RLS3- morvern - the coe

 

I had put ear plugs in before getting to sleep in the tent due to the noise of the wind, this wind also whistle under the tent outer and through the lightweight flynet (there’s always a price to pay for lightweight) this was a cold wind, I went to sleep well wrapped up taking care to also place a windproof layer on top of my down, as the wind seems to blow your heat away if you don’t, I tossed and turned throughout the night but was comfortable enough to the extent I did not want to get out of bed at 08:00, especially as the forecast wind and rain was upon me, I knew once out of this tent I was going to be hosed on by cold rain for the rest of that day,

               Deciding before even starting to walk that if an opportunity for some motorized transport to the ferry presented itself I would take it, I even decided I would try a bit of hitchhiking at appropriate vehicles, marching with full waterproofs on and a three stone backpack also gets a sweat up its impossible to stay dry, I wanted to walk slow enough to not sweat much try opening some vents in the jacket to let air in but not water(no chance) while walking on a single track road stopping regularly to let cars vans trucks pass

          

     I’ve hitchhiked before in new Zealand and America but this was a first in Scotland I didn’t like doing it and had a secret wish that a public bus would pass that I could jump on and pay for my journey, I had set off with the mindset that if the right vehicle approached I would stick a thumb out, age and experience teaches you that certain cars will not stop you can generally tell a lot about someone by the vehicle they drive, also being single track road most cars slow down enough when passing that you see who is driving if it’s a female I wouldn’t put a thumb out. The cars coming towards me were no good as they were headed in the wrong direction obviously, but when I heard something approach from behind, I would stand aside and scan the vehicle assessing if it were worth a thumb out chance? Its never an easy thing for the hitcher or the potential hikers savior but even worse in these times of a pandemic my chances would be slim I felt, once was a time people in company vans and cars were a good option looking to break the monotony of a working day but these days company’s frown on such activities and insurance companies, people would not only be worried about there personal safety (picking up a nut) their health in times of covid their jobs if the boss found out and potential loss of insurance for having a hitcher as a passenger, weighing these up against some poor drenched wretch the likely hood was I was walking the full twenty mile to the ferry in the rain,

               After walking for an hour or two I heard a vehicle approach from behind I had been passed plenty times by then and half heartedly had stuck my thumb out at a couple of vehicles I felt hopeful of, when I turned to the side poles out pack away from the road and scanned this vehicle it was a bus one of those small highland converted minibuses with an official number on it and a sign saying fort William, it was the local sheils bus group heading to the ferry! I stuck my thumb out he looked at me thanked me for what I can only think was me moving aside and drove on!! I frantically waved at the disappearing bus both poles in the air! TWAT this got me down for a bit for the next half hour, then I walked passed some woods with a stag running through, the wind was at my back at least and I had came to the brow of a hill looking down to a pleasant valley I cheered up I was lucky to be out doing this, a car approached from behind it was a 4x4 with a trailer so it had proper slowed for this hefty looking pedestrian I looked at the driver and stuck a thumb out half heartedly he stopped! Yah dancer a lift

               Lyndsay the driver turned out to be a right angel on earth, he was from langholm in the borders up here working for the fisheries, it turned out we had a lot in common and chatted non stop all the way to Ardgour, he was brilliant even giving me a cup of hot coffee out his big flask, he has done a lot of backpacking and we swapped tales from the road and discussed future planned adventures him and his wife plan to buy a boat once he has saved enough, I wished him the best of luck in this venture and thoroughly meant it good people like him deserve to get their dreams, he dropped me right at the ferry and drove off  

               The rain was proper lashing down while I waited for the short ferry journey to Corran, I took shelter in the front porch of the Inn, there was no charge for the short journey by foot passengers there was a heater on the ferry and I placed wet gloves hat and jacket on it for the short journey. This is not where the crossing would have been done in DB`s day! A planned future adventure may involve a kayak journey over where he would have gone

Once over the other side I spoke to a couple who had been staying in the what they called a hostel -The Corran motel/hostel/self-catering whatever it may be termed its stunning I must go back someday and stay here, I had a right good walk around and everything I seen made it stand out as the sort of place I love, they were full that night or I would have booked myself in, instead I walked up to the busy main road it’s the main route to fort William from the south. I felt it was worth a look at the bus timetable to glen Coe village, it was actually a blessing there was no bus for an hour as it would have been bad to have missed this next section, I walked in the pouring rain through Onich and north ballachulish. The bus stops have whisky barrel tubs with small apple trees I ate a couple as I walked, then stopped at the garage for a snack, knowing I would be at the memorial for James of the glen soon I bought a beer for my pack to have at the memorial,

          At the south side of the onich bridge you can look down into the woods where the memorial to the shooting of the red fox took place if you stick to the main roadside path the take a flight of stairs to a highpoint right at the start of the bridge here is the memorial to James of the glen as this is where he was hanged for a murder he didn’t commit and his body left hanging for 18minths guarded day and night by redcoats as a warning to all others, I raised a beer in his honor it’s a very important part in the book and on that day for the first time ever I became a Jacobite sympathizer, I may even have been pushed further in my nationalist dreams due to this prime example of injustice and planned genocide of my ancestors

               After my visit to the memorial the rain came on an extra pace my waterproofs were off the best quality but they had now wetted through, between the rain the washed spray from the passing vehicles and mini waterfalls cascading down the steep roadside walls I would have got less water standing under a shower in a bathroom,  I was hopeful of  a pint and a bowl of soup in the town bar at ballachulish, sure enough the Laroch bar and restaurant was opened they even put on the fire for me while I had two bowls of wonderful different soups and two pints, it was great o had my fleece jumper in front of the fire over a chair and had to wring it out three times and turn it even then it was still damp when I had to put it back on to look for someplace to stay,

           

    I had tried phoning around a few hotels they were mostly full the ones that weren’t were wanting crazy cash I wasn’t paying £160 for a room just for me, I walked the two miles from ballachulish to glen Coe village, hoping to find a B&B taking a look around the B&Bs most had signs up full, I phoned the clachaig they were £150 I phoned the hostels one was fully booked the other was taking previously made group bookings only, I was later to find out the camp site was also the same bookings only, there was also signs everywhere no wild camping. I took another walk-through town and came across the lovely Beachwood cottage, what a lovely place I loved the quirky garden the owner Ian liked runrig all things Scottish seemed to be a bit of a clansman and nationalist and a bonus he liked whisky and star trek plenty in common I liked their place and bought a bottle of their whisky,

               Ian put my wet kit in his drying room I had a hot shower and put on some dry clothes borrowed their umbrella and went out to the Glencoe gathering restaurant and bar, there was no seating available I had to order fish and chips as a take away but could sit for a beer downstairs while I waited on my order this I done, I ate the delicious fish and chips sitting ion a bus shelter with my fingers watching the world wiz by this was the life   

 once back in my spacious room I had planning to do with my damp books and maps I had all my devices charged the rain had got into one bag of books and maps slightly the other bag was fine, the kidnapped journey around this area is extremely tricky to follow I had a lot of trouble working out just exactly what I had done that day as per DB`s route, which way should I go the next day it was all a bit up and down and round abouts not a linear route at all due to the murder and the chase.

This section covers the murder scene and the start of the "flight in the heather" through Glencoe.

Here is the crux of the book when David Balfour is accused of being involved in the murder and has to flee for his life from the Redcoats. Allan Breck meets up with David on the hillside and the pair head off into the back of Glencoe to warn the folk there. Then they are almost caught at Signal Rock before hiding out in Coire na Ciche (where the real Allan Breck had also hid at the time).The route then follows the road to Kinlochleven before heading to Rannoch Moor.