A scooter journey to Ardgour and Loch Eil via the Corran Ferry (228 miles).
Billy and I went on a bit of a longer journey than is comfortable for us old guys. But we are men! We are heroes! We traveled on some roads that were new to Billy but also roads I have not done on two wheels. These are getting harder to find near home!
Billy came down for 9.30 but we didn’t leave till near 10.00. I let him see my old BSA C15 running. We first headed by the Old Evanton Road to Dingwall and to Tesco. We bought our picnics and also filled up with petrol. We headed by Maryburgh, Conon Bridge, Muir of Ord and Beauly onto the Culnakirk. Here we stopped to rest and have a picnic. What a beautiful morning!
We headed through a very busy Drumnadrochit and then had another break beside Loch Ness.
We came down by Loch Ness to Fort Augustus. A wee bit further on we stopped at Bridge of Oich at the head of Loch Oich.
After Bridge of Oich we continued down the Great Glen, past Loch Lochy ( a great name for a loch!) and onto Fort William. We filled up again with petrol at Morrisons. Fort William was very busy with holiday-makers. We then headed towards Corran but before there stopped by the side of Loch Linnhe and had our lunch. It was a bit cooler here.
After lunch we headed for Corran where we caught the ferry over to Ardgour. This is a most efficient service run by (surprisingly) Highland Council. It made the day that bit more exciting taking a ferry.
Over to Ardgour. I believe our great, great grandmother, Margaret Hope Maclean, came from Ardgour. It’s a very small, quiet, pretty place. We turned right after coming off the ferry to go back up the other side of Loch Linnhe. Most of the other vehicles went left.
It is a lovely run up the loch and we stopped at Camusnagaul across from Fort William. Ben Nevis is in the clouds behind it.
Looking over to Caol and Corpach.
As the sea inlet bends by 90° and heads West it changes from Loch Linnhe and becomes Loch Eil. We followed the road down to Kinlocheil at the head of the loch. Kinlocheil is where we spent some lovely holidays in Auntie Rene and Morag’s wee tin house. It has sadly been demolished and replaced by a brick and mortar building.
We came back up the other side of Loch Eil to Corpach and went down to Corpach Basin. We had a wander round seeing boats going through a lock. We had another picnic here.
At Banavie we took the Gairlochy road to take us to the Commando monument after Spean Bridge. This is a smashing single track road though there was a bit of traffic on it. We got held up at the swing bridge over the canal at Gairlochy as a boat went through.
We stopped for a quick look at the Commando monument. It is quite a sculpture. Billy remarked on the huge size of the commando’s hands!
We then went back up the Great Glen, past Loch Lochy, and were stopped again at a swing bridge, this time at Laggan Bridge.
Then again we were stopped at Bridge of Oich. The Caledonian Canal is busy this time of year. So is the road.
But we came to Fort Augustus and ordered chip suppers – Billy had fish and chips and I had Scotch pie and chips.
We took our chip-suppers to the head of Loch Ness, at the start of the Dores road. We had this to ourselves for most of the time. A nice French family came and I helped them take photos of all three together. What a view to have while you eat your chips.
We stopped here at Stronelairg because we are old men. I had just drunk a can of Pepsi!
And then we stopped just a little bit further on at the Suidhe viewpoint. We walked a little bit along the Great Glen Way to get photos from higher up.
The evening was coming down so we had to make progress so we went onto Dores, then through Inverness and over the Kessock Bridge and then stopped for a wee rest at North Kessock.
We crossed the Black Isle by Mount Eagle and down to Findon and then stopped again once we had crossed the Cromarty Bridge.
It was then a short section of the A9 and along to Evanton. After this we went onto the Struie road and parted at Aultnamain at the entrance to the windfarm. It was getting darkish. We didn’t hang about as the midges were devouring us.
As I turned back and left Billy it started to rain! I could hardly believe it. I arrived home at about 9.40 a bit tired. Another lovely day with my ‘bro’.