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With the May bank holiday I had planned to get another long distance walk under my belt, this time deciding upon the Loch Ness 360. Relatively accessible from Edinburgh (via the dreaded A9) and with the start and finish points being in Inverness, this meant that I could leave my car in Inverness and not have to consider public transport making it a little bit easier to plan and also removing any of the time restraints that I've experienced in the past to ensure I don't miss my bus/train home.
Day 1 - Friday 3rd May 2024 - Inverness to Abriachan Forest TrustI took a half day from my work and left my flat at 1200, firstly stopping for fuel and some food/supplies, as usual Edinburgh was rammed with cars so I think I was the best part of an hour to get from Leith, via Morrisons, out of Edinburgh onto the dual carriageway.
The roads were busy due to it being a bank holiday although the sunshine meant it was a pleasant journey north through the Cairngorms. I did see one bad crash on the A9 but thankfully nobody looked hurt and police were in attendance. Dangerous road though and not one to drive on when tired. After arriving into Inverness at 1620, I parked my car in my work's Inverness office car park (central parking and free, woo

). I then headed to McDonald's for a quick feed and then hit the road. I started this day at roughly 1700, the sun still hot in the sky. I had walked the Great Glen Way previously so I knew this section of the route which made navigating easier allowing for me to make good time. I also wasn't as fussed with stopping to look around/take photos as I had seen it before.
- Enjoying the evening sun
I was in two minds about where to finish on this day. Ideally I would have made it to Drumnadrochit but I had planned to decide once I arrived at Abriachan Forest Trust as I knew that it had suitable ground to pitch, a tap for water and benches which all help to make the camping experience a little bit more comfortable and I would be able to reach it before nightfall, whereas to continue to Drumnadrochit would require some forest walking in the dark which I didn't fancy too much.
I powered through the rural areas of Inverness before climbing and leaving the city behind, arriving into Abriachan at 2026.
- What a night!
At this point I had a decision to make.. and I decided to stay where I was. In hindsight I should have continued on as I still had an hour of day light and could have covered most of the distance to Drumnadrochit but oh well.
- Abriachan Forest Trust pitch
- Stats as per Apple Watch: 1655-2026 (including breaks) - 20.03km
Day 2 - Saturday 4th May 2024 - Abriachan Forest Trust to Fort AugustusA dry night but as usual my tent was soaked with condensation, after a quick breakfast it was time to get going. I left at 0828 and arrived into Drumnadrochit at 1110, which took longer than I anticipated, but I was in no rush. I was glad I hadn't continued on the previous night as this would have had me arriving into Drumnadrochit at around 2330 or so. My first stop was at the Ness Deli where I had a panini and charged my electronics, I ended up spending two hours in Drumnadrochit, but it was worth it to get a good feed, I also managed to get a shower at the Loch Ness Backpackers hostel (free of charge!). I hit the road again feeling refed and refreshed, beginning on the trail again at 1310. The next stop would be Invermoriston. It was nice to take the high route on this section as when I walked the Great Glen Way I took the low route, so I had not seen the The Viewcatcher sculpture before.
- The Viewcatcher
I arrived into Invermoriston at about 1820 and had a rest, mostly to recover brutal zig zagging tarmacked descent into town. I boiled some water to prepare a dehydrated meal then mustered the energy to continue on towards Fort Augustus. I left Invermoriston at 1900 Where I had taken the high route on this section previously from Fort Augustus to Invermoriston, this time I took the low route, which I had planned to do anyway but would be given no option as the high route is still closed. This now meant I had covered both high and low routes on the trail which is nice.
- High route closure
I made it into Fort Augustus for 2110 and was glad to get my bag off my back. Before I had even sussed a camping spot I made my way to The Lock Inn for 2 pints of Belhaven Best. I eventually managed to pitch my tent in the local skate park, handy because the ground was level and there was a bench for getting ready in the morning.
