TGOC Route

The route has been vetted. Very helpful pointers have been received. I had caused some confusion, but clarification has been provided and it didn’t involve any changes to the route. So, the route is now set.

We’ll be setting out from Strathcarron on the Friday afternoon (working on the basis that we reach Ardnamurchan on the 11th May, wend our way to Fort William on the 12th to spend the night, then head up to Strathcarron on the 13th).

It’d be nice if Loch Carron is looking like this:

We’re not going far on the first day (given that we’re not planning to set out until after lunch), but Day 2 will see us cover the length of Loch Monar and beyond, positioning ourselves to pop over some lumps above Glen Strathfarrar on Day 3.

Day 4 sees us (perhaps inadvisably) cross Eskdale Moor to end the day in Drumnadrochit, where I’ll spend a night fretting about the impending ferry ride and wondering why I ever thought that a route involving a ferry was a good idea.

The Monadhliath will be the subject of our explorations the for Days 5 and 6. I have no clear picture in my mind as to what this area’s like, but am very much looking forward to finding out, before we land in Aviemore (well, Coylumbridge really).

Fingers crossed for reasonable weather on the seventh day, as the Lairig Ghru has been on my ‘want to do’ list for years so there will be disappointment indeed if I don’t get to see it.

Day 8 is ‘the middle Saturday’ and Mick made a special request to be sociable on this year’s crossing, so on Middle Saturday we’ll arrive in Braemar. We may even stay there for a second night.

Fingers crossed for good weather again on Day 10, as Lochnagar looks absolutely spectacular from the map and I’d like to see how the reality compares.

Hopefully there won’t be so much standing water at Tarfside!

Even though Tarfside lies at the end of our eleventh day, our route in differs from the one we took previously, as does our route out the following day, for on Days 12 and 13 we’re going to head over to investigate a bit of the Fettoresso Forest.

A final hop, skip and a jump, before heading down to the bash in Montrose, will see us hit the east coast at Stonehaven.

So, that’s the plan. Given some bad weather it could look quite different – and potentially a couple of days shorter. Did I mention that my fingers are crossed for good weather?