Cape Wrath Trail - Day 3
Tomdoun to Camban Bothy
Distance 29km Climb 330m
Monday 12th April 2010
A great breakfast at Mike's Tomdoun Hotel, and I started walking very late. I took the chance and decided to go on Alex's short cut. This was to take what he said was the old road to Skye. From the hotel I walked to the junction where the phone box is and turned right to the road that headed North. The old road takes you through forest before reaching the loch side. Alex had told me the water level was low enough to cross Loch Loyne. A number of years ago Scottish Power had built a dam at the end of Loch Loyne and flooded the glen for water power. This year the water level was low due to the recently mild winters.
When I first saw the loch I thought Alex had made a mistake as the loch looked like it was full of water. It looked like I had walked an extra 4km to get there, which meant I would have to walk back 4km, a total of 8km. Not only extra km to walk but time wasted, it would be at least two hours walking just to arrive at the place I had started from. What a relief, as I got nearer to the loch side I could see the path going across, so fortunately I had nothing to worry about.
There were two bridges one on each side of a small island and although the tarmac was broken and splintered and only rocks remained, with care I got across. Once over I sat on the far side in warm sunhine and marvelled at the fantastic views, again I thought what a beautiful place, it would have been nice to stay, but the voice in my head would not let me stop too long. While I sat there I rang Tomdoun Hotel and left a message of thanks for Alex for his short cut, it had saved a lot of time and kilometres.
After crossing the loch I followed the path up a steady climb in a North Westerly direction before following it up and down through beautiful countryside. One place I had a rest I found an old penny lying in the dust with a date of 1915 on it. I thought this was funny, years ago a Scotsman, I presumed, will have lost the penny on his way either from or to Skye, and it probably would have been a lot of money then. Now here I was years later sitting by the side of the road and there it was waiting for me to pick it up.
Arriving at the main A87 road, I turned left towards the Cluanie Inn for some dinner.
I was full to bursting when I started walking again after my meal at the Cluanie Inn. To rejoin the route I had to back track along the A87 road, and move further East along the road, I passed a prominent forest block on my left and a stream that crossed under the busy road before turning left onto a track, next to Loch Cluanie. The track travelled up into the wild. It was a steep track in places heading in an almost Northerly direction, as I climbed the track I could feel the weather becoming colder and colder. The further up the track I went the more I felt good especially when I saw the large herds of wild deer, the photos do not do them justice.
The track seemed to disappear and I ended up following thin deer tracks in the general direction of my travel, this was in a Northerly direction. I continued following deer tracks and the contours and stream towards the area of the Camban Bothy. I finally turned a corner Westerly from where I could see the bothy, it was still away off and there was still a little bit of up and down before I had to cross the stream then head up a slight bank before reaching the Camban Bothy.
The weather had become overcast taking most of the light out of the sky by the time I had arrived at Camban Bothy. Due to stopping and enjoying the views and deer earlier I was later than I had wanted to be. My plan was to spend that night at Camban Bothy and I did not want to stop and make camp earlier as I had planned on covering a longer distance the next day.
At Camban Bothy I found other walkers and although they had a fire going I got the impression they did not want to share. With the light fading I pitched my tent on a flat piece of ground. This was the first lot of rations I had planned to eat and was looking forward to eating them. Not only for the food but it would also make my bag a little lighter.
I took my food into the bothy to cook. I am quite sociable and friendly and if I had been inside first I would have shared, and happy to do so. However I got the impression I was in the way. Three of the four lads were not friendly. So after I cooked my food I returned to my tent and had a good night sleep.
I had walked about 10 and a quarter hours, and covered approx 29km with 330m climb.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
If you have enjoyed reading my walk or found it useful you may also like to read other walks I have done on The Cape Wrath Trail or other areas. Please check out the links on the right hand side.
Follow link to previous - Day 2 South Laggan Locks to Tomdoun
Follow link to next - Day 4 Camban Bothy to Camas-luinie
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