It was the final day of a week's holiday with my son's family in Morar. We'd had mixed weather but not enough to keep us in - dressing the kids for the beach looking more like kitting them out for the ski slopes! The idea was floated of doing the walk to Tarbet and taking the boat back, but when we thought about it we knew that with a 3 year old in tow and threatened rain we were being over ambitious. So we settled for walking part of the route only and seeing how things went.
We parked at the end of the road at Bracorina and set off along the path signed for Tarbet.
The kids love holding the dogs' leads and the dogs are happy to oblige
A fortnight before the holiday we'd taken Tess to the vet about bouts of coughing which I thought might be connected with a lump in her throat and which I feared would be serious and mean the end of the road, which at her age was something we were steeling ourselves for. But the vet said it was just a fatty lump and since she was looking bright, wagging her tail and still enjoying her walks it wasn't that time yet.
We followed the path along the shore of this loch, apparently the deepest in Britain (a claim I previously thought belonged to Loch Ness) and which like Loch Ness boasts a monster - not Nessie but Morag. We didn't make too much of the monster story to the kids who were busy having adventures along the way, which involved playing hide and seek with the dogs. All good fun despite the dismal weather.
Pebble beach and good for throwing stones in
Chapel of Inverbeg
The chapel was built around 1780 to replace an earlier one on an island in the loch. The plaque illustrates how much more populated the area was in those days compared with now.
If this was the original jetty it might have been busy on a Sunday bringing folk to the chapel
Conveniently placed flat-topped stones in front of the chapel gave us a good picnic spot with a view of the loch. But the previously fine rain was now steady rain so we decided to turn back and head for the swimming pool in Mallaig. The 3 year old got a seat on her dad's shoulders and dropped off to sleep with her chin on the top of his head.
By the time we reached the cars the rain had stopped and we even had a little sun on the way back along the loch.
So that was Tess's last Walkhighlands walk. Finding a growth in her mouth last week I knew it was a tumour. The vet said he could remove it along with half her jaw and give her chemo but it might already have spread and at 13 we couldn't put her through that, nor could we let her suffer any longer. So we had to say goodbye to sweet gentle Tess.
There's no doubt she would have been in pain during that last holiday but never once showed any irritability with the children - nor has she ever shown any aggression towards man or beast since we adopted her from Labrador Rescue nearly 12 years ago. She was also a great companion on the hill, always staying close and never a problem around livestock.
Since this is her last report on WH I'll include some snapshots from her walks on the hills along with our other rescue lab Jack. Tess had excellent recall so I took her on the hill several months before I took Jack, who had no recall when we got him and had a strong hunting urge which took a lot of work to curb and contain!
Tess's first Munro - Sgurr na Ruaidhe (June 2006)
Lochan na h-Earba (May 2008)
The princess and the clown on Beinn a' Chlachair (May 2008)
They were asked to do a sponsored climb for the Rescue they came from so I suggested Ben Nevis, which we worked up to, gradually exposing them to rougher terrain, and when the day came they behaved impeccably and took it in their stride without getting sore feet.
Ben Nevis (July 2008)
An Teallach (June 2009)
Mullach Clach a' Bhlair (May 2010)
Stob Coire Eassain (July 2010)
When my friend Moira broke her ankle on the way up Beinn Mheadhoin we were airlifted to Raigmore, dogs and all. I was relieved and proud of them that day as the crew said they often have problems with dogs but despite the terrible noise from the rotor blades and not having ear protectors (which we did) they were no trouble at all.
Loch Avon - with Moira a few hours before the accident (August 2010)
Beinn Dearg, Glen Tilt (August 2011)
An Coileachan (April 2012)
Beinn Eighe (May 2012)
Beinn Airigh Charr (Sept 2012)
Sgurr na Sgine (Sept 2013)
Beinn a Charainn (August 2014)
Beinn Loinne (October 2015)
She must have been in pain these last few months but she still enjoyed her walks.... and wagged her tail right to the end. She was a dog in a million and we miss her.
