Day 5: Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit

Day 5, Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit
Approximately 15 miles. Or maybe 16. Definitely our longest day!

Our quickest elevation gain is today, right out the front gate. We climb high up ridge before being treated to some beautiful eagle-eye views of the loch.

Overlooking the loch. This stretch of the trail looked quite different from other portions, and I thought it was very lovely.

Much of today has these more expansive views, although many of them no longer showcase the loch itself. And it seems like today we move through a more varied landscape, every few miles changing the scenery.

No longer able to see the loch, we do have beautiful views of its surroundings.

A closeup of a rock.

Trail through the trees. Such views are alway exotic to me. I am so accustomed to evergreens and aspens, and there’s not one in sight!

We got so close to these sheep, that were just trotting down the street in front of us. I really wanted a close-up, but they weren’t cooperating.

We also spent more time today walking along actual roadways, and saw more houses, cars, and people. I won’t say we saw more sheep (since they were everywhere, always), but I will say we passed closer by them, since the path often went along their pastures.

There they go! Good bye, sheep!

Looking west instead of east.

All in all, the day’s hike went quickly, considering it was our longest walk yet. Even with photo breaks, a lunch break, and catch-our-breath breaks, we arrived at our B&B for the night, Tramps, relatively early in the day. Our host Mary greeted us with tea and conversation, and we talked about everything from the Scottish oil industry to the importance of TripAdvisor reviews (and the nastiness of visitors who try to use the threat of a bad review to get deep discounts).

Tramps, my favorite B&B of the trip.

Shortly after we arrived, another couple also reached Tramps. We had seen this couple the previous night in Invermoriston, although we didn’t get to know them. These two were retired, and every year went on one big trip or another, visiting many exotic places. (They were especially fond of India.) I was also rather envious to learn that this other couple had arranged to walk halfway to Invermorrison the following day, then be picked up and returned to Tramps for the night. The following morning, they would be given a ride back to their previous day’s stopping point to complete the walk.

If only we’d know this was an option! We would have most definitely opted to split that last 20-mile day into two.

On Mary’s recommendation, we all made reservations for dinner at an area restaurant that offers a shuttle service–they picked us up from Tramps, then dropped us off again after dinner. This gave us plenty of time to clean up and rest for a bit before heading to dinner.

This is around the time where Eugene and I also finally decided to jettison our final day’s walk. Eugene’s foot had been hurting him since he turned his ankle on Day 1, and I really wanted to see Urquhart Castle and at least one of the Nessie exhibits. (How could I visit Loch Ness without investigating the elusive Nessie??) Mary was able to arrange a one-way boat ride for us so that we could easily get from the castle to Inverness, ending our trip in a more leisurely way, and giving us another, warmer trip down Loch Ness.

After dinner, we celebrated the end of our walk by sharing a couple of drams with the other walking couple. (What adventures they had to tell us!) It was a very pleasant evening, and a nice (if unexpected) end to our Great Glen Way tramp.