We had a lovely breakfast cruise back to the point where we ended our walk yesterday. We had the usual porridge and cereals, then tatty scones (potato flatbreads) and sausages. Our chef is incorporating local foods into the menu, which is very nice. We arrived at our launch point and donned buoyancy aids for the short trip to shore. Rules are that we wear these any time we get into a boat smaller than Fingal, which means we can sit up on the deck unencumbered.
Two trips in the tender and we were off for another day of walking. We took a few minutes to stop in the local village, pop into a shop or two, and even an ice cream cone was purchased.
The village of Drumnadrochit
Then we set off to join the Great Glen Way, heading up and up. Along the way we passed a farm with cows, horses and pigs. As we were admiring the pigs, the farmer came out and chatted with us. She was very friendly, as all of the people we have met have been. She did warn us about the wild boar – they have babies now and will attack! Luckily, we did not encounter any.
Our lunch stop today was at a little pottery shop/cafe. They have tables set out in the yard and we enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the sun. Even with the amount of lunch Darren packs for us (egg salad sandwich, frittata, cookies, juice, chips), we still found room for cakes and hot drinks. John and I had ginger cake and shortbread, and also snuck in a taste of the pineapple whiskey fruit cake – all delicious! And the pottery was lovely – 2 new tea mugs are coming home with us. Two potters were busy at their wheels – one of them was practicing for her appearance on the British Pottery Showdown, so look for Emily from Loch Ness.
We were more than halfway through our daily walk, but still had some elevation to gain. We were rewarded with some fantastic views of Loch Ness!
Once again, we had to head back down to the Loch to meet our boat. The wind was cooperating, so Steve was able to pick us up on the shore and deliver us back to Fingal. Our afternoon treat today was delicious lemon cake and shortbread cookies. No one loses weight on this trip!
Tonight’s docking spot is in Fort Augustus, about an hour and a half cruise from our pickup point. I went up to visit the wheelhouse, and Chris let me drive for a bit. I’d say it was easy, but I had the wide open loch around me. Seeing Chris pull up to the dock is where the real skill comes in.
Dinner tonight was chicken stuffed with haggis and wrapped in bacon with a whiskey sauce. I was going to be the only one to opt for the second choice dish, but Darren said he would stuff mine with vegetarian haggis. I’m just not that daring! Mine was delicious, and everyone else said the same thing about theirs. Dessert was individual vanilla pana cotta with fruit compote.
Tomorrow is bound to be our toughest day on the walk. We have two hills to climb, each offering a low route and a high route. As much as I dread it, I plan on doing both high routes to see the best views. Check back later for tomorrow’s report!