Friday 26 June 2015
I woke up early, packed and set off, I was excited about the beehive homes and Kinlochresort.
I followed the line I had highlighted on the OS map, I had almost memorised the route described by Peter in his book. I was apprehensive about river crossings and the remoteness of this stretch as I made my way around the eastern side of Loch Morsgail.
I found the bridge to cross the river was only half a bridge, so I went up the river, heading west, till I came to a weir and I crossed that using my walking poles which I had bought especially for this trip. Within minutes, one of them snapped, which was a major fly in the ointment as they were essential for river crossings and testing bog depth.
Walking along path or maybe it was a trod, I could look behind me and see I had come a fair way from the lodge and the loch.
The weather however, was turning. Ahead looked dark and a storm threatened. I stood a while weighing up whether to continue, and eventually I turned around and headed back to where I had set off a few hours earlier, with a heavy heart. I felt there was a risk I would lose my way in the clag and I had left my spare compass on the Pentland Road, a pole had snapped...
Now what would I do? I could walk back to Garynahine, then hitch or catch a bus to Carlton Terrace, and do the same to get to Bo'Glas, where the proposed route via Kinlochresort would have taken me.
I was so forlorn I just walked along the road, to Garrynahine and eventually after a good few hours, a car stopped and a friendly couple asked me if I would like a lift, I responded I would love a lift thank you so much. They worked for a TV company and were researching for a programme they were making about the small homes made of corrugated iron, which remain inhabited. They told me that the best places were off the beaten track, I think they thought I was just walking along tarmac roads in the Outer Hebrides which indeed it seemed at times that was all I was doing.
From Carlton Terrace I took the bus to Bo'glas which is where I should have emerged from the moor, the deserted village at Kinlochresort and the beehive houses.
I walked from there along the road, then cut off a corner by climbing along the Harris Way.
Back off the Harris Way, on the road, I walked to the turn off for Rhenigidale and down the hill.
A mile or so before Rhenigidale, a driver offered me a lift, I hesitated and thought I could soldier on along tarmac or hop in and have a chat. The driver, Cindy, was interested to hear I ran, she was a runner and told me about races she had been in. We laughed as we agreed we ran up hills, in our heads.
The Gatliff hostel at Rhenigidale was in a stunning location. Peter's book is very informative about Herbert Gatliff and the work he did to enable people to travel to remote locations.
I pitched my tent. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue having had to turn around this morning.
Interestingly in the kitchen a box of Cornflakes was on the table which made me smile as I had read how Gatliff had a filing system using Cornflake boxes.
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