a National Nature Reserve. I walked for 2 miles along its shores to start today's walk - seeing dozens of seals and lots of birds. Unfortunately I didn't think to take a photo of the seals on a sand bank until I was too far past - and it is a rule of long distance walking that you do not go back!
Dunrobin Castle just outside Golspie. We had lunch there today and Jean did a tour this afternoon which also included a falconry display.


Golspie seems to be run by Lindsay and Co with at least 3 shops owned by them. I am currently exploring whether I have any legal redress for them using the name of my firm! If you look to the left of the window you will see the photographer taking the picture - note the shorts which made their first appearance since before the West Highland Way.


Today's hotel does have a functioning wifi (so far) so hopefully I will be able to do a full blog tonight. The hotel is at Helmsdale (it used to be the Duke of Sutherland's hunting lodge)and has marvellous views over the sea from its cliff top vantage point. After my walk today I spent half an hour sitting outside the hotel bird watching in the lovely afternoon sunshine - idyllic.


I managed another 20 miles again today - reaching 5 miles short of Helmsdale. The first 2 miles were along the shores of Loch Fleet. After a few miles along the A9 with no pavement/cycle lane etc (luckily it wasn't too busy) I then took the coastal path for about 9 miles from Golspie to about 3 miles past Brora - this used the links which included walking through Brora golf course. I thought that I was walking beside the North Sea, and in reality I was, but I have been told that it is in fact the Cromarty Firth. On the links I got too close to a nesting ground for Arctic Tern which I didn't realise until about a dozen of them started dive bombing me to scare me away - it certainly worked and I left the area as soon as possible.


Tomorrow I plan to walk another 20 miles to Dunbeath - which unfortunately is all along the A9, hopefully as it is a Saturday it will not be too busy, as it becomes frustrating having to step onto the verge to allow vehicles to pass. In any event it is not very enjoyable as it is necessary to keep concentrating on the traffic at all times - at least this makes me walk faster in an attempt to complete the miles as quickly as possible!
My health and fitness are both excellent - with hopefully only 3 more days to go. This afternoon I had a strange thought that in recent weeks it has been a little too easy. It feels almost like cheating if I don't have to crawl over the finishing line suffering from various aches and pains - it is supposed to be difficult! I will however try to fight such nonsense and to keep fit until the end.


We are currently in Sutherland which is a wonderful place. I had no pre-conceived ideas about what to expect north of Inverness but it really has been a very pleasant surprise - the countryside is attractive and the towns and villages are pleasant and tourist friendly.
"I represent what's left of a vanishing race, and that is the pedestrian... That I am still able to be here, I owe to a keen eye and a nimble pair of legs. but I know they will get me someday." - Will Rogers
Cheers
Keith

Thursday, 1 July 2010

Day 58 - The Far north

The Dornoch Bridge over the Dornoch Firth - not as scary as the Kessock Bridge over the Beauly Firth!
The quiet road that I walked for 7 miles into Tain this morning. A pity that it rained all morning

A view from the Dornoch Bridge looking over the Dornoch Firth.


The first road sign that I have seen which shows the destination! I will have to check on the use of the small "o" as I have been using a capital letter.



A short blog today as the dongle is only working intermittently and the hotel doesn't have wifi. Hopefully normal service will be resumed tomorrow. The title for today's blog comes from my LEJOG guide book which describes the walk north of Inverness as "The Far North" - it certainly seems a long way north, but it is a beautiful area.


Another good day with 20 miles walked. I finished at the Loch Fleet nature reserve, and so have a pleasant start tomorrow as I will walk 2 miles along the shore doing a bit of bird and seal watching as I go.


Cheers

Keith

Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Day 57 - 100,99,98.... (to be continued)

An unusual bench in the park at Alness.
The Cromarty Bridge carries the A9 over the Cromarty Firth.

I love it when they get the flags out for me (or is it to celebrate England's world Cup defeat?) this time it is at Dingwall.


