A Jolly Jocky Holiday

We’re off!   We’re off!   We’re off on a holiday!

OK, so a bit of a departure from the ‘serious walking’ (ha!) nature of this blog, but the intention was there originally, honest!  Ben Nevis in fact, it wasn’t to be in the end, but onto that later….

This was for N’s 40^th celebration, which started with a family meal in the curry house and a  leisurely, yet hungover, not-so-early start for the drive up to Jockland.

Fairly uneventful journey, with a stop at Loch Lomond, the same spot as last time and another stop just above Rannoch Moor, again the same spot as last time (creatures of habit, us), until finally we arrived at our lodgings for the next two nights, the Inchree Chalets.

A flat Loch Lomond

N gaining new material for his duck porn stash

Glen Coe

Our Chalet (Left, RHS)

View from the chalet (and N)

Pretty Cool huh?  Bargain too at 60 quid a night for the whole chalet.  So shortly after checking out the pub (Cairngorm Brewery beer – yum). Spag Bol for tea with the obligatory cheesy garlic bread.  It was around about this time that the decision was made, Ben Nevis was a no-go, here’s the forecast from the day…



click to enlarge

 Gusts up to 90mph!  Imagine trying to stand on a car roof whilst bombing up the fast lane – it was never going to be safe. Not only that it was blowing from the South West, straight up the loch to ‘The Ben’, so full exposure to the winds too.  N already had a back up plan in mind, the  Lost Valley, Glencoe.

So up and at em the next day to face the elements….



Luckily, someone had already painted the path in bright blue paint



A gorge

Jimmy Savilles House

N on a rock

The Lost Valley

 

 

Lost Valley Higher Up

So that was it really, got as high as the last pic and went back down again.  It was only later, whilst snealking a peak at a guidebook in Glencoe Tourist Information (recommended) that I read we were probably less than an hour from bagging two Munros (Bidean Nam Bian and Stob Coire Sgreamhach).  Oh well, lesson learnt I suppose (read the frickin guide books).

In any case, we decided to make the journey down as eventful as possible, a quick word with Him Upstairs to turn up the weather dial (wind and rain), a river crossing and a jog down.  We were trying to beat the target time N had entered into his wrist mounted Star Trek Communicator.  It was either run back to the car  within the 3 hour time 'limit'or I fear we'd have been having tea with Scotty, Jim and Spock.

Anyway, we made it (despite my slightly embarassing slip) and back to the chalet for a late lunch.  How very civilised.

The question of course now was "what to do"? We had a whole afternoon to kill (before the pub opened anyway).  With the weather being bonkers, we thought it might be fun to catch the Corran Ferry (free to foot passengers) across to the spit of land we could see from the chalet window (Sallachan Point) and see if we could avoid being blown out to sea.



The ferry port

Disappointingly, due to weather, the ferry wasn’t running.  So the decision was made to go have a look at Fort William.  After waiting an extraordinarily long time for a bus and paying and extraordinarily high cost for a short 8 mile journey (about £8 each if memory serves) we arrived at the set for Prisoner Cell Block H……   sorry, Fort William.

Fort William, a study in grey block work.  Perhaps its where naughty architects go to die?  The hell of the architectural world.  Anyway, it aint pretty.

So a quick whiz up the high street, which obviously involved a pub… http://www.grogandgruel.co.uk/  and then back to find the bus.  Ah bus, what bloody bus!  They only run when there's and “X” in the month it seems, so rather than sit in a piss stinking bus stop, it was back into town  for more beer….  http://visit-fortwilliam.co.uk/listings_101_Cobbs-Bar-and-Bistro.html.  Weirdly this one is part of a big outdoor shop, Nevis Sport.  Good though.

Anyway, after an ice age or two the bus decided it would turn up, so back to the chalet.  That evening was a lovely meal in the onsite restaurant.  Twas good.

Next day was to be a day of contrasts.   Starting with a pleasant walk around the local nature trail to a waterfall and then onto Glasgow for a night on the tiles….

Inchree waterfall

Glasgow, was cool, perhaps subjected N to a few more “Real Ale” pubs than was necessary, but nonetheless was cool.  Of note was the fast food Mexican and the hotel pool was lovely.

In all, a very pleasant holiday and a fantastic way to mark N’s progression into middle age.

Footnote:  Since visiting, Jimmy Saville is now dead.  Now then, now then, now then.  RIP