Legs and Borders

After finishing Scottish National Trail I've had a week to spare, and what was better to use it on than another hike! A friend of mine recommended me to walk Isle of Sky Trail, a fairly new and unofficial path in Scotland. It span for 80 miles across the Isle of Skye. Many other people I knew has recommended me to visit the island before so I took this opportunity. Durness where I was staying last night wasn't that far away, plus Scottish government released new bus tickets discounts, so you could get a bus across Scottish Highlands for £2! Because I had to change at Inverness, I paid £4 for a five hour journey, that was nuts. I've arrived at Broadford at 4pm and after a quick coffee I've jumped on the trail. I've met pretty much straight away a dentist from Germany called Henrietta also hiking the trail, she did some hiking in New Zealand before so we had plenty to talk about, she also showed me a cool video of a kiwi bird she took while hiking in Stuart Island. I...

Last 8 miles of the trail went fairly well, it was basically a pathless cliff walk across military shooting range but luckily the soldiers were off duty. I said goodbye to the Sandwood Beach in the morning and proceeded through the grassy and uneven landscape towards my final destination. Lighthouse would make an occasional appearance along the coast as I progressed. About four hours later I've arrived at the end of my journey! Johnny the lighthouse keeper was there prepping breakfast for other three hikers who stayed in the bunkhouse last night, I've joined in and had some eggs and beans in roast and a white coffee. The sea was too rough this morning so the boat back to Durness got canceled, Johnny offered us a lift as far as the road went (there was no road connection from Cape Wrath to mainland) after which we had to walk our way back to civilization. It took few hours but at 1pm I've crossed the last bridge leading to a road towards Durness, after 15 minutes I've ca...

Big day, I've placed myself strategically for the last push, in the most remote beach in UK (apparently). First few miles in the morning were an easy road walk. The stubborn horses were gone, perhaps they went back through the same hole in the fence they escaped yesterday. Cape Wrath wouldn't be itself if there wasn't a pathless section every now and then and soon enough there was one, soon after climbing Ben Dreavie, next four miles were a boggy, shaggy, inarticulate mess (still beautiful though). Gradually it became a road and then the process repeated itself along the lake with super complicated name: Loch a' Gharbh-bhaid Mhoir, very heavy metal sounding name indeed, I loved it. After hiking in deep mud along steep metal sounding lake for few hours, trail eventually surfaced at Rhiconich, small village with police station at which I've been told by Dave I met yesterday, Cape Wrath Firing Range report was posted and indeed there was!  Basically, last 8 miles of th...

Amazing day with the most unexpected ending. I started early and did the first pass next to Conival and Ben More Assynt mountains, it was find your own way kind of ascent, both gps apps were showing different paths one left the space blank at the top with the line suddenly ending. It took me good hour to get to the other side, descent was steep but at least the trail was there to follow, on my way down I've met few people going to climb mentioned above Munros, they didn't realize CWT was running along their path. Second pass of the day just after Ichnadamph was massive, way to the top though was fairly easy as the trail was visible, view from the top was simply spectacular and well worth the climb, I've seen a female Ptarmigan with few tiny yellow chicks on the way up, a lot of birds were raising their young now, they were mostly ground dwelling and they would raise the alarm every time I was passing near their nest. Descent from the pass was long and muddy, so was walking ...

Surprisingly good and straightforward day, it felt almost like I wasn't hiking Cape Wrath Trail at all. I've left the hostel at 7am, headed straight to Tesco to resupply and bought way too much junk food as per usual. My next stop was "Bothie Coffeeshop" just around the corner, where I had "Scottish breakfast" it was pretty much all meat with a slice of toast and an egg thrown into the mix, but I wouldn't be complaining as extra protein at this point was appreciated, overall it was very tasty and the coffee was big and hot. Hiking out of Ullapool was fairly easy, I've taken an alternative route going along Loch Achall and after few miles I was back on CWT, for pretty much rest of the day and to my great surprise trail was a nice gravel road running along rivers and lakes which allowed me to hike way further than I anticipated. I've passed two nice bothies along the way, second one was converted from an old school building with a blackboard, chair...