All posts by Adam Dawson

Day 79: 10 Jun 2014; John O’Groats to Dunnet Head

Day 79: 10 Jun 2014; John O’Groats to Dunnet Head
Walk descriptor LEJOG2014 Day 79
Date Tue 10 Jun 2014 Start to end time 05h 22m
Start point John O’Groats End point Dunnet Head
Miles today 15.96 Cu miles 1,492.33
Ft today 1,174 Cu ft 199,472
Route miles left 0.00 Route ft left  0
Today’s weather Dull and wet to start with; bright sunshine by lunchtime. Light variable wind. About 15C in sun
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Today’s location
(the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)
GPX based track of today’s walk
(click here to access to access downloadable file)
Commentary

“I had breakfast in bed this morning – well in the sleeping bag in my tent – and I realised as I enjoyed my meal of crisps, Mars bar and strawberry milkshake, just how hard it’s going to be to return to the “real” world after this walk. I will definitely need a bit of house-training I think.

Anyway, I dragged myself out of bed and packed away the tent for the final time. It was a dull wet day – quite a contrast with yesterday – and I was away by seven. I had a quick look round the small harbour at John O’Groats and then headed off back West, towards Dunnet Head. I didn’t hang around because it was quite cold and the fog which had descended overnight shrouded the views in mist. The Orkney Islands, in full view yesterday, had completely disappeared.

Once again, I was road-walking for speed – and because there are no footpaths up here anyway. I was quickly off the relatively busy Thurso road, and on quiet byroads which led to the Castle of Mey. This is a striking building, bought by the Queen Mother shortly after George VI died. It was one of her favourite residences – a bleak spot, far from the madding crowd, I guess, though nowadays I understand it’s only favoured by Prince Charles.

At Mey, our son James joined me, and together we walked the last 9 miles to Dunnet. It was great to have someone to share the last few miles with, and they sped by. And the icing on the cake was, as if by magic, the clouds started to lift and then rays of brilliant sunshine poured in through a blue cleft in the clouds.

I reached the very end of the road at Dunnet Head, the most Northerly point in mainland Britain, at 12:27pm today. I’d been walking for 79 days from the most Southerly point at the Lizard, and covered 1,492 miles with 199,472 ft of climbing. And as of now, I’ve raised £8,021.58p for the Scouts’ Hardship Fund.

To celebrate, we climbed to the trig point at the summit above the lighthouse, drank champagne and enjoyed the views in the brilliant sunshine. I think I am supposed at this stage to record profound thoughts about the impact this walk has had on my life, etc. But in reality I’ve been focused on much more prosaic things. Like the delight of being able to get properly clean and to sleep in a bed which doesn’t have slugs in it; the thrill of travelling at speed in a car; and the relief at being able to walk without carrying 38lb of gear on my back. And in particular the anticipation of having that dram of Highland Park tonight, which I’ve been promising myself ever since I set off.

But yes – I can’t deny I feel a bit proud of myself. In fact, aside from getting married and having children, I think it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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Cows and sheep up here are clearly very well educated… The Castle of Mey. One of the late Queen Mother’s favourite haunts. I expect Kate likes coming up here on holiday, too
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As the rain cleared and the mist lifted, Dunnet Head slowly came into view With my wife, Val, at the end of the road!
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Looking North to the Isle of Hoy. If you look carefully, you should be able to see an Old Man The view back East to John O’Groats, in the cloud in the far distance
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180 degree panorama looking North, right from Cape Wrath at the far left, over Hoy in the centre, to John O’Groats at the far right
The previous day’s blog follows below the blue line
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Day 78: 09 Jun 2014; Oldhall to John O’Groats

Day 78: 09 Jun 2014; Oldhall to John O’Groats
Walk descriptor LEJOG2014 Day 78
Date Mon 09 Jun 2014 Start to end time 10h 02m
Start point Oldhall End point John O’Groats
Miles today 25.88 Cu miles 1,476.37
Ft today 1,608 Cu ft 198,298
Route miles left 15.30 Route ft left 767
Today’s weather Brilliant sunshine most of the day. Clouded over with light rain in evening. Moderate South Easterly wind. About 17C in the sun
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Today’s location
(the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)
GPX based track of today’s walk
(click here to access to access downloadable file)
Commentary

“On the night before the achievement of a major goal, you might expect that you wouldn’t sleep too well. And indeed that was the case last night. But I lay awake not in keen anticipation of arriving at John O’Groats, but because I had camped under a tree full of roosting rooks. The good thing about rooks is that they make a lot of noise during the daytime, but are quiet at night. The bad thing is that up here it that it doesn’t get dark at all at this time of year. So the rooks were chattering away like excited teenagers until about midnight, when there was a brief twilight, then at it again until at about 3 am, in the bright early morning sunlight. And to compound the cacophony, the person in the caravan near to where I was camped decided to effect some emergency repairs to his door, which consisted of slamming it shut as vigorously as he could, repeatedly until he was satisfied with the closing mechanism.

