Walk 243 -- Lonbain to Applecross

Ages:  Colin was 67 years and 347 days.  Rosemary was 65 years and 124 days.

Weather:  Stormy hail showers, but very sunny in between.  There was a strong wind all day which was bitterly cold.

Location:  Lonbain to Applecross.

Distance:  9½ miles.

Total distance:  2242 miles.

Terrain:  All undulating quiet road, except the last mile which was track, moorland path and a rough track through woods.

Tide:  Going out.

Rivers:  No. 246, River Applecross.

Ferries:  None.

Piers:  None.

Kissing gates:  Nos.209, 210 & 211 all in the last mile.

Pubs:  Applecross Inn where Colin drank Isle of Skye ‘Red Cuillin’ and I drank Symonds ‘Founders Reserve’ cider.

‘Historic Scotland’ properties:  None.

Ferris wheels:  None.

Diversions:  None.

How we got there and back:  We were staying in our caravan in Applecross, and we had hired a small car locally so we had two.  This morning we drove the hire car to Lonbain.

At the end, we finished at the caravan in Applecross.  After a rest and refreshment we drove our own car to Lonbain, then both cars back.

The next day we drove to the Kyle of Lochalsh, me in the hire car and Colin towing the caravan with our own car.  I returned the hire car, then we took the rest of that day and all of the next to tow the caravan home to Malvern.

We were still sitting in the car above Lonbain when we noticed how beautiful the mountains on Skye looked with snow on their tops.  SNOW?!  Then we watched as both Raasay and Skye disappeared in a maelstrom of cloud.  That should have warned us, but naively we got out of the car to begin the Walk.  

The wind was bitter, so we gritted our teeth and started in marching mode.  It wasn’t more than a few minutes before the wind increased tenfold, and we were battered by hailstones!  Fortunately it was blowing from behind us — I don’t think we could have walked against it — but even so the hail really stung the backs of our legs.  I thought to myself, “Why are we doing this?  We don’t have to!”  I was questioning my sanity once again.  Colin said he quite enjoyed it, in a way.  Then I was questioning his sanity!

However it didn’t last long, such storms rarely do.  Soon we were bathed in glorious sunshine with breathtaking views, though the wind was still bitter and remained so for the whole of the Walk.  We walked fast!

We saw a deer on the horizon.  Then we realised there was a whole herd of them camouflaged by the terrain.  When they ran up to the horizon they made a good picture against the sky.  It was very remote where we were — no habitation, just rocks, the sea, streams tumbling down almost vertical rockfaces and the narrow road we were walking along with an average of about three vehicles an hour.  But the views were amazing, the Cuillins on Skye seemed to get ever nearer.

We came to a sandy beach which we had planned to walk on, but we couldn’t because the tide was not far enough out.  It is such a long time since we’ve walked along a sandy beach, and although this was only a short one we were disappointed that it wouldn’t be worth the effort of getting down there.  We sat behind a rock, desperately trying to shelter from the icy wind, and ate our pies.

As we walked on we endured another hailstorm, but this one was short-lived thank goodness.  I kept having to put the camera away out of the weather, then get it out again because the views were so fantastic.  Raasay, Skye and the Cuillins kept disappearing behind storm clouds, but soon reappeared each time.  The light was constantly changing, I was unable to capture all its different moods with my camera.

The old bridle path wound round the hill at a much higher elevation than the road.  We were quite glad the road was nearer the sea, we didn’t fancy climbing mountains today.  But that was the only way until just over thirty years ago, until then all the hamlets we had passed since Shieldaig were really cut off from the rest of the world.

Our road seemed to narrow, and we were squashed on to a narrow strip between the mountains and the sea.  We rounded a corner, and were rewarded with a wonderful vista across to Applecross itself.  We could even see our caravan perched on a ‘platform’ behind a ribbon of houses — if we looked through the viewfinder at full zoom!   

We sat by a huge rock and ate our sarnies.  We were bemused to see snow up on the Pass.  We had both driven over there in recent days, and we wondered if it was now closed.

We walked on across Applecross Bay.  There was no point in going down on to the beach, which was quite stony anyway, because it is bisected by a river.  So we stayed on the road.  We came to a plaque which told us the road we had been walking on was only opened in 1976!  We hadn’t realised it was that recent.  Before that the communities this side of the mountains could only be reached over the Pass which is often blocked with snow, or along the bridle path, or by boat.   

