“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move…”
– Robert Louis Stevenson

Welcome whimsy-seekers! Care to cultivate your curiosity with me?

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and I’ve got a lot of new adventures to tell you about! First, let’s explore Scotland together along the Great Glen Way. 

The whole hike from Fort William to Inverness is about 129 km (80 miles). My friend and hiking partner, Nikki, and I were set to hike it all in 6 days. The Great Glen Way is a gorgeous hike that took us along the lochs of northern Scotland, in and out of moss-covered forests and right alongside Nessie’s watery stomping grounds. The hike was fairly level throughout with the highest point being only 434 m, though some of the ascents we still found to be fairly taxing. Even still, I’d say this hike is a great entry-level hike for anyone who is ready for their first long-distance hiking experience. Our itinerary was put together by a phenomenal travel agency and my place of employment (I’m not biased, just honest!) Pygmy Elephant. 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my summary of this fantastic trip through the beautiful Scottish scenery!

---

Day 1 – 16 May – Glasgow Airport to Fort William

We landed in Glasgow, tired and stiff from the long flight, but excited to see the city and get some quality food.

Getting from the airport to the main city was quick and simple; right outside the airport we found signs pointing us to the City Link buses which were running about every half hour to the city center where stands the Queen’s Street Station. Once near the train station, we had a little bit of time to kill before our scheduled train ride, so we decided to walk around a bit and grab some food.

The Citizen was a great restaurant to stop in for delicious food and drinks, conveniently located near the train station so we could take our time and hop on the train as soon as we were ready. (When I say, “their chips” – fries for the Americans here – “are perfect” I mean they had the best crisp, perfectly salted, just drooling as I write this! So good!)

If you have opportunity, I highly recommend taking a train! There are tons of gorgeous views, and it’s a comfortable, simple way to travel a long distance. We booked our tickets in advance, and simply claimed them at the ticket booth with a confirmation code, then hopped on our 4-hour train ride to Fort William.

Due to the timing of our flight, there was only one train left for the day. We arrived to our accommodation for the night around 10pm, ready for some much-needed sleep. We stayed at the Nevis Bank Inn, a charming hotel just a 10 minute walk from the train station.  

---

Day 2 – 17 May – Hiking Fort William to Gairlochy + Spean Bridge

Distance: 16.8 km
Ascent: 88 m
Descent: 63 m
Max Elevation: 36 m
Min Elevation: 1 m

Our first day on the trail was a success! Despite the fatigue, we recognized the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day, which gave us confidence for the road ahead. We learned quickly to spot the Great Glen Way route markers: beautiful sky blue posts with a black thistle carved into the top of the post.

The ruins of the Inverlochy Castle can be found early on along this route. It’s just a few steps off the trail right before a metal bridge, and it’s worth a quick visit. The majority of our walk for the day was a level, gravel path along the canal. We walked comfortably in the shade of the trees on our right with gorgeous yellow flowers lining the rippling waters to our left.

When we reached Neptune’s Staircase, there was a lovely little café on the opposite side of the canal with cold drinks, snacks, and bathrooms. The café is part of the Moorings Hotel, and it’s easy to spot. We grabbed ourselves some ice cold, refreshing Ginger Ale, then we set off again.

There were some interesting dilapidated ships along the route. We weren’t sure what the story was behind them, but we thought they made for neat pictures!

Once we were a good distance in, we found some wee lambs on the opposite side of the canal and decided to stop for lunch there. One of the many joys of hiking the route during the springtime is seeing all the baby lambs, highland coos, and seeing the vibrant hues of the freshly-bloomed flowers painting the hills and pathways. There are so many bright colors and beautiful views in the springtime.

At the end of the day’s hike, there is a clear sign that says “Gairlochy” near a picnic table and a neat red telephone booth. This is where we were picked up by Lucy, our hostess for the night, and taken to her stunning B&B in Spean Bridge.

While we made it through our first day of hiking just fine, I definitely recognized the extent to which my rather sedentary lifestyle had affected me. My feet, calves, just about every muscle in my legs incessantly seized as we hiked. Guess if you live and work in your home and don’t get a lot of time to move around, your muscles start to atrophy. Imagine that!