So I was a bit bleary-eyed when I eventually surfaced at 6 am, and stepped out into the inevitable midge storm. I packed as quickly as I could before I was eaten by these persistent parasites, and set off in the direction of John O’Groats. The sun was shining brilliantly, and the views over the flat landscape were outstanding. Clear blue skies, towering clouds, and emerald green fields.

I’d planned an easy – but long – road walk to John O’Groats. There wasn’t much traffic, so the walking was rapid and I made speedy progress over the tarmac. I was surprised by just how straight the roads were. At one point, I found myself on a long straight road, heading North, which had no bends in it for eight miles. It must be one of the longest straight roads in the UK. The Romans would have been proud! By mid-afternoon my feet were beginning to feel the effects of this extended trek over tarmac. But suddenly after a long uphill slog with just more and more road opening up in front of me, I came over the brow of a hill and wow! In front of me, a magnificent vista of the North Atlantic, dotted with the Orkney Islands, came into view and made me forget all about the pain in my feet.

I’d met a couple of cyclists a few days ago, heading from John O’Groats to Land’s End, and they warned me that “there wasn’t much” at John O’Groats. Well to me, having spent weeks in the wilds, it felt like a real metropolis. There was a pub, a shop, at least three tea-shops, and a hotel. It’s all about managing your expectations!

John O’Groats isn’t the most North Easterly point in the UK, so I duly hiked the extra two miles to Duncansby Head, which is. The best part of the day was that here I was met by my wife and eldest son, James – himself a former Scout and participant in the Centenary Jamboree. It was brilliant to have some real family company again – the first since Rob joined me on ben Nevis. After admiring the view at Duncansby for a while, I walked back to John O’Groats and had my photo taken by the signpost – I now have a matching pair – one from “LE”, and one from “JOG”. So that’s seven of my eight milestones achieved. It’s not the end of the road as tomorrow I have a 15 mile hike to Dunnet Head, the most Northerly point in the UK. So I’m not celebrating just yet but I have to admit that I am feeling that this isn’t end of the beginning, but the beginning of the end….”

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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Sounds like a pretty effective deterrent combination to me… This road must rank as one of the longest straight roads in the UK. It was “only” 8 miles but it felt like an infinity. And looking back, the ubiquitous Ben Klibreck, first spotted 3 days ago, is still visible..
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Lupins growing in the roadside verges near the track to Duncansby Head At Duncansby Head with our elder son, James
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Duncansby Stacks towering over the North Sea Last camp of the trip. I’ll miss my little portable house…
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Panorama looking North, out to the Orkneys. Stone fences made a reappearance today, for the first time since Wales
The previous day’s blog follows below the blue line
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Day 77: 08 Jun 2014; Altnabreac to Oldhall

Day 77: 08 Jun 2014; Altnabreac to Oldhall
Walk descriptor LEJOG2014 Day 77
Date Sun 08 Jun 2014 Start to end time 07h 30m
Start point Altnabreac End point Oldhall
Miles today 17.83 Cu miles 1,450.49
Ft today 538 Cu ft 196,690
Route miles left 48.52 Route ft left 2,437
Today’s weather Warm and sunny most of the day, light showers in evening. South Easterly breeze, about 17C
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Today’s location
(the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)
GPX based track of today’s walk
(click here to access to access downloadable file)
Commentary

“People who write about how to survive in the outdoors but who haven’t actually camped in Scotland in the warmer months confidently assert that a strong overnight breeze is a Good Thing because it blows the midges away. Just like the Ordnance Survey cartography, you do have to take what these experts say with a bit of a pinch of salt. Based on last night’s experience, the midge theory is simply not true. In high winds, such as blew through my campsite at Altnabreac, what happens is that the midges all take refuge in your tent and get themselves organised overnight to attack as soon as you open the fly-screen. So although it was breezy overnight, and indeed quite wet, I suffered the worst midge infestation of the trip this morning as I attempted to pack the tent away. And while the midges are waiting in your tent for you to get up, they also grow Velcro on their feet, so once they have stuck onto you, it’s almost impossible to get them off.