- Rogue camping spot for day 2
- Stats as per Apple Watch: 0828-2115 (including breaks) - 49.08km
Day 3 - Sunday 5th May 2024 - Fort Augustus to DoresAfter a decent sleep, I made my way down to the Fort Augustus town centre to grab some supplies for the day before setting off at around 1020. Again the sun was shining and I was excited to get to the south side of the loch as this is an area I had not walked before. The climb out of Fort Augustus was quite steep in parts and I was drinking a lot of water. I was aiming to get to Foyers in good time and to stock up again at the shop there. The sign for the SLNT was soon reached and great views afforded over Loch Tarff. I stopped atop Suidhe Chuimein to admire the views and have some lunch, what a spot.
- SLNT sign
I wasn't thrilled with the amount of road walking on this section due to the Cumrack Burn bridge (stage 5) having been washed away. It's a fast road so I was glad when the diversion was over and I was able to get back onto the path. I also took a wrong at stage 9 here - in hindsight the instructions are clear I misinterpreted them and instead climbed up the bank by the wall and continued for a while on boggy ground. The only benefit was that I got to see a lot of deer. I didn't panic but I knew I was off track, thankfully it was easy to retrace my steps but it did remind me that I should have a map & compass in my kit in case I was to get properly lost. In total I think I was the best part of an hour to get back on track, thankfully with dry feet. I was anxious that I would miss the shop in Foyers but I made it for 1545 and thankfully the cafe was busy so I was able to stop for some food. Great service and very cheap as well!
- Fuel in Foyers
After a sausage roll and a scone I made my way to the Foyers toilets were I was able to sort my feet and get changed into my waterproofs as it was now raining heavily. I'm not sure when I left to continue to Dores but I estimate I was in Foyers for maybe an hour or so. This section caught me by surprised in terms of the length. I also think that the rain made the going more miserable. The last section of road walking into Dores was a killer. I was dead on my feet by the time I arrived and couldn't wait to get my kit off my back. In the end I didn't even go to the Dores Inn, instead going right to sleep. Thankfully the benefit to being camped in Dores meant that I had access to fresh drinking water via the tap on the side of the Inn and also there is a public toilet here which was useful for washing in the morning.
- Pitched in Dores
This day was fairly gruelling. Add to the fact my Apple Watch mucked up meaning that the journey was recorded in two hikes instead of one which can be seen below.
- Stats as per Apple Watch: 1019-2134 (including breaks) - 47.98km
- Stats as per Apple Watch: 1019-2134 (including breaks) - 47.98km
Day 4 - Monday 6th May 2023 - Dores to InvernessAfter rising and enjoying my breakfast on the banks of Loch Ness, it was time to hit the road for the final short section. My feet were sore and I was very tired but I knew in a few hours I would be done and in my car on the road home which was enough to get me going.
- Breakfast in Dores
Once again I was fortunate enough to have no rain. The first section out of Dores was road walking, then following a steep minor road which takes you past the Macbain Memorial Park before walking through open moorland for a while.
- To infinity and beyond! Macbain Memorial Park
Soon a farm track is found which bends down towards the road and the end of the SLNT, however, there is a fairly long section still ahead on roads and pavements through Inverness to the finish line for this walk. This probably took the best part of an hour and was hard going on the feet but eventually I reached the official finish line at around 1300. With reaching the finish line I had completed my 6th Scottish Great Trail!
- Stats as per Apple Watch: 0928-1307 (including breaks) - 16.53km
Overall I enjoyed this hike, more so the second half as this over an area that I had not been to before. When you're covering a lot of ground it can become a slog and this style doesn't afford much time for sightseeing but on this trail I was okay with that. I think it would have been far more gruelling had it rained a lot but the nice weather meant the walking wasn't as arduous. My actual distances each day more or less matched what I had anticipated before I set off so no grumbles there. Definitely going to upgrade my kit piece by piece with lighter gear so I can push on and cover similar distances on 4/5 days continuously or even more without being knackered at the end of each day.
Time to plan number 7...
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