Thursday 3rd
June DRUMBUIE – BALACHULISH - BEN NEVIS – GLENFINNAN – SPEAN BRIDGE
It’s been a
long, wet travel day today. As promised, the rain came down on western
Scotland. We said a fond farewell to Susan, our host, at about quarter to nine
and left Drumbuie on our way south. It was a good thing we travelled quite a
distance on that road yesterday, which meant we got to see it! Today, there was
rainy mist and fog, and rather low visibility for seeing things like lochs and
mountains. It did lift occasionally so we could get the odd glimpse of the scenery,
but not much.
Glen Garry
It only took us about an hour and a half to reach Spean Bridge, where Braelea B&B, our next accommodation is. So after morning tea in The Bridge Café, we decided that we would travel down to Glencoe. The visitor centre there is run by the National Trust, and they have a café for lunch, films etc about the history of the area, and would be warm and dry if it kept raining. It all sounded delightful. Everything was going very well until we were just leaving Ballachulish, when an ambulance shot by us, sirens screaming. We came to congestion on the road out of town and pulled up with all the other cars as several more ambulances, police and a fire truck raced past. After about ten minutes, most of us began carefully turning and heading back, many of us to the Ballchulish Information Centre and café opposite the old slate quarry there. Lex went off for a walk in the rain to see the quarry; I opted to buy a sandwich and cuppa to validate the nice comfy couch I found to sit on. Fortunately they were so busy that it took ages to come! I generously shared my couch with two nice local ladies and their dog, and we had a nice chat until Lex came back, having visited the quarry and the loch. The road was officially closed, and it turned out that a car had collided with a bus. It only reopened at 7.30 tonight.
Old slate quarry, BallachulishSo, Plan B was to visit Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain. We bought an hour’s parking at the visitor centre there, and set out across the bridge. At least there was hardly any rain and less cloud at that stage, so we could actually see it (unlike Cradle Mountain in Tassie which we have never managed to lay eyes on!) Lex set off along one of the pathways to walk some of the distance around it. I was planning to walk to the Inn at the base, but halfway there the rain came down heavily and I lost my enthusiasm for mountains. I went back to the visitor centre instead and looked at the displays and spent ages trying to photograph a robin until Lex came back from his walk. The place was full of high school age students who had just finished a 4-day hike, two of those days very rainy! A huge group of the girls had taken over the ladies’ toilet, and changed into their flannette PJ pants and crocs, and were busily bandaging blistered feet.
Walking pathBen Nevis 1345m
Robin
Bridge over the River Nevis, Ben Nevis in background
Next on our list was Glenfinnan, and the iconic Viaduct. This was about another half hour’s drive, but once more, at Banavie, we came up to a long row of cars sitting waiting. Then we noticed flashing red lights, and thought, aha, a train. After what seemed ages, we saw the top of a boat go by! Even then, the lights kept flashing and another boat came through. There is actually a fair-sized swing bridge there on the road, right next to a series of lochs. Finally, after about ten minutes, we were all able to go again and this time reached our destination with no further hassles.
That slightly crooked white pole in the middle is actually a ship's mast!Of course it was raining as we arrived. We put on all of our wet weather gear including waterproof pants. Sadly, if we hadn’t taken the time to do that, we would have reached the lookout in time to see the Jacobite Express steam train come across the viaduct. About 200 people saw it, and passed us, coming down as we went up! Oh well, visibility was very poor anyway, and we had a lovely view all to ourselves. Lex then decided he wanted to walk to the viaduct, so I went across to the Glenfinnan Memorial instead. It’s a huge column with a statue of Bonnie Prince Charlie on top. The rain had paused at that stage so I could actually look at it. Then I noticed a deer nearby at the edge of the forest, and spent ages waiting for him to lift his head so I could get a photo! Mission accomplished, I headed back to the visitor centre and read the displays, bought my fridge magnet, etc. Once Lex turned back up again, after walking under the viaduct and up a hill behind it. The view from there was excellent.
By now,it was late enough for us head back to Spean Bridge, and book into our accommodation. We arrived back at "Braelea", our B&B just on 5 o'clock.
Rock climbing to get the viewGlenfinnan memorial. This is where Bonnie Prince Charlie rallied the clans for the Jacobite uprising. Which did not work at all well.
My deer photo!
Lex's photo, Glenfinnan Viaduct
Panoramic closeup of the viaduct. It's actually made of concrete.
Margaret,
our host, was here to welcome us. We have a cosy room at the front overlooking
the mountains. She had warned us that evening meals in town are hard to come
by, so we had booked a table at the Old Station Restaurant, and had a lovely
meal there. Tomorrow we have a train trip, which will be a nice change, though
once more, rain is forecast.
Braelea B&B
The Old Station Restaurant. Beautifully done up building.
It looks out on the actual station platform!