free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
We left the car in the car park by Dores beach as our intention was to go into the Dores Inn on our return. We had watched the weather so went for a mid morning start which meant we missed the earlier rain. Before starting there was the obligatory photo down the loch but I inadvertently had the camera on a different setting which made for some interesting effects and colours.
Much photgraphed tree in front of Dores Inn
Tree in lilac
Dores Inn and houses along the shoreline
I have no way of verifying this but my late mother had a story about the Queen Mother staying at the Dores Inn a few years after the abdication in 1936 and confiding to the housekeeper about how difficult it had been and what had given them courage during that time. No one else seems to know she had stayed there and it does seem an improbably humble lodging for royalty.... but my granny had known the housekeeper personally, so it's possible the story is true.
In the muted tones of an old photograph
We turned left along the B852 and followed the pavement up the hill towards the school, with a quick detour to the old churchyard on the right.
Dores church
Wild snowdrops
Fields overlooking Loch Ness where the annual Rock Ness festival is held
On reaching the school we crossed the car park and took the path round the back of it, which runs parallel to the road briefly before swinging right over farmland passing in front of a farmhouse and joining a minor road where we turned right. When the road forked to the left (signed for a cycle route to Inverness) we followed the road to the right, going over a bridge before starting to climb uphill.
On the left we passed the Macbain Memorial Park, a walled memorial garden built in 1961 by Hugston McBain of McBain, the 21st clan chief, in a bid to re-establish a land-owning link in the area. We went through the gate and up the steps to take a look. There were signs warning that dire things were likely to happen to those who removed items from the garden but we didn't see anything that anyone might be tempted to remove so maybe this is a throwback to earlier days when the contents of the garden were more desirable. It does seem quite a remote location to be much bothered by petty crime - whatever it was that was being pilfered.
Macbain memorial
Hills on northwest side of Loch Ness from memorial garden
After paying our respects to the memorial garden we continued a short distance further up the hill before taking the waymarked track on the left. At this point I noticed my camera was on a different setting - which I sorted and which with hindsight is perhaps a pity as I can't finish the report in the same lurid hues I started with. So it's normal hues, mainly of mud, from now on.
The track
The track was muddy and led to a gate with a sign asking us to close the gate and phone a number if the gate had been left open or if we saw a 4 by 4 going through. Sounds like this area may have pilfering of a more serious nature to contend with! Beyond the gate the track consisted of churned up mud but soon improved and the route was mainly drier until we met mud again in the woods approaching Torbreck.
Looking back at muddy track (not surprising after all the recent snow melt and rain)
Track less muddy away from the gate
The next stage of the route stays at a higher level as it crosses moorland swathed with gorse and dotted with the occasional birch. Come the spring it will be a mass of spectacular yellow. From the churned up mud at the gate I expected to see cattle but didn't notice any the day we were there.
We stayed on the main path, ignoring tracks going off to the side, occasionally with the benefit of a blue waymarker post if there was a choice of direction.
Eventually the track reached a wide turning area after which the surface was suitable for vehicle use. The track gradually dropped from elevated moorland as it approached sea level and we caught our first glimpse over the trees of the Kessock bridge crossing to the Black Isle.
Zoomed to Kessock bridge
A right fork and short uphill section led to a level stretch with pleasant views over farmland on the left.
Over farmland to Dunain Hill
Looking back to Meall Fuar-mhonaidh - now visible which it hadn't been earlier
At the next fork we followed the left option and took a left turn downhill and past a group of houses at Cuillard. Just before the main road we took a right turn beside double gates on a path into Cuillard Wood.
Path through Cullaird Wood
The path led to a hard surface track which we crossed over and continued on the muddy path through the trees on the other side. We knew now we were nearing the end of the route as we met a number of folk out walking their dogs. We passed a woodland pond and followed the waymarked turn to the right that led to the minor road between Torbreck and the main road to Dores. This is the official end of the South Loch Ness Trail from where my husband met us and drove us back to Dores to collect the other car.
Woodland pond
We planned to reward ourselves with coffee and cake at the Dores Inn but when we got there they'd had such a run on the home bakes in the morning they had nothing left. So undeterred we went to Holm Mills instead.
Loch Ness again