I eventually managed to get packed up and away by about 7:30, I’d slept since about 9 pm yesterday, exhausted after yesterday’s 31 mile epic. Today’s walk was much shorter – a 17 mile road–walk to a campsite at Oldhlall, on the shores of Loch Watten. It was a staggeringly beautiful day. The overnight rain soon cleared away, to leave brilliant sunshine and light winds. The air was so clear, I could see for miles, right back to Ben Klibreck and beyond. The horizons seemed to get thinner and thinner as the land got flatter and flatter – the mountains standing out like distant volcanoes, and the sky becoming more and more dominant in my field of vision.

And it was a spectacular sky. I seemed to be walking along a fault-line, between a stormy North, and a brilliantly sunny South. The sky was electric blue, with huge white and black cumulus clouds towering overhead. But my route seemed to be charmed, as I was on the right side of the stormy divide all of the way, and remained dry and in full sun right to Oldhall.

By the time I reached Oldhall, the bog and forestry had given way to rich farmland – miles and miles of fertile-looking pasture. I was amazed – I had expected this remote part of the UK to be bleak and windswept but in reality it was more like a well-kept corner of Kent. After installing the tent, I made the long (3 mile) road walk to Watten where I’m enjoying an excellent curry in the pub. And of course excited to have discovered that Watten is the birthplace of none other than Alexander Bain, world-renowned inventor of the electric clock.

Tomorrow I’m aiming for John O’Groats, the penultimate milestone on my journey. I’m not allowing myself to get over-excited though – it’s another 25 mile hike and I can’t afford to let concentration slip. A fall at this last stage would be disastrous!”

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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View south West from Loch More towards Ben Klibreck – a feature of the landscape fpr the last four days At Strathmore Lodge – sadly not dispensing bacon rolls and tea any more
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Mill at Westerdale, looking North How Scottish can you get?? Thistle with visiting bumble bee
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Massive thunderclouds to the North. Thurso had a thunderstorm, but slightly further South, where I was, the sun shone all day These exotic deep purple orchids seemed to be thriving in the hedgerows at the sides of the road
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The views up here are long and thin. The Klibreck mountains are visible in the centre-left, and overhead the storm front dividing North from South. Luckily I was on the right side of it
The previous day’s blog follows below the blue line
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Day 76: 07 Jun 2014; Garvault to Altnabreac

Day 76: 07 Jun 2014; Garvault to Altnabreac
Walk descriptor LEJOG2014 Day 76
Date Sat 07 Jun 2014 Start to end time 11h 26m
Start point Garvault End point Altnabreac
Miles today 31.07 Cu miles 1,432.66
Ft today 1,965 Cu ft 196,152
Route miles left 62.18 Route ft left 2,826
Today’s weather Brilliant sunshine all day until late evening, then cloudy. Calm at first, strong Easterly wind later. About 19C
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Today’s location
(the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)
GPX based track of today’s walk
(click here to access to access downloadable file)
Commentary

“Today was a friendly sort of a day, which was just as well, because at 31 miles and eleven and a half hours of walking, it was also by far the longest day of the trek so far.

I’d spent the evening in the hotel bar last night, before retiring to my tent, and enjoyed chatting to the fishermen who were staying in the hotel – they’d not had much luck in catching anything so far. Then this morning, I made an early start in view of the long day, and hot-footed it the 9 miles down the road to Kinbrace, the nearest settlement (which, bizarrely enough, also boasts a railway station). I’d arranged with contacts who lived on the nearby coast at Helmsdale to meet here and take receipt of a parcel of provisions to get me through the next night’s wild camp. Whilst I was waiting, I also bumped into the hotel fishermen again – off to try their luck on a different loch – and picked up all the local news from the postman, who was just setting off in his van that morning. I also spoke to one of the locals who was out collecting his mail, and he explained that he – like the campsite managers near Altnaharra – split his time between summers in the Highlands and winters in Spain.

My food parcel delivery was duly received and it was real delight to take delivery of strawberry milkshakes, flapjacks and cans of stew, for dinner tonight. Essential, too, as there were no shops today and indeed haven’t been since Lairg.