We passed a highland cow in a field, but he (or she) flatly refused to pose for my camera — food was far more important!

We crossed the river on the road bridge.  Colin saw some steps leading down to the beach.  At the bottom he found a large rusty spoon attached to a chain.  Was it some kind of well, or what?

We passed the end of the road leading up to the Pass, the highest paved public road in Britain.  Two red notices warned us that there is a high snow risk and the road is often impassable because of this. 

Also that it is unsuitable for caravans which should be taken round via Kenmore and Shieldaig, the way we had walked over three days.  We strode on towards the pub, but didn’t quite make it before we were caught in another hailstorm.

I nearly fell asleep in the warmth of the pub.  Perhaps we were ‘demob happy’ because we knew the walking was nearly done for the time being, and tomorrow we were going home.  Also, I had a weekend with my lovely little grand-daughter, Natalie, to look forward to.  I don’t see my grandchildren very often, so when I do spend time with them it is a real treat!  We could have ended the Walk there and then, for the pub is situated just below the caravan site.  To continue towards Toscaig is a dead end, but we had decided to walk two more miles round a small lochan and approach the site along a track from the south.  In the nice warm pub we regretted making such a decision!

But we pulled ourselves together and marched on.  The village petrol station amused us, one pump had its front laying on the ground and a bag over its top.  The unleaded pump was blank, obviously not working.  The Diesel pump was working, but had a notice which said, “Cash sales only, please pay at the shop”.  Now the shop is in someone’s house a couple of miles down the road in Camustiel.  Such trust!  We didn’t use this petrol station, we didn’t dare to think what the cost of the fuel might be in this remote place — if, indeed, they had any! 

We could have climbed straight up a footpath to the caravan site above, but we decided to do a two-mile circular walk instead.  We walked a little along the road until we came to the village which has very few houses, some of which are derelict.  We passed a lochan, then left the road to continue on a track round the water.  On the far side we climbed a moorland path and entered a wood.  It had started to hail again, so I gave up with pictures and put the camera away.  A track took us down through a dark wood to a farm and the caravan site.

That ended Walk no.243, we shall pick up Walk no.244 next time at the entrance to the caravan site in Applecross.  It was ten past four, so the Walk had taken six and a quarter hours.  After a rest, tea and biscuits in our caravan, we drove our own car to Lonbain, then drove both cars back to the site.

The next day we drove to the Kyle of Lochalsh the long way, not over the pass.  I drove the hire car and Colin towed the caravan with our own car.  I returned the hire car to its owners, then we took the rest of that day and all of the next to tow the caravan home to Malvern.

Walk 242 -- Kenmore to Lonbain

Ages:  Colin was 67 years and 346 days.  Rosemary was 65 years and 123 days.

Weather:  Overcast, with some showers which verged on hail.  There was a bitterly cold wind.

Location:  Kenmore to Lonbain.

Distance:  9½ miles.

Total distance:  2232½ miles.

Terrain:  The first quarter of a mile was a track and an easy moorland path.  The rest of the Walk was a quiet road.  Undulating.

Tide:  Going out.

Rivers:  No. 244, Abhainn Chuaig.  No.245, Allt na h-Eirigh.

Ferries:  None.

Piers:  None.

Kissing gates:  None.

Pubs:  None.

‘Historic Scotland’ properties:  None.

Ferris wheels:  None.

Diversions:  None.

How we got there and back:  We were staying in our caravan in Applecross, and we had hired a small car locally so we had two.  This morning we drove both cars to Lonbain where we left our own car.  Then we drove on to Kenmore in the hire car.

At the end, we came to our own car on a grass verge above Lonbain, which is only half a dozen houses, if that.  It was a bit windy there, so we drove to Kenmore where it was more sheltered.  After tea and caramel shortbread, we drove both cars back to our caravan in Applecross.

      By golly, it was cold last night!  The temperature went down to minus five, yet it was cloudy at dawn trapping the cold air at ground level.  It was freezing when we got up.  I was so cold I couldn’t think properly, I felt all closed up.  I left my trekking sticks in the wrong car, so I was without them all day.  I also left my shoes in the wrong car, so I couldn’t change out of my boots when we reached Lonbain.  However, as soon as we started walking I began to warm up and felt more myself.

