Two Days on the GGW

"Pleasant" aptly describes the GGW. Rarely dramatic and almost tediously flat, the scenery is almost always pleasing. Its one bad, frequent feature is the walking surface; very hard on the bottom of one's feet, even through hiking boots.

We were ambling along, enjoying the bird song, when all of a sudden, a creature, too small to be Nessie, emerged from the canal:




Ahhh, yes, a cavorting dog:




Having very much fun:




As we were leaving the B and B yesterday, our "lady" advised us to take a diversion to some falls. We didn't have an excessive number of miles to cover (14), so we acted on her suggestion:




It was a worthwhile side trip, not just for that sight, for of a truth, we had already delighted in the sight of many falls on the WHW, but the whole route was especially lush.

A section of fence at the falls:




Especially beautiful is the way moss grows over stones:




In fact, moss grows over everything, in different tones, and the effect is ever so pleasing to the eye:




Hard at work, loading the logs into piles:




Great big piles of logs waiting:




A sight every walker craves, blue sky:





Two little lambs by the road:







About a mile before the end of the day's walk, we came upon this boat-turned-pub. Of course we stopped in for a drink:




Our string of fantastic B and B's was interrupted last night by our stay at the Great Glen Hostel. As far as hostels go, it is, apparently, way up there, but it is a hostel. Bunk beds with thin, lumpy mattresses on top of wooden slats, basic, spare facilities. It was FREEZING in the room but at least the shower gave out hot water. We had bought some grade B- sandwiches on the boat-turned-pub, which we ate for dinner outside at a picnic table. It could have been a lot worse, but if you are not into the communal thing, well, you don't like it a whole lot. The mouse trap in the kitchen I couldn't really complain about since mice visit my very own kitchen, but still, there was a kind of musty, yuck factor about the place.

We were not sorry to bid the hostel good bye:





By and by we came upon this sorry craft:





View from a beach:




The lock keeper doing his job:





A swan near shore:


(Yes, those are bluebells.)

OK, this hull is definitely Alderman Dow material:




A piper celebrating our arrival into Fort Augustus:





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