Inverness

We had very little sleep during the night. Our cabins were next to a field full of inconsiderate cows that thought it was a good idea to ‘Moo’ throughout the night. They sounded like they were just outside! It also rained on and off which made me a little anxious with the potential of facing 19 miles in the wet.

Luckily when we decided to get ready and leave it was just cloudy with mist lingering above Loch Ness. We hit the road out of Drumnadrochit for a mile or so before we started our ascent of Creag Nay.

This was a steep climb of 250m (1000ft in old money) through the pine forest. This would be the hardest stage of today’s route with regards to exertion. Two mountain bikers hit this point as we did; we played leap frog for an hour before they sped off ahead as the path levelled briefly.

It was slow going, it took us almost 3 hours to cover just 4 miles. Soon we emerged from the tree line with views of Loch Ness hiding under the mist.

Eventually it was our turn to be enveloped in it. The path leveled with only a shallow incline at last. Our pace picked up so we could finally eat into the miles that lay ahead of us.

Two days earlier in Invermoriston, we were chatting to two students walking the GGW, but from Inverness. They mentioned a place about half way between Drumandrochit and Inverness that did excellent lemon cake.

We kept our eyes open for this as it would be a well needed resting stop. As we were following a narrow footpath with shrubs and birch trees overhanging us, we found it, the Abriachan Campsite. There had been painted wooden signs enticing us for over a mile with said lemon cake.

This was a quirky little place that is a bit “out there”, it even had it’s only sleepy guard pig that lazily eyed us as we entered.

We ordered a drink and a slice of the lemon cake we have heard so much about; and yes it was good cake. So good that the pig joined us for a bite of it!

The cafe and campsite has been open everyday for the last 20 years and is worth a stop if you undertake the GGW, you won’t regret it. We shoved our backpacks on and said bye to the pig.

From this point on for 3 miles or so we were on a single track road that started to cause our feet problems. Luckily halfway along this road section a footpath ran parallel that was softer underfoot.

To cheer us up though, the Sun came out and remained with us all the way to the finish. We left the road and passed through a pine forest. This was quite serene with the lazy autumn sun shining through the trees. It took our minds off our aching feet.

The route followed a dry stone wall and looking at it I realised it must have been built 100s of years ago. The moss and lichen grown over the time gave it a range of colours.

We reached the 15 mile point where we finally sighted Inverness and the castle where the finish line lay; this marks our slow descent into town.

The GGW leads through suburbs of Inverness until you reach the Caledonian Canal. We decided to stop at a picnic bench to have a sandwich and a banana to give us a boost for the last mile to Inverness Castle.

The path then follows the River Ness and crosses to an island in the middle of the river that has been turned into a park. There were old style lamp posts that have stringed festival lights hanging between them. It had a very pleasant atmosphere.

We joined the bank of the river and followed this to the castle. The other side of the road is lined with restaurants with customers dining al fresco, they turned their heads to us, with the clacking of our sticks on the pavement attracting their attention. They watched as we passed; some gave a wave spurring us on.

The castle was obscured by trees and buildings until the last minute. Just when we thought our walk was over, our feet winced a little at the sight of one last hill to the stone marker.

We hobbled up the small incline that seemed like a mountain, to finally touch the standing stone that marked the end of our 179 mile journey across the WHW and the GGW.

We had a mouch around before heading to our BnB that is conveniently two roads down from the castle. We kicked off our shoes, flopped on to our beds and stretched our feet. I booted up my music app on the phone and got ‘We are the champions’ by Queen playing!

Once showered we hit the town to find most pubs full; must be party night on Tuesdays. We eventually found a table at “The Auctioneers”!

Thanks again for all those that have donated to Prostate Cancer UK. Thank you for all the kind messages of encouragement over the last two weeks, it has kept us going during those very wet miles. We are now going to have a day in Inverness before heading home. By train not by foot!

Having now completed the challenge and you would like to donate. You can search for me at http://www.justgiving.com or at the top of this page there is a donate link that will take you directly to it (if you are on a mobile device, at the top of the page, click the menu button, then donate)