Friendly PSA to all my fellow “desk job physiques” out there – maybe just do some long walks in your neighborhood before you head out on a multi-day hike.

Tirindrish B&B was such a gorgeous, welcoming environment! James and Lucy are kind, friendly, and so accommodating. Lucy is a painter, too, and her beautiful artwork brings a sense of wonder to each of the rooms. They let us meet their sweet pups, and beautiful outdoor cat! They even had one of my favorite books, The Princess Bride, on the bookshelf!

Spean Bridge is a rather small town, with an itty-bitty convenience store, and one good restaurant. Seeing as it is about the only place in Spean Bridge to eat at, you do need to make a reservation. The Old Station Restaurant did have some delicious food, however, fully making up for lack of choice with great quality! Quality over quantity, as they say.

While there, my friend and hiking partner, Nikki, and I decided we needed to try their sticky toffee pudding. Nikki and I are pretty much obsessed with sticky toffee pudding, so we decided to get it every chance we could to compare and contrast, approaching this very scientifically! …and, also, because we wanted a lot of it. Can you really blame us? It’s not easy to find back in the states. That being said, in both of our opinions, the Old Station’s was the best sticky toffee pudding we had on our entire trip. So, be sure to get dessert at the Old Station Restaurant.

---

Day 3 – 18 May – Hiking Gairlochy to Invergarry

Distance: 27.2 km
Ascent: 628 m
Descent: 607 m
Max Elevation: 142 m
Min Elevation: 28 m

This day’s hike was so beautiful! The hike felt a bit more intense considering how easy the day before had been. However, the inclines were pretty steady, not anything to fuss over. It might have also felt longer because we missed our lunch stop(s).

We had planned to stop at the Eagle Barge Inn, which is a neat restaurant in a boat sitting on the canal. It was a good distance into the trek, so it took a bit to get there. What we didn’t know was that the restaurant closed at 3pm – which was just about exactly when we had arrived. We were told that there was another, newer, restaurant at the Great Glen Hostel just a little ways further up and off the path. So, after a quick soda at the Eagle Barge, we decided to push on until the next lunch stop, The Farmhouse Kitchen. As it turns out, they had also closed at 3pm. Quite fortunate that we had brought granola bars; always pack some snacks for your hikes. The Great Glen Hostel did also have some snacks for purchase, which we took advantage of to satiate our hunger before continuing on.

The views of Loch Lochy were beautiful along this trail, with lots of yellow gorse to brighten the scenery. Gorse is such a unique plant. During the cooler months, it is a spiny, unwelcoming bush that scratches at you from the edges of the path. Then, suddenly, spring brings in an inviting warmth that causes the gorse to blossom into vibrant yellow flowers, bringing the trails to life. It was really fascinating to see this plant that I had only known as dried out and pokey bloom into a beautiful bunch of flowers – I didn’t recognize that it was the same plant at first. There was even a little bumble-butt in these photos!

There were good portions of this trail in the sun, so I got a bit sunburned this day. Very windy, as well, which kept us cool and made it hard to tell how much sunburn I was getting. We also passed a patch of highly annoying flies and we were so glad we had our bug nets with us! I must say, bug nets are super worth having with you.

Right along the trial, we noticed a carved bear statue with a backpack, a great opportunity for a cute photo. A little past it off the trail down the hill was another bear carving next to a conveniently-placed outhouse. Definitely need your own toilet paper and sanitizer for this one, but a helpful stop none-the-less.

The Invergarry Hotel is a gorgeous stone building across a bridge, sitting along the rushing waters. Dinner was open until 8pm, so despite our missed lunch, we were sure to have a delicious dinner with a cold, bubbly Kopparberg cider. This hotel was in a bit of a dead zone; Wi-Fi was scarce at best, and cell service was non-existent at this hotel. We took this as a sign we needed to head to bed early and get some extra sleep.

