Day 7 - Loch Laide to Inverness

 We can’t believe this is the final day of the Great Glen Way. It has gone by so fast.   

A little bit up and a lot down

I asked for 1 egg, 1 bacon and 1 toast. I guess they don’t know how to do just one. Kody had the cheese omelette this morning so I didn’t take another photo of that. 

We asked Keith where we should leave our bags and he said he would bring them down. Again, such a servant’s heart. 

After our second hearty breakfast, we were transported back to Loch Laide, to finish the last 12.5 miles to Inverness. The first bit was tarmac 🙁. 

Quite an unusual gate 

We were surrounded by mountains on all sides 

Tarmac road (not fun). It makes everything on your body hurt. 

Taking it easy 

Birds foot trefoil 

We followed the minor road across the Abriachan plateau with fine views of hills to the north and west. After about 2 miles the path left the road and crossed charming heather moorland before entering woodland.

Flew right over our heads 

Buckeye 

Old stone walls

2 hours in and halfway, we stopped here for a short break and snack. 

Black grouse can be seen here so we kept our eyes open for them, but saw nary a one. After nearly 3 miles the route turned right along a wide path beneath power lines. 

Our notes told us to pay attention to the route in this area as we snaked through the woodlands towards the outskirts of Inverness, so that is what we did. We had no desire to get lost on our final day of trekking the Great Glen Way.

Finally there are glimpses of Beauly Firth in the distance and the realization sinks in that we have nearly crossed from one side of Scotland to the other.

Our first glimpse of the final destination. 

All that remains is the steady descent into Inverness. The views over the city are surprisingly good from the open slopes on the edge of Dunain Hill.

Closeup of the bluebells we’ve seen everyday. 

More rhododendron

As we dropped down into Inverness there were many newly built housing areas. Notice the thistle waymarker on the light pole. 

Walking under the busy roadway. 

And through a tunnel of trees. 

We were cautious to keep our eyes open for the blue way-markers, which were at every turn, and we eventually popped out at the Caledonian Canal. 

We followed the route to the River Ness, crossed over, and then continued along Ness Bank.

Carved Nessie bench

Old church 

The last bit of the Great Glen Way meandered through a park along the River Ness, and came to its end at Inverness Castle. 

This is all we could see of the castle at the end of our walk. 

Better view from down on the street below. 

Although not as dramatic as the castles of Edinburgh or Stirling, the castle does dominate the skyline from every corner of the city. There has been a castle in this location since 1056 but the current incarnation dates back to 1835. Today it is a courthouse and normally for £5 you can climb the 94 steps to the viewpoint at the top, but it is currently being renovated and is closed. 

So this is the official end of the GGW. Not much in the way of pomp and circumstance, just a sign in the grass on a busy street.  

This is it! We have completed the Great Glen Way.

However, our B&B is another mile through the city so our incredible walk across Scotland isn't over yet and we must dip our feet into the North Sea to make this a true coast-to-coast walk.

But first food and a sit down. We decided to go to Black Isle Pizza again because it was close and tasty. 

Kody had Ricotta Fresca - passata (sauce), mozzarella, roasted peppers, spinach, lemon ricotta, garlic oil. 

I had Pepperoni, Chili and Honey - passata, mozzarella, pepperoni, chilis, onion, mascarpone, honey and oregano. GF of course and it was delicious! 

Old High St Stephen’s

Our lodging tonight is the Ardmeanach House, built in the mid-1800s. It is full of character and still has the original fireplace.

Final impressions:

The Great Glen Way offered beautiful vistas of the Scottish Highlands, countryside, and waterways. Other than where the way traversed the high route between Fort Augustus and Invermoriston, the path was level and wide. Most of the walking in woodlands was along gravel-topped forest service roads. A good bit of the walk, particularly the first three days on the way to Fort Augustus, was along the towpath of the Caledonian Canal. There was also a fair amount of road-walking when the way passed through towns. It was challenging, exhausting, painful at times and absolutely glorious!

We chose to walk all the high routes for the best views because that’s why we came, to be enveloped in God’s majestic creation. We were never far from civilization, but often we walked with no other people in sight. Sheep far outnumbered people. Just as counting sheep brings sleep at night, watching the gentle creatures graze in pastures brought us peace by day. Skippers steered their sailboats amicably on the canals, hardly stirring a wake. We enjoyed talking to fellow travelers, on the trail or at the breakfast table. They hailed from the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Canada and America. Most of our hosts were very friendly, and their Scottish and English accents were a joy to hear.

After spending seven days in the fresh pine air of Scotland, our soul clocks reset by the unhurried pace of walking, we will return home rejuvenated. Hiking the Great Glen Way will forever remain a most memorable holiday, and we are eager to explore more of Scotland in the next few days before departing for the States.

Stats:

Steps - 31,712

Miles - 13.5

Elev Gain - 377’

Time - 4 hrs 17 min

Total GGW Stats:

Steps - 275,837

Miles - 112.3

Elev Gain - 13,050’

Time - 30 hrs 18 min

I will close with another quote from CS Lewis:

"If you live for the next world, you get this one in the deal; but if you live only for this world, you lose them both."