Tags
Clachnaharry, Dochgarroch Loch, Foyers, Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Muirtown Basin, Muirtown Locks, osprey, Ros Crana, Urquhart Castle
Monday 19th June. We had to set off a a very precise time today, as there would only be a ten minute slot, from 9.10 am, when the Clachnaharry swing bridge would be open. Road traffic priority!
I had been assiduously checking the weather forecast for days before the start of the cruise, and consistently Monday was to offer us the worst conditions. As someone who tends to be a fair weather walker, I had pretty well decided that I wouldn’t get off Ros Crana all day. And I didn’t, well almost.
But two got off to cycle with Bryony to cycle and three to walk with Trevor to the next lock.
The walkers set off.
The bikers prepared.
Two swing bridges followed, Tomnahurich and Torvean. I can’t remember which this is.
Those of us remaining on board enjoyed tranquil cruising. This was the main reason for my doing the trip.
After quite a while we passed Linda, Kate, Wendy and Trevor.
Rich and Nick (and Bryony) were waiting for us.
At this point I asked if I could take a photo of Liz ‘in your natural habitat’. Neil overheard this and made some rude comment, adding that it was a wildlife cruise after all.
We moored up just past the lock and had lunch there. But first I did actually get off and walk back a couple of hundred yards, to meet the arriving walkers.
We watched a rather beautiful catamaran leave the lock. Later we saw that it was registered in the Seychelles, and smaller flags led us to assume that – probably – it had called in at the Yemen, Tanzania, Norway and somewhere else I forget. [Companions, please correct/tell me in the comments if you remember!] (Later edit: I’m pretty sure it was Germany.)
That sun soon disappeared – though I confess there was not nearly as much rain as I had anticipated from the forecast.
We slowed down to near stop to watch an osprey’s nest.
We’d been along the small Loch Dochfour and were now on Loch Ness. We approached Urquhart Castle, that icon of Scottish lochs, and saw some brave sailboarders.
We arrived at Foyers, still on Loch Ness, where we moored up for the night.
Most went out for a walk before dinner. I didn’t. Perhaps I should have done. Among other things they saw a female red-breasted merganser, of which Wendy took this photo.
Link to The Great Glen – 4