---

Day 4 – 19 May – Hiking Invergarry to Invermoriston

Distance: 25.6 km
Ascent: 751 m
Descent: 756 m
Max Elevation: 320 m
Min Elevation: 17 m

Breakfast at Invergarry was delicious! They also had these delicious sweet treats in the room for us that we took along for trail snacks!

We felt the hike on this day was a more difficult one. The start wasn’t too bad, but the end was much more intense than we expected. Not to mention we were already hurting a bit, seeing as it was the third day of hiking. Considering the length and overall incline of the hike, this was probably the hardest hike on the trip in our opinion.

Kytra Lock is a decent place to stop for a quick lunch. There are benches to sit at and outhouses for those in need. We even made a friend – an adorable grey and orange sparrowhawk bird that came right up to us, clearly accustomed to being fed by those using this location for lunch breaks.

Along the path today, I found a rock that looked like the symbol that Gandalf carves into Bilbo’s door in the Hobbit – or an F, if you’re feeling less imaginative. So, I had to include it for all my nerdy friends out there!

About halfway through the trek, we came up to the town of Fort Augustus, a good spot for food, drinks, and a bathroom. It is a little before the major ascent for the day, so we felt it was worth taking a quick breather. The gelato was delicious, and helped to energize us before the long climb ahead!

The second half of the hike along the high route involved a lot of undulation. Unfortunately, right as we were starting into the large climbs for the day, Nikki got injured. We suspected that she tore something in her knee, and she even heard a pop when it happened. She was amazing – despite the pain, she pushed on and ultimately we made it to the end of the hike. God was looking out for us and sent some deer to comfort us just as it was getting particularly difficult. God has used deer to tell me He is with me in some of the most difficult moments in my life, and He was there again for us on this day.

Towards the end of this hike, there was a section that we felt was a particularly steep descent right along a fairly precarious edge of a hill. That may have just been our personal opinions, and may have been a perspective influenced by our experiences for the day – hiking a steady downhill on an injured knee is no small feat.

In my opinion, this day had some of the best views of the hike and the most variety in landscapes.

When we realized the hike was going to take us a while longer to complete, we called our lovely Pygmy Elephant friends and they were able to contact the hotel and ensure we wouldn’t miss our check in. Ailsa, the manager at the Glenmoriston Hotel, saved out some pasta for us that she reheated as soon as we got there and they even brought our bags up to the room for us. Ailsa also arranged a taxi for Nikki for the next day. They were incredibly thoughtful and we couldn’t thank them enough!

---

Day 5 – 20 May – Hiking Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit

Distance: 22.6 km
Ascent: 767 m
Descent: 780 m
Max Elevation: 423 m
Min Elevation: 29 m

I had an amazing breakfast at Glenmoriston Hotel! They had caramelized bananas over waffles with a coffee mascarpone and syrup. It made me think of my husband, who I was missing terribly, since he loves waffles, bananas, and coffee. I want to figure out how to make this for him soon, I just know he would love it!

Unfortunately, due to Nikki’s injury the day before, this meant that I was on my own from here on out – or so I thought! One of the most incredible experiences when hiking is the friendliness and comradery of the other hikers on the trail. Well, not long into the day, I made some friends on the trail.

First, I befriended a man from France. He was hiking the opposite direction of me, but stopped to chat for a moment and we laughed about how we both work desk jobs and liked to use our cameras as an excuse to rest for a moment. (Oh, I’m just taking a picture! – but I’m definitely gasping for breath). This hike included quite an intense climb right out the gate, so I had to take lots of …pictures.

Towards the end of the hike, I met four lovely people from Connecticut! They were all so nice and really fun to chat with. For me, it helps to talk to people while hiking to distract me from soreness and make the hike more enjoyable. It was really neat to hear about all their travels and relate on our adventurous spirits.

Overall, the hike had some pretty intense incline, which was a bit tough on my sore muscles. I took it slow and eventually the incline calmed down a bit which meant I could make up some time on the declines.

There is a neat sculpture on the early portion of the trail called the Viewcatcher. When I got there, I stopped for some photos and took my obligatory selfies. While there was still a good amount of ascent after the Viewcatcher, I felt the worst of it was over.