I like the name Digwall. It comes from an evolution of "Thingvolls" which was a parliament in Viking times.
It was a good day today. It was mainly spent on good quiet country lanes and B roads which had proper cycle paths set off the road. the countryside was attractive gentle arable land framed by hills which were always to be seen in the distance. About 10 miles was along land overlooking the Cromarty Firth. Further interest was given by passing through several small towns - Conon Bridge, Maryburgh, Dingwall and Alness. To add to it all the weather was sunny but not too hot with a nice breeze. The only problem was that by the time we got to Morangie the Glenmorangie visitor centre was closed! I will just have to sample some in the bar tonight! I might also delegate Jean t ovisit it tomorrow to see if she can find any free samples.
I am now about 8 miles south of Tain, which I will reach tomorrow. I will also pass through Dornoch after crossing the Dornoch Firth - I haven't yet checked how high the bridge is yet! I do however know that it is the last Firth that I need to cross.
As you will have guessed from the title of today's blog I now have less than 100 miles to go to reach JOG - 98 to be precise! Although it is only a number going past the 100 mark gave rise to a wonderful sense of nearing the target.
Jean had a trip to some shops in Beauly, and in the afternoon visited a new RSPB feeding centre for Red Kites near to Dingwall. She also passed through Keithtown which unfortunately wasn't on my route.
A KBW to Bob for his kind offer of accommodation on the way south - I will get back to you on this Bob as I cannot think that far ahead at present.
"There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo. Even a bicycle goes too fast." - Paul Scott Mowrer.
Cheers
Keith


Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Day 56 - 8 weeks on the road

The end of today's walk, at Milbuie , was marked by a memorial to a local soldier.

The Kessock Bridge over the Beauly Firth- showing the path that I had to use. This wasn't easy with my fear of heights.


A view over Inverness as I approached this morning along the Great Glen Way. Beauly Firth can be seen to the left of the photo.


I have now completed 8 weeks on the adventure - and I can now see the end in sight (only 118 miles!). Inverness has been one of the landmark places in my mind from before the walk started - others have been Lancaster (half way), the Scottish border, Glasgow and the West Highland Way. I have always regarded Inverness as being in the north of Scotland, until planning the walk when I discovered that there are still over 120 miles to go when it is reached. Many people I have met on the walk have delighted in pointing this fact out to me!


The walk today saw me finish the GGW, although I did not bother to visit the official end which is at Inverness Castle. As I have said before my object is to reach JOG and so I found the shortest route through Inverness to Kessock Bridge and the road to Black Isle. I did not look forward to crossing the Bridge as I am not very good with heights. The photo shows the adequate footpath on the side of the bridge, although I would have liked the guard rail to have been a little higher! I did in fact cope with the height of the bridge, finding more problem with the wind created by the traffic speeding past.
Tomorrow I walk towards Tain. We are stopping tomorrow night at Glen Morangie (where the distillery is) and so I cannot promise that there will be a blog, or if there is, that it will be coherent.
Jean had a red squirrel day to celebrate her birthday - seeing one after dropping me off this morning. She then went on to enjoy the day by spending a couple of hours in a launderette! After lunch she visited a winery which we enjoyed and came away with plenty of samples of their products and also a donation to BHF! We have just got back from a very good meal at a restaurant called Rocpool - Jean really enjoyed her meal, but said that it doesn't excuse me taking her out to one of our favourite restaurants when we return home.
In Jean's Birthday Honours List she has awarded me a KBW for bravery in crossing the Kessock Bridge. She would also like to thank all of you who sent messages to her wishing her a happy birthday.
"If you pick 'em up. O Lord, I'll put 'em down." - "Prayer of the tired walker"
Cheers
Keith



Monday, 28 June 2010

Day 55 - 800 and other numbers

A view across the moor high above Loch Ness early this morning. An unusually open view for the Great Glen Way.