Then once I set off again from Kinbrace, another friend phoned to see how I was getting on, and mentioned that he’d actually been on the forestry track to Altnabreac that I was proposing to hike this afternoon, and confirmed that it was in good repair and easy to follow. This was a relief as I’m still a bit hesitant to take Ordnance Survey cartography too literally. And especially so since the cheery postman had also mentioned that people tended to “go missing” on this section of the hike, and “disappear into the bog….” Which all sounded rather ominous.

And then when I got to the wild camp at Altnabreac itself, I was joined by two friends who were out on a cycling trip, They brought more food with them, so along with the cans of stew and rice pudding, we were able to have a fantastic picnic in quite possibly the remotest spot in Britain this evening. Totally surreal!

And even the weather was friendly today. Another of Scotland’s finest days. Bright sunshine and clear blue cloudless skies, with a breeze to keep the midges away, made the 31 mile hike as easy as it could be. Every step seemed to take me further into the wilderness – vast tracts of nothing, punctured by impressive mountains, some of which were almost volcanic in shape. The air was so clear I could see to Ben Hope, one of the most Northerly Munros, right out on the West coast, and almost as far as the North coast, with Dunnet Head now getting tantalisingly close.

Tonight I’m wild camping on the forest edge about a mile from Altnabreac railway station. “Station” is a bit of a misnomer – if you want the train to stop here you have to stand at the trackside and wave vigorously to attract the driver’s attention. It’s the eighth-least used railway station in the UK and in fact nobody seems sure why there is a station here at all, since there is no habitation and no roads for miles around.

A slightly shorter day tomorrow, to Watten loch where I’m camping – though I realise that I will have to make a bit of a detour to get to Halkirk for more supplies for Monday’s trek. But the end is in sight now, so I’m happy to just grit my teeth and do the extra miles!”

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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Lonely burial ground, near Kinbrace Taking delivery of new provisions for next stage of the journey, at Kinbracee
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Looking North from the road to Forsinard, with Lochan Ruathair and Ben Grian Beg Forsinard seemed to be an unhappy place today. The hotel had shut down, and plans by the RSPB to develop a big new visitor centre had upset the locals
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On the forestry road to Altnabreac. It just gets remoter and remoter Wild camp at Altnabreac tonight
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Panorama looking South West over the Flow country from the road between Garvault and Kinbrace
The previous day’s blog follows below the blue line
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Day 75: 06 Jun 2014; Altnaharra to Garvault

Day 75: 06 Jun 2014; Altnaharra to Garvault
Walk descriptor LEJOG2014 Day 75
Date Fri 06 Jun 2014 Start to end time 07h 14m
Start point Altnaharra End point Garvault
Miles today 20.66 Cu miles 1,401.59
Ft today 1,462 Cu ft 194,187
Route miles left 81.34 Route ft left 3,983
Today’s weather Dry, warm and sunny most of the day. Light cloud in morning and late afternoon. Moderate North Easterly wind
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Today’s location
(the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)
GPX based track of today’s walk
(click here to access to access downloadable file)
Commentary

“Anyone who ever thought that Britain was a small, crowded island should make the trip north to Garvault. It’s bleak, remote and a million miles away from the crowded towns and cities that most of us live in. Tonight I’m camping near the Gavault Hotel – said to be the remotest in Britain – and all I can hear is the call of the moor-birds, and all I can see is mile upon mile of moorland and mountain. It’s really quite beautiful.

But today I was seeing this desolate upland area at its best. After yesterday’s cloud and rain, the day started with a thick mist, most of which had burned off by early morning to leave a largely sunny day. I made a leisurely start and didn’t leave the bunkhouse till about 9 am. I’d really enjoyed my stay at Altnaharra and would recommend it to anyone wanting to get away from it all for a while. There isn’t really much of a settlement there – no shop that I could see, but a small primary school. What a fantastic place to start your education, I thought. My route along the shores of Loch Naver soon left all traces of civilisation behind until, slightly incongruously, I came to a caravanning site near Grummore, run by a couple who lived a peripatetic existence from a giant motor-home, which they alternated between Scotland and Spain. I was able to stock up on refreshments at the small shop and suitably reinvigorated I pottered off.

The rest of the walk was a straightforward hike down first the Bettyhill road, and then the Helmsdale road. At each junction I reached, my road became smaller and quieter, so that in the 8 mile walk from Syre to Garvault I think I encountered half a dozen vehicles at most.

As the roads grew quieter and quieter, so the scenery became more and more desolate. I was walking through the “Flow” country – a vast area of pathless upland moor, with rounded mountains visible in the moorland, in all directions. It wasn’t spectacular like the west coast, but it exerted a sort of hypnotic charm through its remote grandeur.