When I got back, Nikki had gotten an MRI, a knee brace, and a good bit of rest.

The Loch Ness Drumnadrochit Hotel was a nice hotel right next to the Loch Ness Centre, a neat museum that tells the history of Loch Ness and explores the legend of the beloved Nessie. I loved the wallpaper in the hotel room, so I had to share. Not to mention, their burgers were amazing and just what I needed after the taxing hike of the day! We, of course, enjoyed some sticky toffee pudding here, too.

---

Day 6 – 21 May – Hiking Abriachan Café to Drumnadrochit

Distance: 13.8 km
Ascent: 220 m
Descent: 504 m
Max Elevation: 434 m
Min Elevation: 23 m

I wanted a more homey breakfast on this morning, and one of my go-to, favorite breakfasts at home is scrambled eggs on toast. This was exactly what I wanted to start my day!

The views on this part of the trek were gorgeous! This was probably my second favorite hiking day in terms of the scenery.

Also, fancy that, I got to meet up with the Connecticut group I had befriended the day before! We were literally getting out of our separate shuttle transfers at the same time. Quite fortuitous! They asked if I wanted to join them for the hike, took me under their wings, and I was so grateful for their company. We even stopped for a tea and coffee break and Kim was kind enough to share her chai with me. While I’ve always enjoyed chai, I have been hooked on it ever since! Kim, if you read this, thank you so much for sharing your tea with me!

Paul, Kim, Stewart, and Maggie, I am so grateful for our hikes together! Thank you for keeping me company, sharing food with me, and just being so welcoming! It made a huge difference for me and my enjoyment of this trip after Nikki’s injury.

We decided to take the high route that led us to the highest point on the Great Glen Way – 434 m. It added a little elevation to the original hike, but was about the same distance and we felt it was worth it. The trek had gorgeous views with Loch Ness, sheep, beautiful gorse, and the Urquhart Castle in the distance.

When I got back, Nikki and I discussed our adventures. She had gone next door to enjoy the Nessie exhibit and found a neat spot for a gin tasting – seems to me a good way to spend the day on one leg!

The Loch Ness Travel transfer company manager, Russell, was super kind and helpful! After hearing about what happened with Nikki’s knee, he went out of his way to take us to the pharmacy so that we could get some aspirin for Nikki and some aloe for my sunburns. This was super needed, as getting to the pharmacy would have been a difficult walk on Nikki’s injury, and we were so grateful for his help.

After getting our meds, Russell dropped us off at the Fiddler’s Loch Ness Restaurant for a nice dinner and some drinks. While we waited for our reservation time, we started our drinking at the Loch Ness Craft right next door. Then, at dinner, we each enjoyed a flight of whiskey! The food, dessert, and drinks were all delicious!

---

Day 7 – 22 May – Hiking Abriachan Café to Inverness

Distance: 18.1 km
Ascent: 96 m
Descent: 386 m
Max Elevation: 339 m
Min Elevation: 6 m

I was able to meet up with my Connecticut friends one last time for the final hike into Inverness! The weather was a little bit cooler for the day, which was nice since I was wearing long sleeves to protect myself from the sun.

The hike was pretty easy on this day. We started out on a paved road for about 2.5 miles, so I was very thankful for some shoe inserts I had grabbed back in Fort Augustus. The solid, paved roads tend to be more painful on the soles of my feet, so the inserts helped to cushion and hold up the arches a bit better. Once we got onto the gravel path, the sides of the trail were filled with gorse. The gorse smelled sweet in bloom. The trail was a lot less shaded on this day, so I was glad for the clouds and long sleeves.

There was a lot of hiking through the town as we got into Inverness, and I found it a little harder to find the trail markers for the first time on the trek. I didn’t have a problem navigating, though, with the route being clearly marked on my Gaia GPS app – a Pygmy perk which is quite the lifeline on the trails!

At the end of the day, I had to split off from the group, since their hotel was on the west side of River Ness. I was a bit sad to leave my Connecticut friends. I don’t know if I will ever see them again, but I’m so glad for the time I had with them!

