Day 2 - Gairlochy to South Laggan

Woke up to another blue sky day!

Aonach Mòr

The Grey Corries

Jo Anne the tattie scone is a mashed potato pancake with virtually no flavor. 

Day two of our adventure led us from Gairlochy to South Laggan. After starting the day with the creamiest Scottish porridge, and a cooked breakfast, we walked along or near the shoreline of Loch Lochy, the third deepest loch in Scotland (531'). 

Before we even hit the trail, we were diverted down and across a different bridge as the swing one was being worked on. 

Here is one of the Lacy Tree Ferns opened up. 

We decided to proceed at our own risk. 

The Great Glen Way is never far from the lapping waves of Loch Lochy, which can get pretty choppy when the wind picks up. Enveloped by steep, forested hillsides, we keep an eye out for red squirrels, but also in this section in particular, keen birders will spot ospreys, black-throated divers, pied and grey wagtails. We must not be keen birders as we didn't spot any of them.

The rhododendron are beautiful but very invasive. 

It doesn’t show from this photo but the hills on the other side of the loch are verdant green. 

We took a little break here. 

And of course took the obligatory photo with the backpacking bear.

The Dunbar Bear is located near the starting point of the Great Glen Way and is a tribute to John Muir, a naturalist and conservationist. It's a prominent landmark and symbol of the region's natural beauty, but it's not directly associated with backpacking or a specific bear within the route,

Part of the way was through forests of native birch and beech, but the greater distance was through non-native spruce trees growing like corn on conifer plantations. Forestry is the major economic driver in this region of Scotland, and most views of the mountain slopes included patches of clear-cut land with bleached out stumps. The green expanses far outnumbered the desolate swaths, and the way under the trees was shady and fragrant.

Starting around 1942, thousands of WWII Allied Troops trained in this area of Scotland for the Normandy Invasion. 

Along the forest path, we saw the remains of a practice landing craft (in photo above) where some of the training was done for the D-Day landings. The men would have disembarked into a ditch filled with water while officers fired live rounds over their heads. Another part of the soldiers’ training was to run up and down Ben Nevis. We often had good views of Nevis as we looked back across Loch Lochy towards Fort William.

Compared to the previous day's flat walk, day two’s trail presented a little more undulation. The slight elevation added an enjoyable variety to our journey. Along this section of the route there is a diversion path in place due to Coire Glas hydro scheme, this led us uphill rewarding us with panoramic views of the Loch.

And a lovely place to stop for a break

These trees are massive. 

As we reached the end of Loch Lochy, the familiar sight of the Caledonian canal greeted and guided us to our next destination South Laggan. Our lodging tonight is the Forest Lodge, ideally located in the heart of the Great Glen. 

The boat was moving through the locks very slowly. We were picked up by our host before they opened the final gate. 

View from our room. 

Another view from our room. We can hear the lambs bleating and it’s so peaceful out here. 

On Monday and Tuesday there is nowhere open for a meal so, with 48 hours advance notice, the B&B prepared a meal for us. They were very accommodating to our dietary needs. I always hate to impose my dietary restrictions on anyone else, but she assured me that everything was good. We laughed once that between the two of us, if we ordered a hamburger, it would come with no bun, no meat, and no cheese. We would be left with lettuce, tomato and pickles.

Kody’s vegetarian ragu

My spaghetti bolognese 

Kody’s warm ginger cake (GF/DF) with ice cream 

Mine has a dairy free custard sauce. 

The Internet connection is terrible here so no more photos today. 

Stats:

Steps - 31,534

Miles - 13.3

Elev gain - 2,320’

Time - 4 hrs 50 min

Kody asked me today how I thought long-distance hiking had changed me. I’ve been thinking about that ever since and will try to put it into words here as it’s a valid question. 

First, when I push myself outside of my little comfort zone, I realize how big God is, how great and majestic and that he cares for me. Walking with God brings me into His theater, where He is the focus. As I think about "walking with God", I think of Enoch.

Genesis 5:24 says, "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."

In all of scripture there are only a few verses about the life of Enoch. However, these brief statements are enough to convey what a remarkable life he lived. They also provide invaluable insights into the love of God and the calling of faith He has placed on us. The verse above tells us he walked with God. "Walk" expresses the idea of moment-by-moment fellowship with the Lord. In the hustle and bustle of daily life it is easy to get distracted and miss the moment-by-moment interaction with our Father. It is the primary way we are identified as having been forgiven from sin and reconciled to God. As it is with all who walk with God, Enoch's relationship with God was based on faith. Hebrews 11:5-6 tells us, "Before Enoch was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

What I love about Enoch's story is that his walk with God did not end when he stepped into heaven, rather, it was perfected. We possess the same hope Enoch had. As those who have put our faith in Jesus Christ, walking with Him in full forgiveness and intimate fellowship, we can rest assured that we have escaped eternal death and will live instead in perfect eternal life. What strong emotion and delight fills my soul!