Sunday, 16 December 2007

Great Glen Way, part 2

Thursday 22nd July 2004

To continue my walk along the Great Glen Way, the plan that I'd come up with the day before, starting from Drumnadrochit, was carried out, but there was a problem: I overslept again! Having my breakfast sans a cup of tea (and eating someone else’s Cheerios that had been left in the spare food hole thus solving my breakfast problem) and missing my wash meant I was able to get to the bus stop in plenty of time, and without leaving anything behind, which after my poor start to the day I didn’t seem to be doing anymore, God willing. I took the bus to Drumnadrochit and had a look around but at 9 am everywhere was still shut, so with little delay I headed off onto the Great Glen Way along the road. I must say that this walk was very long and boring, and even at one stage I had to walk four miles along a road. By the end my knee was aching and I had developed my first blister of the holiday.

When I finally reached Inverness I headed straight for a bookshop I remembered from previous visits for a browse of their enormous collection. Later, after a look around the rest of Inverness I tried to find a supermarket, eventually finding Safeway (now known as Morrison's) behind the station, and bought my dinner and lunch for the next two days. When I tried to find the hostel I had a few difficulties because although I knew the general area I didn't know precisely where it was. After over half an hour's wandering I asked at a newsagents and was told that I’d almost walked straight past it as it’s close to Safeway! Once finally at the hostel I had a shower and a lovely dinner before heading back out again into the city centre for a wander around the lovely city of Inverness. When I tried to get back to the hostel I had a familiar problem: I couldn’t find it! Retracing my steps I suddenly remembered that it was on Victoria Drive, which is a rather vital piece of information. The next day I was planning on catching a train to Garve and try to walk up Ben Wyvis. If the good weather I was enjoying since I left the West Highlands continues I hoped I will have no problems, we’ll see.

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