Day 4 to Aviemore, then & (39k, 816 ascent) From Coylumbridge (6am start again) we followed a cycle track into Aviemore, then the to , stopping at the cafe in Kingcriag for coffee and a baguette, then on to Kingussie.

The route to Kingussie was more devious. Just out of Kingcraig we did a little loop by the church down to the Loch. We saw a group of people obviously watching birds and went to see what the excitement was. They offered to let us look through their telescope – and there was a fabulous view of an osprey perched high in a tree. A few hundred yards from where we were was a tree with a huge mound of sticks in – the osprey nest. We tore ourselves away and headed out on the Badenoch Way, but before long a lack of signs meant we ended up back on the Speyside Way. It ended up at Kingussie, so we were not worried, but unfortunately it detoured around some lakes high in the forest before heading back to Kingussie. Eventually we got back onto the Badenoch Way and had a lovely walk through the RSPB Reserve, and onto the road to go past Ruthven Barracks and Kingussie.

We had a shopping list for Kingussie and had a successful visit, before heading off to Newtonmore (only 3 or 4 miles away), where rumour had it there was a camp-site. Unfortunately it was the far side of Newtonmore, but camping cost us only £5 for the night. Day 5 - General Wades Military Road to Melgarve Bothy (32k, 470 ascent). There was a shower through the night. Next morning, up at 5am, we woke to find the tent frozen and a thick frost. The rain of the night before had frozen solid on the tent. I was really glad I had taken my super-warm, 5-season, sleeping bag. However the sun was shining, so after coffee and porridge we were off again, on a track up the hills behind Newtonmore to Laggan, initially on a good path, then heading across bog to a bothy, where we stopped briefly. There were two people there doing the East Highland Way. We left the bothy on a good track. At the point we needed to turn off the track was a dog walker, who gave us directions and a bit of local folklore. We aimed at a Rowan tree, then came to a disused croft and couldn't find the way on. We were joined by a man also doing the Scottish National Way, also trying to find the way on. He was also heading for Melgarve Bothy that night. We went off on slightly different routes. Our route came down to the road by the Laggan Hotel, so went in fo coffee and toasted sandwiches. We were given a "doggy bag" as we left – croissants and muffins. A mile or so on the road brought us to Laggan. The coffee shop (where our fellow trekker intended to stop) was closed. Glad we stopped at the hotel. On to General Wades Military Road, a tarmac, later gravel track for miles and miles through the Corrieyairack Pass. We went through two small villages (Gargask and Garva), past the hamlet of Blairgie and alongside the Spey before crossing it to the Spey Dam and reservoir. More scenic moorland and forest, lots of red deer around, but very tedious and hard on the feet. We just kept slogging on, trying to find things to tick off as we passed, woods on left, woods on right ..... eventually (after 15km) coming to Melgarve Bothy soon after the track became impassable for vehicles at a ford. Our friend (we never knew his name) was already there. This was a big bothy with several rooms (but no water or toilet). We slept inside this time as there was plenty of space. Day 6 - to Fort Augustus (22k, 562 ascent) We set off in a slightly west of north direction, following a line of large, new pylons. We went uphill, still on General Wades Military Road, past lots of work on new power lines, with zig-zags on the steepest part, to the watershed 764m). We then descended a long way, to the Allt Coire Uchdachan (bridge), then up across a long section of open moorland. Eventually we reached the Black Burn, and the Blackburn Bothy. There was more open moorland, with zig-zags down and views of Loch Ness. We descended past Culachy House (a pink-coloured castle). The route avoided road by going through a Burial Ground before Fort Augustus. It had been raining most of the day, so we were ready for indoor accommodation. We found the (only) hostel and got the last two places (sharing a room with four Spanish cyclists). Wet stuff went into the drying room. We went into town for coffee and various supplies then back to the hostel to eat our haggis pies. Day 7 - to Invergarry, Tomdoun & Poulary (35k, ascent 755m) A wet start to the day alongside the Caledonian Canal at Fort Augustus, past Kytra and Cullochy Locks to Aberchalder and Oich Bridge. At this point we diverged onto a path in the woods, leading to Invergarry, to avoid the road. The path was closed, so we had to walk on the main A82 for a couple of miles, with huge lorries going past us, missing us by inches. Just as frightening as the river crossings and probably more dangerous. We managed to get back onto the track shorty before Invergarry. We had hoped to stop and have a good, long break at the Invergarry Hotel for coffee and a snack or meal (they advertise "food all day") – but it was closed to non-residents. We trudged on to Mandally, just down the road, through Wester Mandally