A Great Glen Way sign marking the highest point on the Way. Although it doesn't say it is 1245 ft above sea level and I was very pleased to reach it after a long climb uphill from the side of Loch Ness.


Urquhart (pronounced Urk hurt) Castle is seen in the centre of the photo (if you look hard enough!). Taken from the Great Glen Way above Loch Ness.



The bilingual sign at the entrance to "Drum" as the locals call it. Although it looks as though the Gaelic speakers do not have to drive carefully! This is where I clocked up the 800 miles for the walk.




Today I reached 7 miles from Inverness and the end of the Great Glen Way. In doing so I clocked up 800 miles - I have now walked 816 miles. Due to the decision to walk through Inverness I have increased the total mileage to 950 and so there are still 134 miles to go. As you will have gathered from the last two blogs I have not been impressed by the GGW - this continued today although there were more areas where it was possible to see the wider view. Overall I would not recommend doing the GGW unless it was part of a longer holiday to see the sights of the Great Glen - even then I would suggest a driving trip would be more interesting.
I will need to get my OS maps out for tomorrow onwards. This has not happened recently because I had guide books for both the WHW and GGW which contained descriptions of the route as well as the appropriate maps with the route highlighted. My plan is to walk into Inverness and then to cross the Kessock Bridge to the Black Isle. I then take minor roads to Dingwall and then along the west coast of the Cromarty Firth towards Alness.
The weather has not been as hot as I understand it has been in England recently. Yesterday we had 2 showers. Today it threatened to rain again but it never quite managed to do so. I have therefore been wearing my waterproof jacket the last 2 days with long trousers. The long trousers are not because it is cold but to protect my legs from ticks (which live in bracken) which can give you Lymes disease. I have worn them since the start of the WHW when I started walking along country paths. Hopefully tomorrow will be the last day that this will be necessary - although the weather forecast is for rain for the next few days so I may need to wear my waterproof trousers. Whilst on the subject of clothing I wore my trainers yesterday for the first time since the start of the WHW. I had to wear my boots again today as it rained heavily overnight and I thought that the paths may be muddy. I will wear them again tomorrow but after that I am back on the roads and will be able to wear my trainers, which I prefer as they are lighter.
Jean today visited the Loch Ness Centre where she learned all about Nessie. I don't think that she was paying attention as she came out not believing in Nessie! As I have not seen that much of the Loch (due to the trees!) I haven't seen Nessie myself - so you will have to make your own minds up!


As promised an update on the trip stats:




816 miles walked


134 miles still to walk


48 days walked


7 full rest days


16.7 average miles per walking day


57 degrees north of Inverness- north of Moscow!


97 bird species seen (can I make the 100?)


10 mammal species seen


10 men in kilts


20 counties visited (this will be the final total as Highlands is huge)


29 beds slept in


2 single malts sampled (honest!)


1 blind Uruguayan referee

22 walkers who have joined me (plus 2 dogs)


12 support drivers (not including pick up truck)


2 support cars used by us


2,368 miles in our support cars


5,397 money raised for BHF (donations still accepted!)
KBW's today to Martin, Sue, Julie and Sue for services to communication with the Scottish outpost.
"I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me." - Fred Allen
Cheers
Keith

Sunday, 27 June 2010

Day 54 - I cannot see the walk for the trees!

A view of the path on the Great Glen Way - trees for mile after mile!


At Fort Augustus, on Loch Ness, for a coffee stop when I found Nessie.


A pretty lock keepers cottage 4 miles south of Fort Augustus.


