A Cape Wrath Tale: The travelling stone - Part 5

The next hiking day was an easy one: to Inverlael and then on to Ullapool. It was a cloudy morning with a few showers, but the short climb upwards from Shenavall bothy is one not to be missed. In no time the bothy seemed no bigger than a big rock with a roof on top. From above it again became clear how truly vast and magnificent the valley is. The clouds dancing around the mountaintops created a sense of mystery and forgotten dreaminess. I heard my carrier lady and her partner say it before and I have to agree with them, Scotland’s splendour is not despite the many clouds, but exactly because of them. Leaving such beauty behind is never easy, but if there is one thing that I’m sure of, it is that it will always be waiting here for us to return one day.

On to my first city we go! Ullapool, the city with its rows of white houses along the coast. Three full days we stayed there. Three days of pouring rain, yet, having a place to sit inside made the rain rather enjoyable. Instead of consuming us and soaking everything it could reach, it sang us to sleep, it soothed us and helped us enjoy the inside warmth even more.

Remember that I told you about that torn seam of my carrier lady’s hiking boot? Well, as it turns out, cobblers are not very common in Scotland, and especially not with the guarantee that they can sew leather back together without damaging the shoe. The only sensible solution was for her to buy new hiking boots and send the broken ones to a B&B in Inverness where they would stay before going back home. For a split second I feared that she was going to send me away as well, but she did no such thing, giving me the opportunity to continue my journey North.

As this always goes when on the road, the day arrived to leave behind the ease of indoor life. Let the final leg of the journey towards Cape Wrath commence!

If you are tired of reading about my adventures, take a short break, but don’t put me aside for long. We’re not there yet and the beauty ahead is not one you want to miss out on! Admittedly, the first two hiking days after Ullapool weren’t the most beautiful ones, but they were easy going which made it possible to take in the intricate details of the landscape surrounding us. The most amazing little camping spots along Loch Achall, a mountain that seemed to have been split in two by a river and the funniest looking sheep. Some standing on top of a rock as if they believed themselves to be guard dogs protecting the flock. The rain making its way across the valley, a waterfall rumbling in the distance and dots of heather holding on to their bright purple colour. We reached Knockdamph bothy in the early afternoon. It’s the most peculiar bothy I have seen. It’s enormous, but the upstairs beds with old and ragged mattresses make it look as if the building had just escaped from a horror movie.

After a quick snack, the journey continued along a 4×4 towards The Schoolhouse bothy. With the bothy at their fingertips, the inevitable river crossing decided to slow them down. Wrapped in her raincoat with shoes dangling around her neck and me by her side, my carrier lady went into the water. Barefoot, walking poles guiding the way. The water was freezing cold, but I bet that doesn’t come as a surprise to you. Relentless she went on till she reached the other side. Her companion followed in her footsteps. His hate for cold feet shot from his eyes. When he also had made his way across, they both dried off their feet and placed them back inside their nice and cosy hiking boots. All while fighting off the smallest monsters alive (midges)! It was still early and the last stretch towards the little Schoolhouse bothy was an easy one, allowing plenty of time for a pleasant indoor evening. Yes, I liked it there. The bothy was spotless and still looked as if the schoolchildren could arrive at any moment. The downside of the bothy became painfully clear later that night. Although in all honesty, it wasn’t the bothy that was to blame. Rather it was its less remote location. By the time everyone was ready to turn in for the night, a group of six arrived on mountain bikes. They were told that the bothy was fully occupied, but that didn’t withhold them from moving other people’s stuff around to make room for their own. No greetings, no eye contact. Instead of respecting people going to sleep, they took out their bottles of whiskey. My carrier lady and her companion decided to have a look if they could somehow fit into the much smaller room across the hallway, in theory already fully occupied by other hikers. The little room, that was meant to sleep two, was turned into a room for five, me not included. My carrier lady and her companion curled up together onto one bench, another guy on the other bench and two people on the floor. Crowded. Or nice and snug, depending on how you look at it. This seemingly perfect solution soon turned into a nightmare. Two of the friendly guys sharing the room, snored like nothing I had ever heard before. Mercifully, the guys had a long day ahead and left around four in the morning, leaving us a few hours of peace before hitting the road. Thankfully, the day ahead was an easy one. Around eight kilometres downhill along 4×4 tracks to Oykel Bridge. A slight uphill 4×4 leaving Oykel Bridge. Then on and on along a track with views over Oykel river bathing in the morning sunlight. A few fishermen dotted along the water, trying their luck for the day. A steep climb into the forest and then on again along a 4×4 track till we reached Loch Ailsh. Surprisingly, the 4×4 track suddenly turned into a proper road up and till Benmore lodge. If you feel like calling it a day around this time, there are quite a few camping spots along the river just past Benmore Lodge with magnificent mountain views, promising a beautiful hiking day towards Ichnadamph. As usual throughout this journey, the wind dropped and the midges came out to join for dinner. Again an early night. Not that going to bed early ever hurts when hiking long days. It was funny though to hear my carrier lady struggle to keep the midges away from her behind while trying to go to the toilet. It’s an unexpected challenge only Scotland can teach you about!