7^th August 2018

Scooter to Loch Laggan (193 miles)


This is the trip I had planned when I went to Syre on my last trip. I had prepared a route in Google My Maps and saved it as a KML file. I then imported it into igo8 on my GPS.

I had a wee struggle to start the scooter. That’s strange because one of its positives is that it starts brilliantly. I wonder is it the auto-choke. It started eventually. I left the house about 10.20 and went over the Black Isle as usual on the Culbokie – Munlochy road and then via Drumsmittal to Inverness. I went to the retail park on the road out to Nairn to get petrol and a can of Coke at Tesco. I also called at Argos and used a token Mairi had given me some time ago to get a radio controlled alarm clock. I took the ring road round the back of Inverness to get on the Essich road. A wee bit further on I took the left turn to Dunlichity and went to the cemetery. This is Lochan Dubh just before Dunlichity. I think the Gaelic means ‘Little Black Loch’! Not very romantic.



And this is the cemetery. There is a reason for coming here. My fore-bearers on the Macqueen side are buried here along with some of the Camerons. It is strange.



Macqueen and Cameron family graves. At the end I got rid of the sycamore sapling.



The inscription on this stone reads –

Here is my mum’s family tree




This is a picture of Rev. John Macqueen. I have the original somewhere but couldn’t find it. I had to scan a photo I had Andrew Alan the photographer take of it many years ago. He is now a minister.




I had my picnic with my relations sitting on the wall at the back of the church.

Then I did a bit of ‘gardening’.


The Rev Archibald Cook is buried here at Dunlichity.

Archibald Cook (1788 – 1865) was a Free Church of Scotland minister whose preaching attracted thousands of people and was later published; his main ministry was in Daviot from 1844 until his death in 1865.

Born on the farm of Auchereoch in the Isle of Arran, he experienced Christian conversion during the revivals associated with Calvinism in the southern end of the island. His Caithness ministry in the bilingual missionary charge of Bruan-Berriedale also affected thousands of seasonal Herring fishermen from the west Highlands and the Isle of Lewis, for whom he organised Gaelic services in Wick. In 1837 Cook moved to Inverness after a strong section of the East Church there left it to create a new ‘North’ charge in the town; they followed Cook into the Free Church of Scotland (1843–1900) at the Disruption of 1843 but saw him leave for Daviot in 1844.

Archibald’s brother Finlay Cook was a minister in Achreny (Caithness), Cross (Isle of Lewis), Inverness and Reay (Caithness).




Well, I had to push on taking the road across from the car park and heading to Errogie and then down to Fort Augustus. Beautiful roads.

I took another picture of Gorthleck Free Presbyterian Church. What a nice wee building.





And here is Loch Tarff, getting near Fort Augustus.



Now the trees are cleared you can see the loch (Loch Ness) and Fort Augustus.



This is using the camera’s zoom to get a shot of Fort Augustus Abbey.


I didn’t want to go into Fort Augustus but needed to get something to eat for the afternoon. I parked the scooter by the canal. The place was heaving especially with Chinese. It was more like Shanghai than a Scottish village.

I managed to get an expensive can of Coke and a Cadbury’s Dairymilk.



It was good to get away from Fort Augustus. For a short while I drove through drizzle but didn’t get too wet. Going down the Great Glen was slow going with holiday vehicles. I stopped very quickly by the Commando Monument. Again lots of people.




And reached Spean Bridge  where you branch East to go up the Laggan road by Glen Spean.



Things got quieter. It is a lovely road through to Newtonmore. I stopped a wee bit up the road to eat by the River Spean not to far before Loch Laggan.



The track to Corrour starts here. As a young man doing hill walking I’d often read of Corrour Bothy and it was on my plans. My plans as an older man are different!



Loch Laggan starting to show.



I scrambled down a steep bank to get to the shore.


Ardverikie is showing on the other side of the Loch.


The camera can zoom in so well.


I headed up past Kinloch Laggan and up to Newtonmore. Then it was on to Kingussie where I branched on the road out to Ruthven. Before getting out of Kingussie we had to stop for a train.



This is Ruthven Barracks just outside Kingussie.

Ruthven Barracks were built by George II’s government in the early 1700s after the failed Jacobite uprising of 1715. The troops stationed there were to maintain law and order and enforce the Disarming Act of 1716.

The barracks saw action twice. A 300-strong Jacobite attack failed to take the barracks in 1745, but a more heavily-armed attack the next year forced the barracks’ surrender. The Jacobites rallied here after their defeat at Culloden before conceding.







I took the Glen Feshie road to Aviemore trying to avoid the busy A9. I then took the old A9 road to Carrbridge. I hoped to find a chip shop but no such luck. I did take a picture of the old bridge.

Carrbridge’s most famous landmark is the old packhorse bridge, from which the village is named. The bridge, built in 1717, is the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands. It was severely damaged in the “muckle spate” of 1829 which left it in the condition seen today.



Still trying to avoid the A9 I managed to follow the old A9 to Slochd. It was then onto the A9 and holding the traffic back to 40 – 45 mph. Oh the shame. But a couple of miles further I branched off to Tomatin. This is the railway viaduct at Tomatin.



But I had to go back on the A9. The Satnav should have taken me off it again but didn’t! Must have got my route plan wrong. So I had to use the A9. Thankfully most of it was dual carriageway so I didn’t impede the traffic. Drumossie Brae was interesting. The scooter hit 62 mph the fastest it has ever gone. Both speedometer and tachometer were in the red range. It was just a bit frightening!

I went to Tesco at Inshes to get something to eat for my tea and to fill up with petrol. I then crossed onto the Black Isle and went by Drumsmittal. I went to the right at my old school and up to the wood with the car-park for Ord Hill. It was busy but its where I had my tea.




Then onto Munlochy and this time I took the route by Mount Eagle. This is Munlochy Bay. My MacIntosh ancestor had a pinnace which they sailed there according to Hector Grigor. That must have been when they farmed Bennetsfield. Before that they farmed at Auchterflow.




And then it was over the Black Isle to Culbokie where I stopped to take a couple of pictures.




And got home about 7.40. Another good day.