Like yesterday I found it very difficult to find suitable subjects to photo today. The first 5 miles today, from Aberchalder to Fort Augustus, were along the Caledonian Canal. The views were pleasant if not spectacular. However after leaving Fort Augustus the next 16 miles were entirely on Forestry Commission land which meant hours walking along good paths but with only the occasional glimpse of Loch Ness, which was often well below the path. As I have said before walking on forest paths is not inspiring and it is all but impossible to be sure what progress you are making. After lunch at Invermoriston I estimated that I had 7 miles before meeting Jean at the end of the day and so we agreed to meet at 4.30 at the end of a very narrow minor road which went into the forest. In the event I probably underestimated the distance and also did not take into account that the path literally went uphill for at least 3 miles. This combination meant that I was almost an hour late - and could not inform Jean because she couldn't get a signal on her phone. Luckily she had worked out that I was walking further than I had anticipated and was not panicking too much.
I had no problems from my ankle or shins today. Still no blisters !


One thing that I have noticed about the waterways in Scotland is the dearth of bird life. So even when I can see the lochs etc there is very little bird life to see.


I have decided to continue on the GGW to Inverness rather than to leave it at Drumnadrochit as originally planned. Although the GGW has been a big disappointment; I have missed a little bit out by taking short cuts; and the remaining 18 miles after D'hit do not sound to be an improvement - I think that I would prefer to see the rest for myself. The LEJOG guide book that I have suggests that it is best to carry on to Inverness as the alternative route from D'chit is largely on an A road. It will also be good to stay in Inverness on Tuesday as it is Jean's birthday and I think that she deserves a good meal in celebration and as a thank you for all of her support work.


I saw the 9th man wearing a kilt today. He was a busker playing the bagpipes at the exit to a car park. The others have been - 5 men attending a formal dinner in Lockerbie; a waiter at the Drovers Inn at Inverarnan; and 2 members of a pipe band in Fort William. I will give you a full update of the trip stats tomorrow.


Talking of tomorrow I plan to walk to about 5 miles south of Inverness. If achieved this will leave me with a further 132 miles to go to reach JOG.
"Now shall I walk or shall I ride ? Ride - Pleasure said. Walk - Joy replied" - WH Davis.


Cheers

Keith

Saturday, 26 June 2010

Day 53 - Trees and more trees

A view over Loch Lochy back towards Ben Nevis.

The Laggan Locks on the Great Glen Way where we had a picnic lunch today.


The ruins of Invergarry Castle taken from the opposite bank of Loch Oich. The boat on the left also looks as though it has seen better days!


Today was certainly one where it was necessary to focus on the overall objective of reaching JOG, and to grind out the miles. This was because the scenery was by and large boring - or perhaps I should say that it was not possible to see the scenery because most of the day I was walking along forest tracks with minimal views of Loch Lochy and Loch Oich that I was walking parallel to. The actual paths themselves were very good and easy walking. In the morning from Gairlochy to Laggan Locks I amused myself by birdwatching, which is not easy in what was mainly a pine forest. In the afternoon from Laggan Locks to Aberchalder I resorted to first my radio and then my ipod to keep me going.


I may be getting a little jaded after over 7 weeks on the road, or I may have been spoiled by the magnificent scenery and atmosphere of the West Highland Way - because even when the trees did open up the views did not inspire me . The GGW so far is also much less used than is the WHW - I did not see any walkers going south today, and only 4 others going north. Because the Great Glen area is better served with B&B's and hotels than the area of the WHW there is not the gatherings of walkers in the hotels which helped make the WHW so special.


I am still in search of short cuts. This morning I chose to stay on a very quiet B road instead of following the GGW as it meandered fairly aimlessly through woodland.


Although Jean and myself have been bitten by a few insects it is no worse than if we had spent time out of doors in any part of England. We have certainly not yet seen the fabled Scottish midges. We have heard about them - the B&B where we stopped last night had a machine to deal with them. Apparently midges identify their prey from the carbon dioxide emitted from breath. The machine emits carbon dioxide to attract the midges from a radius of 50 yards. Once they approach the machine they are sucked in and killed. The B&B that we stayed at at Crianlarich were considering buying one of these machines as well. I guess that we must just have been lucky - so far!


