Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 23, June 2, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 23, June 2, 2022 SORRY— this one is out of order, too many days out in the glens A day of two passes, divided by some time in a pub. It rained a bit in the night, just enough to give each blade of grass a crown. As I wanted […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 25, June 4, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 25, June 4, 2022 I stopped briefly at a bothy this afternoon and had a conversation with Simon, a man walking part of the Cape Wrath Trail. He had settled in for the day while I was planning to push ahead to the next bothy about 8 km further on. […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 24, June 3, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 24, June 3, 2022 Quite possibly the most beautiful walk I’ve ever taken. Woke early as the Munro baggers were itching to get started and my bunk was just above theirs—had coffee with them later, a good lot. I was the only one walking out what for many is the […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 22, June 1, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 22, June 1, 2022 A short distance from where I was yesterday lies Rannoch, or as the poet once designated it, “Rannoch, by Glencoe.” I try to imagine T.S. Eliot walking these hills. An American from St. Louis, desperate to be an Englishman, travels to Scotland, and surprisingly, in the […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 21, May 31, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 21, May 31, 2022 Equipment day—the other day I broke a trekking pole—pair of graphite Leki’s that have been around the world. I’d been concerned about them all trip, and now that I’ll be in the wilds, it seemed prudent to replace. After breakfast at the hostel, I stopped for […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 19, May 29, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 19, May 29, 2022 Kingussie to Laggan An inauspicious morning became a highlight of the trip thus far. The Duke of Gordon Hotel serves a big breakfast spread, so I delayed departure to get my dose of bacon, sausage, blood pudding, haggis, beans and eggs. The hike out of Kingussie […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 18, May 28, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 18, May 28, 2022 The walk out of Glen Feshie to Kingussie was uneventful. Typical cloudy day with occasional showers but no strife like the previous one. I was off before anyone woke up (and I think I was sufficiently quiet for the one person who ended up sleeping in […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 17, May 27, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 17, May 27, 2022 Bynack Lodge to Ruigh Aiteachain Today was definitely a tale of two treks. I woke at the Bynack Lodge ruins to rain and wind on my tent. Not being in a hurry to start (only a 21 km day), I gathered my equipment and read until […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 16, May 26, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 16, May 26, 2022 As I would be wild camping up in the Cairngorms area, I was in no real hurry to get started. Last night I made arrangements to eat in the Atholl Arms restaurant for breakfast, opting for eggs Benedict instead of another Scottish meat festival. The yoghurt […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 15, May 25, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 15, May 25, 2022 Compared to the past few days of absolutely solitary wandering, today was a veritable social hour. I have to admit, for me the draw of long-distance trekking has always been the solitude— something shared by Rousseau whose Reveries of a Solitary Walker has long served as […]