Sep 7: Alongside Loch Ness

The forecast for today was awful: 8 hours of “moderate” rain. In fact, it came in waves. And, between the waves, we saw blue skies and we were even in tee shirts. Since we got into our accommodation (a well-appointed studio, half-way along Loch Ness), the evening has been consistently fine.

Hindsight is 20:20 and, this morning, we both donned what I call our “plastic pants”, as well as our raincoats. We did need them, not least to cut the cold wind that flared up from time to time. But, the day was much better than we expected.

The walk was a journey of two halves: 13km to Fort Augustus and then 13km to Invermoristen. Fort Augustus is the “gateway” to Loch Ness. By the time we arrived (around 12:30), the town was heaving. There were 5 coaches in the car park, plus dozens of family cars. The various boats that plough the loch all depart and return to the Fort Augustus wharfs. It’s a tourist town and full of charming olde-worlde stores. But, in the drizzle, Carey and I in our plastic pants seemed among the most cheerful people on the street. We sat on a wet park bench, secure in our rain gear, people-watching with a coffee and a sticky bun from a hole-in-the-wall sandwich bar. It was delightful. I’m not denying that our standards are low-ish: we were sitting down and had a hot drink. It was more than enough. This is not a Camino, but the same daily lessons in gratitude still seem to apply.

The path to Fort Augustus was a mix of forest-walking and canal-side strolling: a sort of “greatest hits” from the last two days. The highlight for me was a flock of goosanders, which I don’t think I have ever seen in the wild before. After our break, we headed uphill following a logging track that offered wonderful views of Loch Ness. It was a fabulous stretch, with the views appearing unexpectedly at the turn of a switchback or around a bend. The breaks in the cloud made for great light, and even some warmth. The hills were loud with streams and waterfalls. We plunged for an hour into truly old-growth forest. The path was damp and shaded, but beneath the trees it was truly dark, even black. The ground was spongy with yellow-green and red mosses and full of toadstools. It was quite eerie. I was glad we were together!

Our landlady tonight is a bird-watcher too. The grounds are full of hanging bird feeders, which are all a-twitter with chaffinch, siskins, coal tits. Blackbirds, robins and pheasants stride about underneath picking up the dropped pieces. We’ve also (finally) seen the cute red squirrels for which this area is one of the last refuges. Later this evening, she says she will put out food for badgers and pine martins that live in the nearby wood. Either (both?!) would be a truly exciting end to a wonderful day.

Follow our Journey at:

Click below to follow us on a map:

Email us at:

Karen's Podcast at:

info@walkthewalk.digital

© 2025. All rights reserved.

Inspired by our 2024 Camino Francais, Karen has a periodic podcast called "I sent you a bloody boat", personal thoughts on faith by a person who believes in thinking. Also, known as "The Reluctant Christian". You can listen to it on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts at: