Fort Augustus

Yesterday I stated that today was a rest day, which is exactly what my itinerary for the week says too. Even so, I couldn't resist poring over the map last night trying to find a little Marilyn, that had previously escaped me, lying conveniently on my route north. There wasn't. The rest day stood.

Thus, at 9am this morning I arrived in Ft Aggie, ahead of the tourists, being only the second vehicle in the main car park. It soon started filling up, with many cars and the occasional coach load. I strolled around, up the canal, down to Loch Ness, then around and about, pausing every now and then to take advantage of BT internet hotspots (I have few good things to say about BT, but I do love that almost everyone who has BT internet also hosts a hotspot; it seems that in this area almost everyone who has internet has BT).
At noon I relocated Colin to the campsite, then went for another stroll. It was on my way back, in the early afternoon, that I espyed an advance notice of a road closure telling me that the road I intend to use tomorrow will be closed for 5 hours from 10am. That puts a fly in the ointment as I had planned one hill (7 mile walk) this side of the closure and two the other side and it's not going to be feasible for me to do the first hill and be through the closure in time. The most annoying thing is that I could have detoured to do the first hill today, had I spotted the sign as soon as I arrived in town.

By the time I did see it there was no time and shortly afterwards Challengers started arriving, including Mick. By coincidence Colin (tramplite.com; not to be confused with Colin the Campervan), who is walking the Scottish National Trail (Kirk Yetholm to Cape Wrath) is also here tonight.

Mick wasted no time in getting his tent set up, not because I've declined to host him tonight, but to dry it out after a rather damp start to the day. It promptly rained and unlike the morning's short showers this one didn't pass. Thus, whilst I hosted a tea-party in Colin, Connie Competition got wetter and wetter.

For four and a half hours that rain came down. Mick was picturing setting off tomorrow with his tent wetter than when he put it out to dry, but eventually it did stop and a few minutes ago he declared it as dry as it's going to get. A good decision as it is now raining again.

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