From Craig to Ullapool

Hi all.


It is Monday, and I am having my first blue sky day since.... I don't remember when. I am taking a day off; I needed it and I have time more than enough to meet Karen in Melvick next Monday 8th.



This picture is for Maria, from Vigo. Cx

After leaving the post office in Strathcarron I walked a couple hours more to Craig's independent hostel: Gerry's hostel. I was planning to walk it on the road, but I found an un-mapped path that ran by the river.

On my way to Craig

Gerry's hostel is a peculiar one. In the middle of no-where, run by Gerry, simple, cosy, with all you need, including a "luxury Harrods self service shop"!. There I met John and Rachael; They are married from London. He is a musician and she is a civil servant. We spoke a bit about our journeys and decided to walk together on the next day.

Thanks to have agreed walking with them I got up earlier than usual. We were walking at 8:30 am. It was, another, cloudy day, but at least, it was not raining. We had to walk 15 minutes on the road, and then we would take an old Pony trail through the Coullin pass. From there up the hill through small conifer woods and more heather moorland. Once at the top of the ridge we would descend to Coullin which is in a valley where we had a rest.

Loch Dughail and Loch Carron form the top of the ridge

From there we took a track that took us up the hill again, and not much later, and after a bit of tricky path navigation (not that it was a problem for this orienteering champ!), we reached a point from we could see Kinlochewe. It was really close and we agreed that it would not take more than two hours to get there.

John and Rachael in Coullin valley.

We stopped for lunch and continued down the hill. We went into a forest that had been cut down completely, and there things got bit complicated as the path was impossible to follow, lost under the dry dead trees. We opted to go straight down the hill, west instead of north, to look for a possible easy track close to the bottom of the valley. We were lucky and found it, but further on things got tricky again the path became a boggy hell, up and down to cross streams and through small woods with low annoying branches. All this within touching distance of Kinlochewe.

It was a pleasure to reach the road. We had a drink and said good bye. It was pleasure to walk with you guys.

Kinlochewe bunk house was simple but very cheap: £10 a night. I had dinner and a shower and met Aiden and Jaimee, both English. We had a drink in the pub next door. Soon bed time, I was very tired.

Seriously... some people have such a boring life...

On Saturday, more clouds, ready for probably the hardest walking day so far: there was a gap between the paths I was going to walk, and i had to cross a river, no bridge.... so anything could happen. I could even could find my self stuck in the middle of nowhere

Loch Maree from the A832

First I walk west on the A832, up the valley with nice views of Loch Maree. At the top I had a glance of Loch Chroigs, and saw that it was in complete calmness, there was no wind. in this conditions it was reflecting the sky and the hills around it which was making a perfect opportunity for photography. I got closed to the Loch and i did picture like the first one of this update or the one below, from the very shore of it.

Loch Chroigs mirror

Just after finishing doing my pics i realize how lucky I had been as a light wind fill the Loch with ripples, killing any reflection.

I continued a bit more on the road, and turned north, off road. I changed to the long lens as i was entering an isolated area and I might see some deers. Literally two minutes after that, I began seeing them on my right hand side, just at the edge of the forest. They saw me too. if you want to have a chance of getting close to them you need to see them before they see you. So I continue to walk out of their sight. Left my rucksack out of the track and i climbed the short hill into the forest. If they are still in the clear, they will find difficult to see me in the relative darkness of the wood, i thought.

I spent 2 hours stalking. I saw lots of them, females and stags too. No closer than 50 metres. A waste of time. The ran to the deer pub, and had a laugh at me....

Scottish moorland

I continued up the hill. From the top it was very desolate moorland, with impressive mountains in the distance. Down the hill again to reach a water pipeline that I followed on a easy walking track almost all the way to Loch Fannich. There i turned west to the end of the commented loch, where I left the track and had to cross the river.

Following the pipeline

The "no path gap", and crossing of the river, was luckily easy. The terrain was very boggy but walkable. And i did not have to go up the river to find a crossing point as it was running very low in water. I had a breath, and had something to eat. There was some breeze, so the midges stayed low and left me alone during my late lunch. Actually really late lunch: it was almost 7 pm, and so i was not sure if i would get to the road before dark. I rush my way up the hill, again.

I did not like the idea of finding myself in a place where there would be no space to pitch the tent, and dark. I went as quickly as i could, and descended towards the north branch of the A832 very quickly too. Nice scenery but difficult to appreciate with the increasing darkness.

Loch Fannich

I got to the road just on time. I did not need to use the head torch to walk on the road towards Braemore Junction, but I had ready just in case a car came.

Me in the bog. Loch Fannich at the bottom.

I had some strange ideas about keepping on walking until dawn....

I found a place to pith my tent. A bloody swamp by the road, not too wet for a swamp, full of midges. They left the midges pub to welcome me. I pitch the tent without light (that would have been suicide), without stopping moving (the bastards find more difficult to find you if you walk) and went into it as quick as I could.

It was not a good night sleep, and I swore that that was the last wild camping night of the walk; we'll see.

The bloody midges, they wanted to eat me alive!!!!

In the morning it was raining slightly, i could hear from the inside of the tent.... no, wait a minute, it was not rain, it was thousands of midges, hitting the tent, trying to get in, and eat me alive!

I left the tent with everything packed in the rucksack, and i put it on the road. Removed the tent pegs, and dismantled it on the road, as far as possible from the hell buggers.

It was a misty morning. I did not need to walk to Braemore junction as i found a shortcut to the tracks that ran parallel to the A835, the led to Ullapool. I crossed a wrecked bridge while humming the Indiana Jones main soundtrack music, and it began to drizzle.

On my way to Ullapool.

The walk was easy, on the tracks, as well as on the A835, but my feet were really hurting me. These boots don't like walking on roads or easy tracks. The walk to Ullapool, although easy, felt long and never ending. it was great to arrive to the hostel, have a shower and eat. My feet were a bit sore and slightly swollen. but this is not a big problem as they are ok the next morning.

Another one on the feet series. Swollen, but not too bad at all.

I really liked Ullapool. Small, in a little peninsula, surrounded by Loch Broom and mountains; quiet, but with good atmosphere. The hostel it really is like a home. I had dinner and went for a few drinks in the Arch Inn, a not very enchanting and modern place, but with good atmosphere. i saw Barcelona losing to Numancia.

Today, Monday, here I am updating my blog. The sun is gone, and the sky is completely covered now. In the evening, I will plan the rest of the walk in high detail, including walking distance, i will decided if i have time to stay another day in this nice place. I will go for a swim too.

Me in Ullapool. Sunny Monday morning.

A bit of humour: yesterday I bought the Sunday Times. In one of its magazines there was an interview to Robert Downey Jr., the actor that got back to life and acting after drugs and crime and spending a few months, if not years, in an LA jail. He recently starred in Iron Man; recommended. So, he speaks about his pass and mistakes and lessons and his new life. And here is R. Downey Jr. on mistakes from the past, how to keep them under control and learn form them: (it's a bit rude...)

"...One must always be mindful, just like you might forget that old girlfriend who tried to slit your throat, but she is really still hot"

"If you remember the stitches more than you remember the pussy, you are going to be just fine..."

What a genius!

That was all. Next time you hear from me I might be in the north coast.

All the best

Carlos