Thanks to Colin Findlayat the excellent Riverside Lodge Gardens B&B at Spean Bridge for his donation to the BHF as well as for the wonderful hospitality. Tonight we are staying in Fort Augustus which is at the southern end of Loch Ness.


Tomorrow I hope to walk to to about 7 miles south of Drumnadrochit. I will need to decide by tomorrow night whether I am going to follow my original plan to leave the GGW at Drumnadrochit or whether to continue on to the end of the GGW at Inverness. The latter route is about 5 miles longer but does give us more options with accommodation as Inverness is well served with hotels etc.


There were 2 aspects of today's walk which gave me some intellectual interest. Yet again I found myself walking on old military roads - a lot of both the WHW and the GGW is based on roads that were built in the 18th century by the government to make troop movements around the highlands easier. Between 1724 -1740 240 miles of military roads were built by 500 soldiers. The leading figure involved with the construction was General Wade who is remembered in the National Anthem where his work is referred to as "crushing rebellious Scots". Together with the miles walked on old Roman roads I have walked many miles on roads which were constructed for military purposes. The other topic of interest were some butterflies that I spotted - however despite studying my book tonight I have been unable to identify which species they were.
"Walking isn't a lost art - one must by some means get to the garage." - Evan Esar
Cheers
Keith

Friday, 25 June 2010

Day 52 - One Way ends and another begins

The view from our B&B just outside Fort William - overlooking Loch Linnie. The clouds soon lifted and it became another warm sunny day.

Ben Nevis towers above the Fort William area.


River Lochy near to Gairlochy, where my walk finished today. This is on the Great Glen Way 10 miles north of Fort William.



Neptune's Staircase, on the Caledonian Canal at Benavie, a flight of 8 locks which is a local tourist attraction. Jean can be seen in the bottom right of the picture. We had lunch in the hotel next to the Staircase. You will remember that yesterday I took on the rather more challenging Devil's staircase in the WHW!
Although I know that I will not have followed every yard of either the WHW or the Great Glen Way, today was the day when I finished the WHW and started the GGW. Looking at the maps this morning I noticed short cuts that I could take both to finish the WHW and to start the GGW. As my objective is to get to JOG I had no problem in taking both short cuts saving me about 3 miles in total.
The walk today was fairly uneventful. I did have a few twinges from my right shin this morning, but after putting some gel on it I had no problems this afternoon. It is however a reminder that I must not take things for granted. I now have 185 miles to go, and while it might seem easy compared to the 945 starting figure I have reminded myself that it is still the distance from Coventry to London and back!
The highlight of today was seeing Ben Nevis from many different angles. I am always surprised to see snow on a British mountain in June! I did take several photos of the mountain showing the snow but unfortunately I uploaded the wrong photo - you will therefore have to believe me about the snow!
Jean had a cruise on Loch Linnie this morning, seeing seals, gannets and cormorants. She also enjoyed driving the hire car down the single track roads which are prevalent in these parts.
Tomorrow I carry on the GGW to Aberchalder which is 5 miles south of Fort Augustus. This part of the GGW is fairly flat and on good surfaces. This has restored my belief in my fitness because the hills and poor surfaces on the WHW were starting to make me believe that my legs were becoming worn out. However after 10 miles on flat canal paths, along the Caledonian Canal, I now believe that I am still in reasonable working order.
The change of Way has heralded a change in scenery from the rugged and desolate areas through which the WHW passes to the the much softer pasture land and gentle hills of the GGW. However I only had to look over my shoulder this afternoon to be reminded of the Highlands as Ben Nevis is still dominating the views even from 10 miles away.
I have had some new eating and drinking experiences whilst in the Lochaber district. Last night I had a vegetarian haggis (think about it) and tonight I had a pint of beer (yes, only 1!) made from heather - it was surprisingly tasty and dispelled the thought that the Scots had been winding me up when telling me that heather was used to make beer.
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go." - Robert L Stevenson
Cheers
Keith