LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOOD

I started the day's walk by driving to The Commando Monument on the A82 near Spean Bridge and chained my bicycle to a sign. I then drove on to the Laggan Locks Car Park just off the A82 road towards Inverness, parked my car and walked the short distance in the rain back to the A82 main road where I waited for the bus 919 towards Fort William. Because the rain was so persistent I had to use the Bus Shelter on the wrong side of the road, keeping an eagle eye out for the bus turning the bend. When the bus was almost due I crossed the road to a rough piece of ground and waited in the rain. The bus nearly ran me down when the bus driver saw me but I boarded ok and travelled to the Commando Monument to collect my bike. I unlocked the bike in the drizzle and cycled down the hill to the Gairlochy Locks where I chained the bike again, but this time to the fence next to the lock attendants hut. I checked with the attendant who was sheltering in his hut, to check it was ok to leave it there for a few hours. I started my walk and crossed the swing bridge to the road junction. I turned right and walked along the B8005 towards Clunes. This was the start of the thousands of trees, so I had to stop and study the views in detail. This is where the camera is very useful. The official Great Glen Way was parallel to the road and awkward to walk on the narrow path around the trees. I therefore decided to walk on the very quiet no through road towards Clunes. I passed some very private and luxurious large houses amongst the trees on my left and Loch Lochy through the trees on my right. Just before I reached a small narrow bridge over a burn I passed the entrance to the Clan Cameron Museum, definitely worth a visit if you are related and/or if time allows. The lane also when to Achnacarry Village and Achnacarry Castle but the castle wasn't open to the public when I passed the lane on my adventure along the Great Glen Way. At the small bridge the views opened up for me to see the Loch in all its splendour, with Meall na Teanga on the north west side and the chain of Druim Ghlaoidh Hills on the south east side. On the right just after the bridge was the entrance sign to St Ciarans Church with the 'All Welcome' sign. The church was down a single track rough road without any dwellings nearby. Before I reached the bridge over the River Arkaig there was evidence of some tree felling, probably to cater for another luxurious house to be built just before the hamlet of Bunarkaig. The river was large to cater for the huge catchment area of water all around the long Loch Arkaig. The Loch is very picturesque with two medium sized very pretty waterfalls just before the Loch and which are more impressive from the bridge over the small river. The falls, 'Eas Chia-Aig' are translated to mean 'Water of the Old Witch'. Not to be missed, especially the view approximately a mile along the road on the north bank of the Loch where it is possible to see along the whole length of the Loch to a witch's hat type mountain at the far end. Most impressive, especially in good weather, I've viewed the scene many times. There were more trees between the river and when I reached the hamlet of Clunes. Here the houses were mostly made from wood, reflecting the abundant of natural resources in the area. The road B8005 turned sharp left at the Hamlet to Mile Dorcha and Loch Arkaig. The road is relatively flat but runs through a very steep sided valley. It is evident that the sun never shines in the valley because the wall on the southern side of the road is completely covered in thick moss. This is another very interesting and unusual sight with many species of wildlife in the area. From Clunes I took the right turn along a shale forest track into Clunes Forest. The undulating track climbed slowly to approximately 100 metres (yards) in height, with more undulations around that level for miles or Kilometres without hardly any views of the Loch. Eventually on Glas-Dhoire Mor a series of vertical fire breaks in the forest allowed me a slot view of the Loch. Not great but better than nothing. Apart from the odd walker I didn't see a soul, just mother nature as she intended. When I arrived at the beck of Allt na Faing, or is it Allt Glas-Dhorie Mor, the scenery changed slightly with another glimpse of the Loch. I continued along the Great Glen Way to Glas-Dhoire Beag, passing many small becks with lots of small waterfalls, all picturesque in their own way. At this region of the walk the Way stayed at approximately 50 metres or yards high, quite close to the edge of the Loch with more views of the area through the trees. At Glas-dhoire the views really opened up for about 200 metres (yards) to give unobstructed views of the Loch, wonderful. I walked back into the Forest of South Laggan and continued walking between the trees on a forest track very close to the edge of the loch, but still peering between the trees to see the views. I eventually came to Kilfinnan Wood and Sidhean Mor as the track slowly gained height, before leaving the South Laggan Forest behind. I passed Great Glen Lodges and Highland Lodges, on the right, with the views opening up to a misty view of the mountains around. I was pleased, any views would do. I soon reached Kilfinnan Farmstead where the Way became a metalised road and crossed a wooden bridge over Kilfinnan Burn to a parking area very suitable for walking the area. As I passed a cattle grid I came to another wood, but this time only on the left. At the fork the Way split into two, with the left track eventually passing Loch Oich on the North West side and the right track to Laggan Lochs and passing Loch Oich on the South East side. I took the right lane at the fork walking through the gates and over the cattle grid towards the car in the car park by Laggan Locks and the A82 road. As I walked along the lane to Laggan Locks the track was on the very edge of the lake in places so exposed and windy at the time. My hat blew off my head and landed in the water on the field side of the track. The field was flooded after the heavy rain over the last few days. I reluctantly decided not to attempt to retrieve the hat, so I continued to the locks. As I crossed the locks I noticed a fleet of pleasure boats moored at a wooden landing platform. A small boat would have helped me rescue my hat. I drove back to Gairlochy Locks to collect my bike and then continued to the accommodation to prepare for the next day's walking adventure from Laggan Locks to Fort Augustus. Not to be missed folks.

Location Map: - www.streetmap.co.uk,
Start: at Gairlochy Lochs - Caledonian Canal on B8004.
Finish: at Laggan Lochs - Caledonian Canal by A82 .