and into the forest. We had to turn right down a narrow path to a footbridge, then turn left to meet a major track. Once again it was straight on for miles. Initially the forest was quite varied, but then there were vast tracts which had been felled and then areas fenced and Highland cattle roaming. We came across an open-fronted shed with a picnic bench. You do not turn down that sort of opportunity, so we sat down and took our backpacks off. David realised that his walking pole and roll mat, which should have been attached to the back, were missing. I remembered seeing them at Mandally, so they were somewhere on the track, but possibly a long way back. We had stopped briefly for a drink a short way back and sat on some boulders. I managed to persuade David to leave his bag with me and go back that far to check (about 0.5km) as it seemed the most likely place for them to become detached. Off he went whilst I strolled around trying to dodge the midges. About 10 minutes later he arrived back with pole and mat. Off we went descending through Greenfield Wood, eventually leaving the forest and passing Greenfield farmhouse and going over Greenfield Burn. The route described goes on minor paths on the south side of the burn and crosses lots of boggy ground and an unbridged burn. Everywhere was running with water and it was still raining. I suggested it may be difficult, possibly impassable. We went for the easier option by heading straight out over Loch Garry on a bridge to Tomdoun (hotel there is now closed) and then left along the very minor (no through) road along the valley to Poulary. More thoughts, the next section (tomorrow) has a river crossing "impassable in spate". The likelihood of slogging up a very boggy moor for a couple of hours, then down to a river which would be in spate and very probably impassable occurred to me. A short while after saying this aloud David came to the same conclusion. There was very little chance of being able to get to the Cluanie Inn tomorrow. How long was the rain going to continue? Was it worth trying to sit it out? We both thought not. So stop at this point, but how do we get back to civilisation? We asked at a house for help finding a taxi, but the lady was most unhelpful. We had no signal at all, so could not phone out, we just had to start walking back along the road (about 18km by road to Invergarry) and if a vehicle happened to come we would thumb for a lift. We walked for well over 30 minutes when a car came up behind us and stopped, offering the two drowned rats with very large, soggy backpacks a lift. We could not really believe it, but they did not mind us getting the inside of their car soaking wet. They were cyclists, hill-walkers and Munroists – but more than that they were from Yorkshire (near Leeds) and the lady was born in Pudsey. They were very happy to take us to where we hoped to catch a train to Glasgow or Edinburgh and hopefully then change for Stirling. They would take us to Fort William if that helped, they were just out for a drive, so it didn't really matter to them. We settled for Spean Bridge, grateful to be out of the wind and rain. At Spean Bridge we found the station unmanned and with no timetables. An intercom thing connected to someone who said (I think, but could not really understand him) the Caledonian Sleeper at 20.08 would take us to Glasgow and we could get a connection from there to Stirling. That was 90 minutes away. No station building, only a bus-stop type of waiting shelter, the building was now a restaurant (reservations only, fully booked), no toilets, not sure which way into "town" – no sign and it was tipping it down. We got changed on the platform into slightly less wet things, munched our way through various crunch bars, etc. and waited. The signs were saying the next train was for Edinburgh, but we didn't really care where it went. We just paddled down the (flooded) platform and got on. It was pointed out we were in the 1st class section, so had to move, but the train was fully booked, so as we had no reservation we had to sit on the floor in the bit between carriages, which was draughty to say the least. We did however make use of the catering facility and had some hot coffee, whilst the train manager strode over us as he went up and down the train. Once he had ascertained where we had got on, where we were going and that we had not booked, he left us alone, until the 1st class passengers retired to their sleeping accommodation, when we were permitted to use their seats. He didn't ever ask us to pay – so we didn't. David C phoned David Miller, who immediately said he would come to Glasgow to pick us up. What a star. The train made its way very slowly round most of the north of (or so it seemed) before entering Glasgow. The train manger came and said he thought it unlikely we would get a connection to Stirling at Glasgow as we were not due in until 12- 15am. Great that David M was coming for us or we could be sleeping on the platform at Glasgow Queen St. Station. At the station the pick-up/drop off parking had vanished as it is being re-developed. David M had fun finding us, but we eventually got to David M's house and a bed indoors, warm and dry.