We walked along to the end of the road in the hamlet of Kenmore, then went through a gate which looked as if it led into a private garden.  But there was a notice which told us it was a right of way so we knew we were okay.   

The footpath marked on the map went only a short distance before it joined up with the road, but even so the way wasn’t very clear.  We found several gates which were tied up with twine in knots — but Colin was a ‘whizz-kid’ at untying them.  We crossed a rocky field where the path all but disappeared, but we are getting used to that sort of thing in Scotland by now!  It was not difficult to find our way, and we soon came to a gate which led us out to the road.

Looking back from our vantage point up on the road, we could see a salmon farm in the loch and the mountains behind Torridon.  

Looking forward, we could see across the loch to the stark landscape we had walked around Lower Diabaig.  We put the camera on full zoom, but we still couldn’t make out the paths we had followed.

We passed some birch trees which were full of growths that looked, at first, like birds’ nests.  I thought it was mistletoe, but Colin said it wasn’t.  

 We turned a corner and found we were out of the wind, which was very cold, so we stopped to eat our pies.  But we didn’t hang around for long.

This is a very remote area, but there is an old school building at Arrisa which is now a craft centre.  It was advertising ‘stained glass’, but we didn’t stop and look in — I think both of us were too cold to take any interest.  Further on we passed a turn-off to Fearnbeg, but we didn’t go down there as it is a dead end.  Another mile, and we came to the hamlet of Fearnmore where there is nothing very much at all.  The significance of this place is that it is the northernmost point of the peninsula, and we moved round to point ourselves South once more.  That’s the direction in which we want to go until we reach Cornwall!

The road stretched out before us, we could see it for miles!  We now had views of Raasay, and the Isle of Skye beyond — beautiful!  We zoomed in on the tiny rock called Rona, which is the northernmost part of Raasay, because it boasts a lighthouse.  But we found the winds to be much colder on this side of the peninsula, so we were not very happy.  We found shelter behind a rock, and stopped to eat our sarnies.

On we marched, through the hamlet of Cuaig where a ‘Woven’ shop — another craft shop — looked very closed.  Not that many people pass this way, we were passed by only the occasional vehicle.   

We crossed a little river where there was a lovely flowering bush, then we stopped at an official car park to look at magnificent views across to Raasay and Skye.  But it was too cold to stand there for more than a few seconds!  We skulked behind a gorse bush to eat our chocolate.

Further on a passing car stopped, and the driver — a woman with an American accent — kindly offered us a lift.  She must have thought us mad when we turned her down (perhaps we were!) though we tried to explain why we “must walk”!   (They don’t understand walking the other side of the Pond!)

We marched on, down through Kalnakill — another hamlet of about two houses — and at last we reached the car which was parked on the road above Lonbain.  Or is it Londain?  On some maps it has the ‘b’ and on others it is spelt with the ‘d’.  The official roadsign says ‘Londain’, but someone had changed it with a permanent marker to ‘Lonbain’.  So I’ll go with the latter spelling!  Whatever, the views of the Cuillins on Skye were magnificent, even though the top of the extinct volcano was under cloud.  A vista which lifts the heart, despite the bitterly cold wind!

 That ended Walk no.242, we shall pick up Walk no.243 next time on the road above Lonbain.  It was twenty to four, so the Walk had taken five hours and twenty minutes.  It was cold and windy there, and I was miserable because my shoes were in the other car so I couldn’t take my boots off.  (Funny how these little things are so upsetting when you’re cold!)  So we drove to Kenmore where it was more sheltered, and I could change into my ordinary shoes.  After tea and caramel shortbread, we drove both cars back to our caravan in Applecross. 

Yesterday I wrote in my diary:

Still no aeroplanes flying, and people are spending thousands of pounds trying to get back to the UK overland.

Today I wrote:

The authorities suddenly announced this afternoon that the volcanic ash is not dangerous after all, and all airports would open from 11 o’clock tonight!

After all that chaos!!

Walk 241 -- Shieldaig to Kenmore

Ages:  Colin was 67 years and 344 days.  Rosemary was 65 years and 121 days.

Weather:  Heavy showers turning to steady rain for the last hour.  A cold wind.

Location:  Shieldaig to Kenmore.

Distance:  8 miles.

Total distance:  2223 miles.

