Take the high road - the Dutch were impressed

[dogplodder]

I'm so far behind with reports I fully intended doing that I obviously find it much harder writing them up than walking them! But this section of the GGW is a cracker and deserves a plug. So here we go - better late than never.

We parked in Invermoriston and took the bus to Fort Augustus from where we walked back. After taking the low route from Invermoriston to Drum we were keen to take the high route this time. In any case we had walked the low route years ago so it was good to try something new.

We followed the WH directions out of the village and took a path to the left into the woods at the GGW sign opposite the Three Bridges B & B.

Dappled sunlight lit the path between the trees and a short climb led up to an area of tall stately pines which looked like strong contenders for the tallest tree in Scotland competition.

Tall pines

We passed a couple of waterfalls.

We turned right on to a forest track and continued on to a seat with a view before taking a left turn that led up to the high route option. Once on the open moorland the ambience completely changes and after being visually tree bound it was a welcome relief to get the view down the Great Glen towards the Loch Lochy hills, still snow capped (it being early April).

View down Great Glen with snow capped Loch Lochy hills on right

Fort Augustus

My pal having a coffee

Snow on hills on east side of Loch Ness

I would agree with WH that this section is one of the highlights of the GGW and it would have been a shame to have missed it by taking the low route. We had planned to stop for lunch in the nicely constructed viewpoint but when we got there it was full of walkers on holiday from the Netherlands and we couldn't have squeezed in if we'd tried. We stood and blethered with them for a while before walking on to find another place to stop, although I've got no memory of where that was.

Great path

Masses of primroses

Further on we met another couple of Dutch folk who were ecstatic about the wonderful scenery and were amazed when we said it would get better than this as they reached further south. Although now that I've walked the section between Gairlochy and Fort William I'm not sure that's true as it's all at canal level and without the elevation doesn't make the most of the mountains around.

When we reached the forestry above Invermoriston there was another change of mood as we plunged into a dark forbidding place with the ground falling very steeply from the path down towards Loch Ness, not that you could see it as the trees were so closely planted.

Into the scary woods

We descended steeply in zig zags and commented we were quite glad we weren't doing it on the ascent.

The path crossed a couple of tracks and led down to reach a minor road in Glen Moriston where we turned right. This led to the A82 which took us past the old Telford bridge over the River Moriston, on the way back to where the car was parked.

Old stone bridge