I choseto camp near the Garvault Hote rather than wild camping, as it meant I would be able to get a meal rather than carrying everything in. My pack feels heavy enough anyway, without adding any more, and the miles of road walking are beginning to take a toll on my feet. They feel well and truly pounded and quite sore. But I’m not complaining – it’s easy walking, not like the Cape Wrath Trail, and doesn’t take too much energy. Though I may feel differently after tomorrow – a 30 mile epic is in store, to another wild camp near Altnabreac. I’m already yawning so I think I’ll be off to bed as soon as I’ve had dinner! ”

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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A misty start to the day in Altnaharra Altnaharra weather station. Some of the lowest temperatures ever measured in the UK were recorded here PIC TO BE UPDATED LATER
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Don’t know what sort of toadstool this is but it definitely didn’t look edible! Memorial to Donald McLeod who witnessed the mass eviction of families from the region during clearances in the early 1800s. He was forced to emigrate to Canada where he wrote a book entitled “Gloomy Memories” recording his experiences.
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Peat cutting with recently cut peats set to the side to dry out before being burned on domestic fires On the road to Garvault. Miles and miles of completely traffic-free tarmac
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Perfect reflections of Ben Klibreck in Loch Naver this morning, on leaving Altnaharra
The previous day’s blog follows below the blue line
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Day 74: 05 Jun 2014; Lairg to Altnaharra

Day 74: 05 Jun 2014; Lairg to Altnaharra
Walk descriptor LEJOG2014 Day 74
Date Thu 05 Jun 2014 Start to end time 08h 23m
Start point Lairg End point Altnaharra
Miles today 21.97 Cu miles 1,380.93
Ft today 1,252 Cu ft 192,725
Route miles left 104.11 Route ft left 5,470
Today’s weather Dull and overcast all day. Heavy rain in morning, lighter rain for rest of day. Moderate North Easterly wind. About 10C. No sun
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Today’s location
(the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)
GPX based track of today’s walk
(click here to access to access downloadable file)
Commentary

“I liked today’s walk for three main reasons. The first was Empire biscuits. These are a peculiarly Northern Scottish delicacy and are basically two pieces of shortbread sandwiched together with jam and then decorated with a thick layer of icing and a fruit jelly. I had bought some as emergency rations as I left Lairg but after 5 miles I felt hungry and deemed that to be a sufficient emergency to warrant eating them. So I had all three and they were brilliant. Powered me all the way through to lunchtime, in fact.

The second reason for liking today was the Crask Inn. This pub at the roadside a little over half way to Altnaharra is so remote it makes the Tan Hill Inn on the Pennine Way seem positively cosmopolitan. I dropped in and there was a roaring fire in the stove in the front parlour, and a couple of other travellers there enjoying refreshment. I was chatting to a German visitor, who had cycled there from home in Germany, via the Shetland and Orkney islands. He was now cycling home and had already covered 3,000 km. Rather put my exploits to shame! Anyway I didn’t have a bacon sandwich(!) but rather to my surprise had a pot of tea and a goat’s cheese and nut flan. Excellent, in an excellent inn which I can’t recommend highly enough.

The third and possibly most significant reason was that today’s walk headed due North – no messing around with twists and turns, and I think in terms of degrees North travelled, today probably holds the record. So it was very satisfying, and my route has, briefly at Altnaharra, come back onto course with my original plan, so I now have only just over 100 miles left to go. Feels good!

The walk itself followed the single-track A836 all the way from Lairg, and alongside Loch Shin (another hydroelectric dam) for the first couple of miles. Despite being a “red” road, and therefore one that by my own rules I should avoid, it was quiet and the traffic relatively slow moving. Most of it was overseas holidaymakers with caravans – it’s clearly a Mecca particularly for Germans, as some of the road signs were even in German!

So hiking it wasn’t a problem at all – except that my feet took a bit of a pounding. The rain meant that everywhere was shrouded in mist, making the mountains and moorlands look gloomy and uninviting. The rivers were in spate and in complete contrast to the semi dried-up riverbeds I’d seen yesterday. I was extremely grateful that I’d completed the Kinlochewe to Oykel Bridge section when I did – a couple of days later and I think the several river crossings I’d had to make on the way would have been simply impassable.

Tonight I’m staying in a bunkhouse attached to the rather nice Altnaharra hotel. I’ve got the whole bunkhouse to myself, which makes it feel like rather like I’ve got an entire hotel suite. It’s fantastic, and I’m making the most of it as I’m wild camping the next two nights.

