It’s still raining when we awake, so we eat some flapjack then pack up as quickly as we can wearing our midge hoods. We follow the track then soon reach an unclassified road. There is a sign here from the Tomdoun Estate pointing in the direction we came from warning of remote and dangerous conditions. As we reach our path, there is a sign for Cluanie there too. There’s no mention of dangerous conditions here. Also, the rain is easing, the path is relatively clear, albeit small, so our mood lifts a little.
We spot some deer across a stream and a tiny shrew runs past in front of me. There is a steep pull up to Mam na Selig pass, and occasional boggy sections but there is soon a vista across the pathless, uninhabited Glen Loyne. As we descend from the pass, we have to climb over deer fences via somewhat precarious ladder platforms.
Next, we arrive at the river Loyne. Crossing this river is one of the things that kept us awake last night. On maps, river crossings are marked as fords, bridges or footbridges. Sometimes, the path just goes across the river. This means that wading is the only way to cross. The sun is shining and, although the river is flowing fast, it does not seem deep. I am reminded that Rich told me the guide book says not to worry about wet boots as they’ll be wet every day on the Cape Wrath trail. We wade across without incident and there is a reasonable path across the glen and up to the next pass.
Like Mam na Selig, this pass is well over 400 metres (over 1300 feet), but the climb is less steep. On the top of the pass, we meet two other walkers, the first people we have seen or spoken to since the householder yesterday.
We zigzag back down to reach a good track, which was once a road running from Cluanie to Fort William. We follow this road, high above Loch Cluanie, as it gradually drops down to a bridge across the water and a track to the A87. It’s then a short walk to the Cluanie Inn with a shower, a cup of tea and a drying room for the tent!
Total distance so far: 724 miles