Wednesday 18th February 2026
A walk to Loch Morie and back (14.3 miles)
I have been meaning to do this walk at some point over the winter but chickened out as it is a long one!
I left the house at 10.20 on a bitterly cold morning (-6.1°C). There had been a light fall of snow on Monday night.
Snowdrops are showing in our garden.
Going up to Moultavie.
A mile from the house, just above the Fyrish car park, is this fantastic view down to the Cromarty Firth
At about 1.7 miles from home is this waterfall. It is not showing well in the picture.
A little further Beinn Tharsuinn shows where the forest has been cut down.
At 2.6 miles from the house is this bridge which has been in this state since pre-COVID. Good old Highland Council. It is supported on one side by scaffolding!
The view from Lealty Brae.
The top of Lealty Brae is the highest point on the walk.
Looking into Strathrusdale from Lealty Lodge.
The old school at Boath ahead.
Meall Mor is showing ahead with all the snow on it.
This is the end of the public road at 5.1 miles from the house at Ballavoulen.
The roads are not salted from now on.
The Averon River. This is where we celebrated Mairi’s birthday during COVID. We met (illegally) at the top of the road and walked to Loch Morie. Our government were doing worse.
Mairi had been on her own for two months!
This has all changed with the tree harvesting. That is Meall Mor ahead. You could never see it before as the forest was so dense.
When Anne and I moved to Contullich in August ’83 the public road came to here. That was the car park and turning point.
That is the remains of the old fence and gate posts. There was a wrought iron gate at this point. Life is all change and I don’t like it.
The old end of the road is 6.9 miles from the house.
This is what the whole of the last section used to be like.
I came down to the loch at 12.40 and took a few pictures.
The wind was so cold I took shelter in the wood with still a little bit of view.
There is nothing like a wee picnic after a bit of a walk!
It was then just a matter of retracing my way back home. I left here a 1.00 and reached home at 3.20.
A month today I am 71. I am glad to see the old man can still do it. What a lovely way to spend a day.