PLEASE NOTE:
Tomorrow I’m camping near the Garvault Hotel, which is the remotest in Britain, and it’s highly unlikely that I will have internet access. The night after I am wild camping near Altnabreac where there definitely won’t be any access. So the daily blogs for tomorrow (Friday) and the day after (Saturday) probably won’t appear until sometime on Sunday.

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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Leaving Lairg this morning and checking out the last shop for 4 days. Also noticing that too many sticky toffee puddings may be giving me a double chin… Pine trees in full “bloom” – these are the male flowers which produce clouds of pollen on dry days. Today all the puddles had yellow beaches of pollen.
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The Crask Inn. Nothing synthetic about this authenticity. It was brilliant Not sure exactly which Mackays they are, but I am now in their country
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The overnight rain had turned the rivers into brown torrents. So glad this hadn’t happened when I was in the mountains The Altnaharra Hotel. I’m staying in the bunkhouse behind the hotel – excellent as there are no other residents in it tonight!
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Panorama looking towards Ben Klibreck. My original route anticipated walking more or less straight across this wild bogland directly to John O’Groats. I must have been insane.
The previous day’s blog follows below the blue line
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Day 73: 04 Jun 2014; Knockdamph to Lairg

Day 73: 04 Jun 2014; Knockdamph to Lairg
Walk descriptor LEJOG2014 Day 73
Date Wed 04 Jun 2014 Start to end time 09h 54m
Start point Knockdamph End point Lairg
Miles today 24.92 Cu miles 1,358.96
Ft today 2,293 Cu ft 191,473
Route miles left 165.81 Route ft left 15,877
Today’s weather Overcast in morning, long sunny intervals in the afternoon, cloud later. Light North Easterly wind. About 17C
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Today’s location
(the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)
GPX based track of today’s walk
(click here to access to access downloadable file)
Commentary

“One of the amazing things that I’ve discovered about the UK in the course of my journey is just how much variety is crammed into such a small country. Today was a real case in point. At 7 am I was on a bleak, windswept upland moor, taking down the tent and having breakfast in a desolate bothy. Yet just a couple of hours later, I discovered at Oykel Bridge, a luxurious hotel where I was not treated like something from outer space, but welcomed with fantastic tea and bacon sandwiches. The contrast couldn’t have been starker.

I slept reasonably well last night, but was glad to be in my tent rather than the lonely bothy. I was away quickly and descended the 4×4 track to Oykel Bridge, which seems to be a well-frequented fly fishing spot. Suitably refreshed at the hotel, I set off with a real spring in my step in the direction of Lairg.

In many ways, Oykel Bridge was a turning point – literal and figurative – on the journey. Here I left the Cape Wrath Trail, which hugs the West coast, and turned firmly East, in the direction of John O’Groats. It also marked the point where I finished the remote pathless traverse of the North West, and started road walking for the final push to the end. I’m sure at some point I will get to hate it, but today it was just pure joy to be walking on firm, flat tarmac, compared to the boggy struggle which has been the hallmark of the last few days’ walking. Also for anyone looking at the map of my route on this website, please note that I have now diverged from it quite radically, so the “distances to the end” are my estimates and probably don’t bear a direct relationship to reality anymore.

Somehow the weather, and the whole landscape, changed as I left Oykel Bridge. The sun became warmer, and the landscape softer and more rolling. It was almost as if I’d got on a plane at the bothy and arrived in the Mediterranean a couple of hours later. The road was quiet, and even though I had 15 miles of it to walk, the distance sped by and I luxuriated in the easy, struggle-free walking. I’d mentioned to the man serving me in the hotel how dry it seemed to be up here, and he confirmed that in fact they only have about 30 inches of rain a year. Previous to coming here, he’d worked at Seatoller, near Scafell Pike, in the Lake District. There, he said, they had around 150 inches a year so coming “up North” was for him a bit like coming to the Sahara (and for me, too, as it rained all the way through the Lakes on my journey).

Tonight I’m in Lairg, which is a “real” town with shops, streets and pubs. It’s the first one I’ve been in since Fort William and it’s quite a novelty. It’s in the county of Sutherland, which is the largest in the UK, and which is remarkable also in that there is only one set of traffic lights in it.

Tomorrow I’m heading firmly North on a nice straight road to Altnaharra, and I’m actually looking forward to it!”

