Best bits: fabulous views
Worst bits: longer walk than anticipated
Distance: 16.9 miles
I was too tired to write my blog last night and was in bed and asleep before 9 pm. I awoke this morning to very atmospheric scenes with the blue clouds hanging over the hills and the sea. We drove back to Onich for the start of today’s walk.
Fortunately today was dry and the sun was trying to peek out from behind the clouds.
It’s very autumnal now with the leaves turning beautiful colours on the trees and a nip in the air.
Today I was going to be walking on the number 78 cycle track, The Caledonia Way, running alongside the main road.
The first stop was Ballachulish and on the way I saw my first signpost mentioning Glasgow. I’ve been waiting to see one for a while now. Although it says 91 miles I’ve still got much further to walk as I am going down the Mull of Kintyre before I return to Glasgow.
Kerri from Girls On Hills and her two daughters were waiting for me on the bridge and we crossed together. Apparently it’s the 50th anniversary of the bridge this year.
Kerri’s daughters had done me a lovely drawing and were waving it as we walked together for a short way before I joined the cycle path.
The walk along the cycle path is absolutely gorgeous and the views across the sea were phenomenal. The sun was shining on the opposite shore and the clouds were still low with the mountains peeking out behind them.
The sea was like a mill pond absolutely flat which meant everything was reflected in it, effectively doubling the views.
The cycle path follows the route of an old railway and is tarmac for the majority of the way and although it’s near the road doesn’t feel like that. Then it wound up the side of the hill with the road below it.
Priscilla was easy to spot in the distance as the sun glistened off her white sides and Fiona was waiting for me. We compared photographs from our our mornings as the views were quite spectacular. Fiona left to go to meet Eric back at her sister’s house and then they would come back together and meet me for the final stop for today.
A couple of cyclists from Staffordshire stopped and chatted to me. They had seen Priscilla a couple of days ago when it was parked outside Emma‘s house.
The track took me up a steep loop up hill through the forest where at times I had coniferous woodland on one side and the stumps of the forest on the other side. I spotted a couple of wild pigs just mooching through the detritus around the stumps. Later I saw a sign that said this was forest restoration not deforestation.
Right next to the hedgehog hospital two guys were fixing a puncture on their bike when I stopped to have a chat. It looks hard work pushing a small piece of tubes through the hole in this tiger and then trying to reinflate it with a mini pump. They said that they had passed me previously on my way into Fort William.
Back into the forest and after the uphill came downhill with hairpin bends that I’m sure many cyclists have enjoyed freewheeling down. 
There were many informative signposts in this section of forest, which was the Highland titles nature reserve. This sign was indicating no entry beyond this point as it was the Scottish wildcat Rehabilitation Facility!
They were just so many amazing views today.
However, it’s not a good sign when you see the cows laying down, but fortunately, I only had another hour to walk.
I was now in Argyll and Bute.
As I approached Appin, I started to bump into people who were out for a walk in the gorgeous sunshine. This included Margery, Holly and Andy from Ballahoulish.
My final viewpoint of the day was Castle stalker where I chatted to guys who were flying a drone over the top of it.
I was slightly delayed to the finish point due to chatting to so many people in a relatively short distance. Fiona and Eric were waiting for me and we drove back down to North Connell, which gave me a chance to look at tomorrow’s route which looks absolutely fantastic.
I had a lovely long soak in the bath before we had dinner and planned the route and stops for tomorrow. Then it was time for bed and to catch up on my blogs!
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