Day 9
The penultimate day was approached with a bit of a sense of
relief. It felt like we really were going to complete this challenge and that
nothing was going to stop us!
We left Fort Augustus in very high spirits with memories of yesterday’s rain
very far behind us as we headed through some beautiful countryside alongside
Loch Ness and up one very steep hill indeed out of Drumnadrochit.
We kept up good pace over some huge bridges and past flocks / herds / gaggles
(whatever the plural is) of seals and arrived in record time in Helmsdale where
Jim’s rigorous planning ensured that we went straight to our lodgings and checked
in swiftly.
After relieving our hunger with award winning (Prince Charles likes them!) burgers
and a couple of pints, it was back for a final night’s ‘rest’ in the hostel next to
the biggest bank of streetlights in Northern Scotland (with only net curtains to
protect our retinas) where we were lulled to sleep by our fellow dorm-mate who could
out-snore the rest of us put together (and we can snore.)