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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Saying goodbye to the midgy bothy this morning. I survived! Grass decorated with jewels of dew on way down to Oykel Bridge
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From the sublime to the ridiculous – or vice versa.. Hotel at Oykel Bridge where I got an excellent bacon sandwich and tea – just a few miles from the desolate bothy Rolling, soft, countryside – complete with postman Pat – a million miles from yesterdays bleak moorland
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Good job this toilet in tonight’s campsite is clearly labelled or you might have mistaken it for a drinking fountain.. Lairg. A town. With roads, shops and streetlights. The first since Fort William, 9 days ago
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Overlooking the lush valley – stark contrast with yesterday
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Day 72: 03 Jun 2014; Dundonnell to Knockdamph

Day 72: 03 Jun 2014; Dundonnell to Knockdamph
Walk descriptor LEJOG2014 Day 72
Date Tue 03 Jun 2014 Start to end time 10h 58m
Start point Dundonnell End point Knockdamph
Miles today 22.65 Cu miles 1,334.04
Ft today 4,689 Cu ft 189,180
Route miles left 179.81 Route ft left 16,998
Today’s weather Overcast and dull most of the day; heavy rain early afternoon; some sun later. No wind. About 13C
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Today’s location
(the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)
GPX based track of today’s walk
(click here to access to access downloadable file)
Commentary

“On most measures, today was harder even than yesterday – much longer in duration, more climbing, no welcoming hotel to look forward to, and a pack that weighed at least 10lb more than yesterday, as a result of all the extra food and water I was carrying for the night in the bothy. And just like the night before, I’d had a restless night worrying about how the day would go.

But today seemed to prove that it’s as much mental attitude as physical stamina that determines how easy or hard the day will be. I got myself into a positive frame of mind, telling myself that after today, although the walks would be long, they would mostly be on roads and tracks, and much less arduous than the last few have been.

And although I can’t claim today was easy, it certainly seemed a lot less painful than yesterday. I decided to take it relatively slowly, and because I didn’t particularly want to get to the bothy early as there would be nothing to do when I got there, I didn’t leave Dundonnell until 8 am. There were, to my disappointment, no shops in Dundonnell, so I got the hotel to make up an extra-large packed lunch, which served for both lunch and dinner today. I packed in six litres of water as well, so my rucksack weighed a ton.

Someone had said to me that the problem with walking South to North in the West of Scotland is that all the mountain ranges run East to West, so you hit them perpendicularly and have to climb over each one. And indeed, since leaving Invergarry, I have crossed seven ranges of hills, including two yesterday and two more today. No wonder I’m finding it tiring! So I slogged up the hill out of Dundonnell and then immediately dropped right back to sea level again at Inverlael. That went quite well, on an easy path, so I set off up the next range to Glen Douchary and then the Knockdamph bothy with enthusiasm. That didn’t last long, however, as the path ended after a couple of miles and the next ten miles were a case of walking on bearings across ankle-twisting boggy moorland until I came to a faint path midway down Glen Douchary. The pain was relieved a little, however, when the path turned a corner and briefly the Coigach mountains came into view, including at their centre, Stac Pollaidh, one of the most alluring hills in North West Scotland.

The Glen itself was stunningly beautiful – a sort of lost world, entirely cut off from the outside world. It almost looked as if it had been landscape-gardened, it seemed so well manicured complete with hidden, spectacular waterfalls along the way. But the path flattered to deceive. It was rough, hard to follow, and kept leading off into bogs and then disappearing. It was a very hard slog indeed across country to Loch an Daimh and the bothy.

Bothies are great when there is a fire lit and a big crowd of friends in there with you. But when you’re on your own, as I am tonight, they can be a bit creepy. So, being a bit of a wimp, I’ve pitched the tent nearby and after making a cup of coffee and eating the rest of my sandwiches in the bothy, am retiring to the slightly more cosy ambience of my tent!

Tomorrow is another long day – 25 miles or more, probably. But as it’s mostly on by-roads and downhill to my next campsite at Lairg, I’m not overly concerned about it. Just a case of putting one foot in front of the other and plodding along!”