Terrain:  Mostly a quiet road.  A good path at one point which suddenly deteriorated.  I didn’t trust the next bit of path, so we stayed on the road.  Undulating.

Tide:  Out.

Rivers:  No.242, Abhainn Ceànn Iocha.  No.243, Abhainn à Chracaich.

Ferries:  None.

Piers:  None.

Kissing gates:  None.

Pubs:  Shieldaig Inn where Colin drank two Isle of Skye beers: ‘Young Pretender’ and ‘Black Cuillin’.  Again I had a shandy, I have gone off beer a bit lately.

‘Historic Scotland’ properties:  None.

Ferris wheels:  None.

Diversions:  None.

How we got there and back:  We were staying in our caravan in Applecross, and we had hired a small car locally so we had two.  This morning we drove both cars to Kenmore where we left our own car.  Then we drove on to Shieldaig in the hire car.

At the end, we came to our own car in Kenmore.  We had tea and caramel shortcake, then we drove to Shieldaig to pick up the hire car.  From there we drove both cars back to our caravan in Applecross.

When we got to the starting point of today’s Walk we didn’t want to get out of the car.  This was because there was a cold wind and sheeting rain — it was like a Winter’s day!  So we sat in the car and ate our pies, then we put on our wet-weather gear and walked two hundred yards along the road to the local pub.  The weather was just as bad when we came out of there, I was beginning to question our sanity!

It was less than a mile along the road to the junction with the Applecross road, but by the time we got there the rain had stopped and the sun came out.  We were also sheltered from the wind behind trees, and suddenly it was Summer!  It didn’t last, of course, there were more showers turning to steady rain later on, and whenever we were in exposed places the wind was bitter.  We didn’t enjoy today’s Walk much, and only took a few photos because we didn’t want to get the cameras wet.

There was a ship in the end of the loch just off Shieldaig Island, and it seemed to be drifting.  It turned round in the wind, and then turned back as if it was only attached at one end.  It wasn’t going anywhere.

There was a fish ladder in the river we crossed.  We found a sheltered rock and sat down to eat our sarnies, making use of the good weather while it lasted.  This wasn’t long as it was raining again before we’d finished.

We followed the road — which was only built in 1963 — as it twisted and turned, up and down, with very little traffic and fantastic views.  We had already driven along it several times on our way to and from the caravan site at Applecross, it was a pity we couldn’t pause and enjoy the views today because the weather was so foul.  We read a notice about replanting the forest, but we couldn’t see much of it from the road.  We read another notice about a small-scale hydro-electric scheme, in a stream.  Yes, really small-scale!

We didn’t take the road down into Ardheslaig because it is a dead end, but we could see the beach by the hamlet from the road we were on.  It had stopped raining momentarily, and there was a huge rock, almost like a cliff, which we could shelter behind.  So we took the opportunity, and sat on a wall to eat our chocolate.

From there we took the bridle path, which was the ONLY road until 1963!  It is not suitable for motorised vehicles, so up until that year the postman used to walk it daily to get to the scattered communities further on.  Or he went by boat, if he owned one, but he had to row it himself.  In the 1950s one postman bought himself a motor bike, but he still had to ride it along the bridle path which is quite steep and uneven in places.   

We found it okay to walk on at first, but then it deteriorated and all but disappeared.  I found myself walking horizontally along a steep bank, and I was too tired to cope with the awkwardness.  It started to rain and didn’t let up — horrid!

We climbed up the bank and over the Armco to get back on to the road.  A bit further on the bridle path led off again, but I refused to take it even though Colin tried to persuade me.  It looked good at the beginning, but then so had the other one and that had deteriorated to nothing.  I didn’t trust it, so I ‘power-walked’ the last three miles to Kenmore along the road in the rain using my walking poles.  Today we were both glad of the quality wet-weather gear we were wearing — it was well worth the extra money we paid for it.

That ended Walk no.241, we shall pick up Walk no.242 next time in the hamlet of Kenmore.  It was a five to six, so the Walk had taken five hours and twenty-five minutes.  We were cold, wet and miserable; and very glad the Walk was over.  We had tea and caramel shortcake, then we drove to Shieldaig to pick up the hire car.  From there we drove both cars back to our caravan in Applecross.

All airports are still closed, for the third consecutive day now.  It’s chaos out there — people are getting very angry.  We are glad we’re not involved, almost prefer to be walking in the rain!