MICHELE BIANCO CERAMICS

I arrived in Fort William last week to exactly the same weather as when I left at the end of my walk up the West Highland Way a month ago – with Ben Nevis shrouded in low cloud! However, although the mountain tops weren’t visible the vibrancy of the new foliage and the peaceful, watery views across Loch Linnhe and around the mouth of the River Lochy made for a very relaxing start to The Great Glen Way. My route followed the shore of the loch as far as the start of the Caledonian Canal and then up the path alongside “Neptune’s Staircase” of 8 locks – the longest lock staircase in the UK with a height gain of 20m. 

The route of the canal follows the course of the River Lochy, with the river visible far below through ancient beech woods filtering the soft light through their fresh new leaves.  The canalside was edged with flowering gorse all the way to Gairlochy where the waters of the river and canal join in Loch Lochy.

The low cloud and misty drizzle continued the following day with a gentle walk along the lochside through ancient woodlands of oak, beech and birch, their trunks soft with luxuriant mosses and lichens and masses of spring flowers – primroses, violets, wood anemones, wood sorrel and bluebells. The ancient woodlands gave way to plantations at Clunes and my route passed under giant Douglas fir and larch. From the head of Loch Lochy at Laggan is another stretch of the canal, linking the waterway to Loch Oich and the village of Invergarry.

From there, I climbed high into the forestry before descending to the Bridge of Oich where the waterway leaves the loch to follow the course of the river as far as Fort Augustus on Loch Ness. The path is again on a narrow strip of land between the river and the canal, with the sound of the rushing river below and the gently lapping waters of the canal alongside. 

By the following morning the clouds had cleared and my route headed out of the village through the majestic trees, climbing to trace the course of the tumbling Allt na Criche with its many small cascades and plunge pools, to the high hillsides above Loch Ness. Up above the trees the bog myrtle was beginning to come into leaf and its wonderfully spicy scent filled the air. I saw several pairs of stonechats, making their raspy calls to one another and heard cuckoos in the birch woods below. The views from the hillside down Loch Ness and southwards along the Caledonian Canal were spectacular and well worth the effort of the steep climb.

From Invermoriston the following morning it was another steep climb up through the forests to the moorland, once again enjoying spring sunshine and birdsong. The route climbed to just over 500m, passing through native woodlands above the forestry plantations, the vivid green new leaves and carpets of spring flowers making for a wonderful walk and views out along the length of Loch Ness to the north east and south west, its diagonal incision across the landscape a deep hazy blue far below.  The route turned north briefly to join a minor road at the village of Grotaig and from there it was a gentle descent between high banks of flowering gorse to Drumnadrochit.

From Drumnadrochit, my route turned towards the north west, leaving the Great Glen Way to join the Affric Kintail Way along Glen Urquhart.   A rainy day, fortunately mostly walking through well sheltered forests and past Loch Meikle to arrive in the pretty village of Cannich on the banks of the River Glass.