A short walk in the west...

 

'Before'

Glen Quoich

Camp 2

Walking along Loch Hourn

Golden ringed dragonfly

View from the Mam Barrisdale

Heath spotted orchid on the Mam Barrisdale

Group approaching the Mam Barrisdale

Boat home from Inverie

 I've spent the last few days walking from Laggan Lochs to Inverie on Knoydart assessing a Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme group from The Glasgow Academy. I was looking forward to an opportunity to stretch my legs shadowing the group of 7 girls with a decent sized pack on.

The first night we were out was spent next to the River Garry after a mild day of constant drizzle. The dull weather and lack of wind brought out a veritable biblical plague of midges  that had us all diving into tents sooner rather than later. Sandy Paterson was camped with another team a short way away and I walked past his tent in the morning to find it literally caked in midges (shudder).

The team were glad their route took them away from the trees and onto higher ground in Glen Loy and Glen Quoich giving a more pleasant second night.

The third day saw us dropping to Kinloch Hourn (visiting the welcome Tea Room) in stunning sunshine before walking the rolling coastal path to Barrisdale.

The team did the maths and wanted to be certain of making their boat from Inverie so they were up at 0430(!) to start their walk. After seeing them at Mam Barrisdale I went for a walk up Luinnhe Bheinn before dropping down to the small town and a fine lunch of scallops at The Old Forge Inn.

A grand trip with deer, heron, buzzards, dragonflies and frogs, heath spotted and bog orchids galore, sunshine, rain and, of course culicoides impunctatus!

Just a few midges

What it should look like

What it looked like

Is my thermal thick enough?

Swarmed