A Coast to Coast Walk in Scotland

 The background photo is a picture that I snapped when Jo Anne and I took a Heritage Walk through parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 2016. While staying in Inverness, we walked along a portion of the Great Glen Way. It was so beautiful that it immediately went on my bucket list of hikes. Soon I hope to check it off as another hike done. 

In May, my good friend Kody and I will embark on this excellent adventure and we are so excited. The Great Glen Way stretches for 118.5km (~79 miles) from coast to coast across the Highlands of Scotland, linking the main centers of Fort William and the regional capital of Inverness. The route follows the major natural fault line of the Great Glen which divides Scotland from coast to coast. Most of the route keeps to lower levels and offers a good introduction to the Highlands and long-distance walking; since 2014 there has also been a higher level option (which we will take) between Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit offering more dramatic views, at the cost of a little more effort. The Way runs along the complete lengths of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and the forests above Loch Ness, as well as along the towpath of the Caledonian Canal, an engineering marvel built by Thomas Telford that links these lochs and creates a through route from the western seaboard to the Moray Firth. I apologize if you are an English major. That was quite a run-on sentence.  If fitness allows, at the end of the Great Glen Way, we will hike along the Moray Firth as well. 

But first, before we even begin our walk along the Glen, we will take a day trip from Inverness to the Isle of Skye, and weather permitting, hike the Quiraing. The Quiraing is a loop of about 4 miles that takes you through some of Scotland’s most spectacular landscapes. It is rated as difficult and is not suitable for hiking in windy or wet conditions as it requires walking along high cliffs and scrambling over a rocky gorge. But, we are excited to give it a go and praying for a beautiful day on the Isle. 

When we began planning this trip it was 289 days away, but we are now only 69 days from departure. It will be here in the blink of an eye. We look forward to having you follow along and especially appreciate your comments as we travel. It's a blessing to feel connected to home while away.