Day 15: South Laggan to Fort William
Distance: 24.30 miles (39.10 km)
Weather: Cloudy and overcast with sunny intervals - chilly wind
Start Time: 08:41
Finish Time: 18:30
A great stay last night at the Great Glen Hostel in South Laggan and would highly recommend it for anyone walking this route. I hit the trail just before 9am, knowing it was going to be a big day ahead.
The first stretch took me through forests, following a reconstructed part of the Great Glen Way. Some major building works for a new hydroelectric scheme meant the original route was blocked, but the detour was still well-marked with stunning views over Loch Lochy, I passed the historic site of a WWII training camp at Clunes, once used to train the men of the special boat service – fascinating bit of history tucked away by the side of the Loch.
After that, at Gairlochy, I followed the Caledonian Canal all the way down to the Neptune’s Staircase just short of Fort William: a dramatic and impressive series of locks. From there, it was a final road-walk into Fort William, finishing up at our campsite in Glen Nevis – literally right opposite the start of the Ben Nevis footpath.
Along the way, I met Jen, a friend of Jacky who’s walking the Great Glen Way up to Inverness. Then later I bumped into Dave, who’s also doing the long trek to Land’s End. It’s interesting to meet others on a similar mission and sharing experiences of these long-distance trails.
We had dinner at the Glen Nevis Pub and was promised a donation through my website, which is much appreciated.
Tomorrow’s a rest day, thankfully! After that, it’s time to gear up for the West Highland Way– the next chapter of my walk.