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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At the top of the pass between Dundonnell and Inverlael looking back to An Teallach Sunshine after the rain! Magnificent cloudscapes once the shower had passed
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A solitary cairn guides the way across vast pathless moorland to Glen Douchary Buried in the peat – remains of the old Caledonian Forrest, preserved for hundreds of years since the Clearances
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Knockdamph Bothy where I am staying tonight. Decided to camp outside… Stove being put to good use making a brilliant up of hot coffee in the bothy!
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Magnificent waterfalls, almost totally inaccessible, in Glen Douchary
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Day 71: 02 Jun 2014; Kinlochewe to Dundonnell

Day 71: 02 Jun 2014; Kinlochewe to Dundonnell
Walk descriptor LEJOG2014 Day 71
Date Mon 02 Jun 2014 Start to end time 09h 11m
Start point Kinlochewe End point Dundonnell
Miles today 23.15 Cu miles 1,311.39
Ft today 4,051 Cu ft 184,491
Route miles left 197.35 Route ft left 20,381
Today’s weather Dull and overcast most of the day with occasional rain showers. Some sun in afternoon. About 15C
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Today’s location
(the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)
GPX based track of today’s walk
(click here to access to access downloadable file)
Commentary

“On this hike, I’ve got into the rather bad habit of worrying about things which subsequently turned out to be completely straightforward. So yesterday I’d started worrying about today’s hike, and if I’m honest, I didn’t sleep very well last night either, as I was turning the route over in my mind (that and the fact that some midges had got trapped in my sleeping bag, which was making me very itchy).

The reason I was worried about today was because it was very long, with a lot of climbing, and in the middle there was a long section with no paths, and no access to the “outside world”. It turned out, actually, that my worry this time did have some justification, for I found the walk exceptionally hard. Possibly the hardest day of the trek so far, though I’m not quite sure why as it wasn’t the longest, and it wasn’t the day with the most climbing. But by the time I finished, I felt pretty battered and I’m exceptionally glad that I have taken the “soft” option and checked into a hotel (at Dundonnell) for the night. Perhaps it was the pathlessness that made me tired – it’s very hard work blazing your own trail through miles of upland bog. Or perhaps it’s weariness – after 71 days of non-stop hiking I think I am starting to become fatigued. Anyway – hopefully only 8 more days to go, so need to grit teeth and think positively!

The walk itself passed through some of the most impressive – and remote – territory of the hike so far. I set my alarm for 5:30 am so I could be away by 7 and allow myself plenty of time to cover the distance. After climbing up to the “Heights of Kinlochewe”, the path continued to Lochan Fada – a beautiful, remote loch which, I understand, is pretty much unique in that it has three rivers flowing out of it – all in different directions.

From the lochan, the path promptly disappeared so I followed the route of the Cape Wrath Trail, which I’d plotted out on my “Viewranger”, up and over the Bealach na Croise to Loch an Nid. It was on this section of the route that I suddenly realised how exposed I was. My mobile phone and location beacon were out of coverage range, I wasn’t on a path, and there was literally nobody for miles (in fact I only saw 1 other person between leaving the pub last night and checking into the hotel today). So I took it extremely gingerly, as I simply couldn’t afford to make any slips.

When I wasn’t busy studying my feet, I did look up to admire the magnificence of the view. I passed round the back of Slioch, and then as I went over the pass, the amazing bare rock slabs on the slopes of Sgurr Ban came into view. And finally, I drew closer and closer to An Teallach – a real mountaineer’s mountain – with spectacular ridges and summits all in clear view.

I eventually joined a Land Rover track, which I was immensely grateful to see. I followed the track to the road to Dundonnell, and finally arrived at the hotel after nine and a half sinew-straining hours of walking. I’m now in the process of organising food and water for tomorrow. I’m wild camping near the Knockdamph bothy, so have to carry everything in. This will make my pack even more excruciatingly heavy, and I’m not looking forward to it. But once I reach the bothy, the route from there to the end gets easier – fewer hills, and easier-to-follow roads.

So I now need to go and load with carbs, ready for tomorrow, and get a good night’s sleep to ease the battered muscles!

PLEASE NOTE: Tomorrow’s update will be delayed for 24 hours, as there is no network coverage at Knockdamph

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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Having a wild thyme(!) in the mountains Whoever devised this sign must have employed the same cartographers as mapped out the non existent forestry track near Dornie, as the arrows are the wrong way round
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On the summit of Bealach na Croise, feeling very remote and vulnerable! Looking down over Loch an Nid to the spectacular An Teallach range
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The remarkable, completely un-vegetated, rock slabs on the slopes of Sgurr Ban I can’t begin to explain how glad I was to be here!
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Panorama over Lochan Fada, with its three river exits (one, actually is man made, according to my guidebook, and delivered hydropower to an iron smelting factory on the shores of Loch Maree)
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