The Loch Ness monster was the first mystery I read about when I was a kid. It felt unreal being on the water that holds enduring stories of fabled lore from my childhood. The boat leaves from Fort Augustus as we take a quick one hour tour. The short time only allows the boat to…
Tag: a day in the life
Walking to Fort Augustus
“Incredible weather today for your walk. Flat as a pancake it will be.” The girls wave goodbye from their front porch as I walk up the gravelly drive and onto the main highway. The sun is still hiding behind the mountains of South Laggan this morning. I stop and talk in small whispers to a…
Along the GGW – walking to Spean Bridge
When I was in my taxi heading to Kinolochleven, the conversation somehow turned to be about the Great Glen Way route. The driver wasn’t a big fan of this walk, calling it akin to taking your dog on a Sunday stroll through a park. I smiled politely, not telling him that I planned on walking…
Part 2, the descent of Ben Nevis
My finger tips are frozen as I finish the last of the apple. Head is swimming in a haze, and I stumble as I try to stand up. I need to get off this mountain quickly before I do real damage. The fog is thick as cake batter as I slowly stumble along. The first…
Climbing Ben Nevis, part 1
I’m watching the rain fall from the breakfast nook window in Fort William. I feel as ready as I’m ever going to be. Today is the day that I will attempt to climb the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, Ben Nevis. The omnipotent, foreboding mountain stand at 4,411 feet above sea level, and has…
time in Fort William
I had two rest days in Fort William after my West Highland Way walk. My first morning starts out with quite a downpour, and so I get some help calling a taxi to take me across town to the local launderet. I desperately needed to do laundry. Just as the taxi arrives the rain lets…
The Devil’s Staircase
Kinolochleven gives me the best night’s sleep of this journey. I rise feeling more than ready to tackle today’s walk along the Devil’s Staircase route from King’s House back to the village I just spent the night in. My taxi arrives and I take in the majestic Glencoe canyon one last time before being dropped…
Walking to Tyndrum
I should add a little context for those following this latest journey along the West Highland Way. My first long distance walking holiday was the Hadrian’s Wall route in Northern England back in 2019. 118 miles walked. That experience made me acutely aware of how this type of walking affects my body in such a…
Pushing onward to Beinglas Farm
Breakfast in Rowardennan introduces me to a lovely French woman and her daughter as well as an older German couple. These two groups have been crossing paths with me since the beginning of my own journey, and it is nice to finally meet them, get to know their names, and a learn a bit about…
Milngavie to Dreymen
A rough, mostly sleepless night was not how I envisioned starting my journey along the West Highland Way. This was in part due to nerves, part due to the warmer than usual weather, with a little gastrointestinal distress thrown into the mix for good measure. The food at my first night’s establishment was less than…
The Burrell Collection
After a restful night’s sleep from traveling all day previously, I wake up early and start planning out my second day in Glasgow. I decide to stretch my legs by walking over to Pollok Country Park and seeing if I can find the Burrell Collection of art. The park itself had previously won awards for…
Greer Recreation Area
The 4th of July Holiday was here. Time to make it a long weekend up in the White Mountains of East Arizona, destination the unincorporated mountain community of Greer Recreation Area, or just Greer as the locals say. I get a cabin that is way too big for just myself, but the location is ideal,…