If your interested ....

[SueA]

Nice pics. Nick, glad you enjoyed your break. I went to Oban once & loved it, we saw a seal in the harbour & it was the first time I'd ever seen a wild one. Scotland is beautiful as Rat, Alice & Jennie can testify, you lucky lot!

[JennieAtkinson]

Last week while sailing back to Shetland from Orkney, we stopped the night at Fair Isle (another beautiful island) and there was a seal and her pup on the beach right by the harbour. It was absolutely magic, even though we are used to seeing seals here, I've never been that close (I could even see its belly button!)

We also saw a pod of killer whales (thankfully) on a mission, so they didn't bother us, although they were close enough that we could see and hear them blowing water. W also had two dolphins swimming with the boat for about ten minutes.

We know we are very lucky to have all of this .....

[sewer rat]

Jennie
The WHW is a nice walk - done it three times, the last as a starter for my walk from Glasgow to Cape Wrath. You may or not be aware that if you plan your overnight stops, you can have your rucsacs transported each day by minibus from where you were staying to where you will be staying. Never used the service myself but know plenty who have - means all you need to carry each day is a daysac with waterproofs, lunch and camera.

[JennieAtkinson]

I fully intend Rat to only do this with a fully supported service, and with a hot bath available at the B&B!

[sewer rat]

Will you be visiting the Drovers Inn at Inverarnan - an experience not to be missed - or at least it was - haven't been for a number of years. Used to have a pot bellied pig that ate the leftovers off your plates and a shetland pony that wandered about the bar area for a bit. The stuffed bear in the entrance was looking pretty shabby last time I was there though. Great craic every time I was there.

[JennieAtkinson]

Sounds like my sort of socialising!

[heebiejeebie]

Great photos - makes me regret having moved so far south!

[clckwork]

Great pics. Brings back a few good memories of times spent touring and working all over Scotland and the Islands

[Birdie Wife]

If ever you venture into Sutherland, look me up, I'm so far away from the other Grapes it would be nice to meet up! Locally, the Crask Inn (near Lairg) is well worth a visit - it's a working croft, food is excellent homecooked fare mostly grown on the croft and the people that run the place are two of the nicest folk you'll ever meet. That's a true insider's tip!

[nick the grief]

Jennie
The WHW is a nice walk - done it three times, the last as a starter for my walk from Glasgow to Cape Wrath. You may or not be aware that if you plan your overnight stops, you can have your rucsacs transported each day by minibus from where you were staying to where you will be staying. Never used the service myself but know plenty who have - means all you need to carry each day is a daysac with waterproofs, lunch and camera.

I fully intend Rat to only do this with a fully supported service, and with a hot bath available at the B&B!

I'll second that Rat. I did it a few years ago and we keep saying we'll do it again but something always seems to happen to stop us ( two trapped nerves and a bad case of PIles !!! - not all mine I hasten to add)

We stayed at 3 places

WHW hotel in Balmaha - Shite is the only way to describe it !!! it's not in the listing anymore thank the lord. but Drymen or Inversnaid would be just as good.

The Hotel at Tyndrum next to the Green Wellie shop - excellent althought there were a couple of lads in Kilts who were out of it danceing on the tables outside & they couldn't remember the words to the tune Lol!!

And Finally Croit Anna Hotel in Fort William. We used Taxi's or Buses to get us to & from the start/finish points & the Luggage service to move bags on ( I think it cost a tenner)

Will you be visiting the Drovers Inn at Inverarnan - an experience not to be missed - or at least it was - haven't been for a number of years. Used to have a pot bellied pig that ate the leftovers off your plates and a shetland pony that wandered about the bar area for a bit. The stuffed bear in the entrance was looking pretty shabby last time I was there though. Great craic every time I was there.

The Drovers still looks like a wreck from the outside - went past it last week.

I'm trying to get Mrs G to do a LD footpath I suggested the Great Glen Way as it's only 73 miles and it's resonably flat if she won't I might suggest we take two weeks Hols & she can have a week sitting on the beach reading & I'll to the GG way.

I'm almost certainly coming up next year one way or another so a meet up sounds good - I might even hire a dress Kilt for the occasion & show my legs off

The chap who was my best man is up to the Fort on Friday for a week he wasn't sure what he was doing as his friend ddn't know what she was doing - I almost said

"SOD HER I'LL COME WITH YOU !"

[nick the grief]

Nice piccies, including the cacti in your other albums. I miss my collection. I miss the pretty flowers, though don't miss getting caught probably by M.boscana .

Glad you enjoyed them MV I've got one worse than Bocasana It's a little Tephrocactus and the wooly bits are like glass fibre they break of as soon as you touch them and your left with a load of spines in you !!

[JennieAtkinson]

Thanks for the hotel tips Nick - will come back to this thread when we get around to booking things.

You'll have to watch the midges if you get a kilt boy! Highland Fling comes to mind!

[nick the grief]

this might help you. there used to be a downloadable guide on there that had accomodation in. The rucksac reader books are good as well as they are printed on waterproof paper

http://www.west-highland-way.co.uk/home.asp

I think from memory we did it

Section - Miles
Milngavies to Drymen - 12
Drymen to Rowardennan - 15
Rowardennan to Inverarnan - 14
Inverarnan to Tyndrum - 12
Tyndrum to Inveroran - 9
Inveroran to Kingshouse - 10
Kingshouse to Kinlochleven - 9
Kinlichleven to Fort William - 14

[JennieAtkinson]

Thanks again Nick.

[sewer rat]

Nick
Never done the Great Glen Way but knowing the road and route it follows, I would imagine it to be similar to the start of the WHW - ie not too strenuous on the up and down front. Last time I did WHW I turned left at Spean Bridge and kept going til I hit the water at the top of Scotland. That was a cool walk - but wouldn't do the whole thing in a oner again.