Best bits: legs feeling less tired
Worst bits: dreary weather
Distance: 20.3 miles
Days to the finish: 21
I can’t quite believe that I only have three weeks today left until I finish. How did that happen? However, I still have around 200 miles to walk, so I shouldn’t get myself too carried away
It was drizzly when I set off, but it soon cleared, then drizzled again. Jacket on, jacket off! This was to be the theme for today.
I followed the canal tow path and was enjoying the reflections.
It was here that I met Ross who walked with me for awhile. He told me about his son and the loss of his wife. We enjoyed the views between the flurries of rain and mist.
We parted company at the point where I was to continue on a rough cycle track through the forest. The sign was accurate as I climbed around 2000 feet today.
The scenery just now is an explosion of autumn colours.
I actually felt as though I had a bit more of a spring in my step today, long may it last. Then my foot slipped from under me on the muddy track which brought back memories of so much mud I encountered early on in my trek.
Occasionally the sun tired to get out behind the mist and this created very atmospheric views of Loch Fyne.
As I came off the cycle route, Fiona was waiting in Priscilla. She told me how she had had several attempts to park up and finally settled on this one. I had only been walking for two hours and wasn’t too hungry so only had a cup of tea and some grapes.
The rest of the day would be walking along the road. The only sound was that of large industrial equipment cutting down trees in the forest area. Then a red squirrel running up the tree caught my eye. Unfortunately it was too fast for photographs.
A car pulled up just in front of me and Linda jumped out. She had seen me this morning in Lochgilphead and she kindly gave me a donation. She said that when she was up here earlier in the year, the whole of the moorland and was on fire.
As I was walking down the hill to Achahoish here was Priscilla coming up the hill towards me. I was a little confused. Fiona stopped and said she’d gone for a drive and then became a bit disorientated. Fortunately, we did manage to meet up for lunch.
The landscape around here is quite different, undulating hills of heather moorland with pine forests and a varied coastline. However, I did a double take when I saw Snow White and the seven dwarfs!
I took Fiona by surprise a I arrived half an hour earlier than she expected me. I was just opening Priscila’s door when her text telling me where she had parked arrived on my phone.
The Postie stopped his van and said he had passed me a few times today and was interested in what I was doing. He was from Newcastle.
I’m making the most of these final weeks and days outdoors—soaking in everything: the atmosphere, the colours, the smells, the taste of the air, and the feel of the ground beneath my feet. This is a view of the sun trying to shine on the Atlantic Ocean.
As the mist cleared a little I got my first look at Jura out across the bay.
This abandoned farmhouse looked sad. I wondered who might once have lived and worked there.
The sky became darker and it was spitting with rain as I approached the final three miles. Finally I arrived at the campsite. Unfortunately Priscilla was parked about as far away from the entrance as possible and it took another ten minutes to walk to her. Our pitch was very close to the sea and we had a good view of the waves. We are hoping for a great view tomorrow morning.
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