After saying our goodbyes, I had a bit further to walk. There were some beautiful, white walking bridges that led me from the west side of the river, onto the little Ness Islands, and then on to the east side. I even stepped off the trail at one point to dip my hands into the cool River Ness waters. I wanted to put my feet in Loch Ness, but never ended up having a chance to, so River Ness felt like the next best thing – same waters.

When I was there, the Inverness Castle was closed for renovations as they’re turning it into a museum. Due to the construction, the new final marker of the Great Glen Way was just a tiny bit further up the road near the Castle Tavern.

The architecture is so beautiful in Inverness. There’s a neat museum, and tons of restaurants, coffee shops, and gift shops in the city. I met up with Nikki at the museum where she had been exploring, and we walked to a coffee shop for a quick caffeine hit before meeting up with our taxi at the Inverness Cathedral. We didn’t end up going inside the cathedral, but the architecture was stunning and we were sure to take some pictures from the outside before we left.

When we got to the Kingsmills Hotel, we were so impressed with the welcoming staff. We’ve noticed that both times we’ve travelled to Scotland, everyone has been so kind and more than accommodating. In fact, one of the staff at Kingsmills was talking to us, and told us that it’s because customer service is so important to them. He said that they take pride in Scotland and in making sure that all travelers have a good experience. We could feel how much everyone truly cared and I think that showed so clearly on this trip. James and Lucy at Tirindrish taking time out of their day to talk with us and let us meet their dogs. Ailsa at Glenmoriston saving out food on our late arrival and the staff getting our bags up to our room. Russel with Loch Ness Travel going out of his way to get us to the pharmacy. All the staff at each hotel checking on us and asking how Nikki was feeling, how they could help. This being my second time in Scotland, I can honestly say it is the most welcoming, beautiful, inspiring and whimsical land I’ve ever stepped foot in. I love Scotland!

Kingsmills is such a beautiful hotel! It was definitely the fanciest hotel we stayed at on this trip, and a wonderful way to treat ourselves at the end of our adventure! The rooms were spacious with a beautiful bathroom that had a waterfall shower head! A dream come true. The staff here were lovely and the food was delicious. They even had fancy-shaped butter. I highly recommend the Highland Mist drink; it was refreshing, slightly tart, and I really enjoyed it. We also got ourselves a cheese plate and wine as a little send-off for our last night in Scotland.

---

Day 8 – 23 May – Exploring Inverness, then on to Glasgow Airport

The weather had been perfect all week! Someone on the trails had even said that this was the best consecutive weather in May that Scotland has had since 1964! (I did not fact check this.) We brought it up to a few of the locals while we were there, and everyone said they figured that sounded about right. Scotland is known for rainy weather, and we were quite fortunate to get perfect, mildly warm, sunny days the entire week!

Kingsmills had a delicious breakfast buffet, coffee, tea. It was all very tasty!

As we work with these hotels at Pygmy Elephant, we got to meet with Tracey, the Sales Manager of Kingsmills, and get a tour of all their beautiful rooms and gardens. She was so kind, got us some water, made sure our bags were taken care of, brought us over to Ness Walk, their other hotel in Inverness, and even set us up with an afternoon tea! Not to mention, she made sure our transfer was all set to get us to the train station in the afternoon. Just more of that amazing Scottish hospitality! It was such a lovely morning!

Tracey, if you read this, thank you so much for the wonderful care you took to make sure we had everything we needed! I also noticed how you checked in with all the staff as we toured, knew everyone by name, and everyone seemed so happy to see you. It just seems like a really great team.

Ness Walk is a gorgeous 5-star hotel with a kind staff and their afternoon tea was so tasty and beautiful!

After a wonderful morning, we got our last looks at Scotland on the train back to Glasgow, and said goodbye to the country we have grown to love as a second home.

Thank you so much for this incredible journey, Pygmy Elephant!

---

Thanks for reading! Now, get out there for yourself and see what whimsy each journey holds; explore ever more!

Sincerely,

Elyse Evermore