Woke up this morning to a glorious day in Fort Augustus, which means the sun is shining and the summits of the high mountains and ridges can be seen clearly. We continued our southwestward sail on the Caledonian Canal. We saw the lovely old road bridge at Moy and the last swing bridge still operated by hand crank.
Our naturalist Ian Bullock gave an entertaining presentation about the Loch Ness Monster. He read a few of the over 100 eye-witness accounts and shed some light on the possibilities of Nessie really existing. Some are obviously hoaxes but there a few that seem to defy scientific explanation. What could lurk in the deep, peaty waters of Britain’s deepest loch?
Ben Nevis, the U.K’s highest mountain, came into view with a few snowfields still lingering on its northeast slopes. Amazingly, the mountain was privately owned until 2000, when the John Muir Trust purchased it and designated it a public park.
Upon arriving at Neptune’s Staircase in Banavie, a series of eight locks in a row, we boarded a coach for the short drive to Glenfinnan, where Bonnie Prince Charlie had arrived in Scotland and eventually left Scotland in his failed attempt to retake the throne in 1746. It is also here that a spectacular viaduct was built by the West Highland Line Railroad to connect Fort William with Mallaig. The viaduct has become internationally famous with its appearance in the Harry Potter movies, where the film’s characters are riding a steam train on their way to Hogwarts. Just by chance, the Jacobite steam train passed over the viaduct during our visit.
Here we split into a hiking group and a more leisurely bus group, with both meeting at the Glenfinnan train station for the short scenic train ride back to the canal, where Lord of the Glens was waiting at Corpach. Corpach is the southwestern terminus of the Caledonian Canal at the head of Loch Linnhe.
After dinner we had a special treat when the musical group Peat Reek arrived and entertained us with traditional Highland songs. During their performance, clouds rolled in and misty weather ruled the night.
