CIRCULAR POR ESCOCIA. ETAPA 4: FORT WILLIAM - DORNIE
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 86.97 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,575 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 2,897 ft
- Max elevation
- 926 ft
- TrailRank
- 40
- Min elevation
- -118 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 11 hours 57 minutes
- Coordinates
- 4117
- Uploaded
- November 19, 2015
- Recorded
- July 2015
near Fort William, Scotland (United Kingdom)
Viewed 1392 times, downloaded 12 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Today again dawns completely covered and drizzling. At 7:45 we set off with a fog that covers everything and that prevents us from seeing the Ben Nevis, we took the road in a northeasterly direction in search of the Caledonia Canal.
Fort William and surrounding areas can not be described without reference to the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, which is normally climbed starting at Glen Nevis, just northeast of Fort William.
Ben Nevis, or Ben, as they locally call the mountain, sits proudly on the head of the Loch Linnhe and their presence dominates the landscape from any corner of Fort William, as well as, from many other areas of Lochaber.
The Caledonian Canal, Caledonian Canal, connects Inverness in the North with Corpach, in the South of Scotland. It has a route of around 100 kilometers from the northeast to the southwest. Only one third of its length is artificial while the rest is made up of Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. These lochs are part of the Great Glen, a geological fault in the earth's crust. There are 29 locks (including 8 on the Neptune Stairway, Banavie), four aqueducts and 10 bridges along the canal. It was built between 1803 and 1822.
The Great Glen or Great Glen, is a set of valleys that extend along more than 100km from Inverness, in the fjord of Moray, to Fort William, at the end of Loch Linnhe.
The Great Glen follows a line of fracture in direction NE-SO, that constitutes the call "Failure of the Great Glen", that divides the Highlands in two zones: the one of the Grampianos mounts to the southeast and the one of Inverness or Uplands proper, To the northeast.
This depression of Glen More has a series of valleys and, among them, are Loch Ness and the Canal of Caledonia. It is a natural route through the Highlands and as such is used by both the Caledonia Canal and the A82 motorway, which connect Inverness, on the east coast, with Fort William in the west. Its strategic importance to control the clans of the Highlands, especially during the revolts of the Jacobites of the eighteenth century, is recognized by the presence of settlements such as Fort William in the south, Fort Augustus in the center or Fort George in the north.
Much of the Glen is occupied by a series of lakes connected by rivers. The Caledonia Canal uses these lakes in part, but not the rivers, which are not navigable.
Our idea was to take the gravel road to the Loch Lochy, which runs along the same bank of the canal, but an error in the access makes us go by a secondary road B8004, which although it also runs parallel to the Caledonia Canal, it does it at a distance of this of about 100m. The firm asphalt is much better than the gravel road of the canal, but on the other hand it is a bit of a legbreaker with continuous ups and downs. In any case we always have it close and in sight although we do not find any access to it.
At 9.30h we arrive at the place where this stretch of the Caledonia Canal ends, to continue along the shore of Loch Lochy and Loch Oich lakes. Both are freshwater lakes with a varied and rich wildlife and with a wide variety of fauna in the form of fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals or birds.
At 10: 00h with 23km traveled we arrived at the Memorial Command, a monument dedicated to the Commandos, the special forces of the British Army, to the men who fell during the Second World War. Located one mile from Bridge Spean village, it has become one of Scotland's best known landmarks, both as a war memorial and as a tourist attraction offering spectacular views of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor, when there is no fog logically .
We continue skirting Lochy Lochy, and soon we reach a place where we can have a latte with toast. The Letterfinlay hotel, located on the shore of the lake, and with a panoramic terrace with stunning views of the nearby mountains and the lake itself.
We left the Locky Loch, and after retaking another stretch of the Caledonian Canal for a couple of kilometers, we reached the Loch Oich.
As we drive along the road that borders the shore of Lake Oich we come to a strange column, topped by seven severed stone heads, Well of seven heads that has a particularly bloody history.
It was a story between members of the MacDonald clan, the young chief of Keppoch and his brother Ranald, who were stabbed to death by their rivals within their clan. The murderers were well known, Alexander Macdonald and his six children of Inverlair. Time passed and justice was not done, until the seven murderers known (and probably more) were killed and decapitated. This column shows the heads of the seven executed.
We continue bordering Lake Oich and a kilometer ahead we find Invergarry Castle, built around 1610, was the headquarters of the MacDonells Staff of Glengarry, a powerful branch of the Donald clan, known as the Ranald clan of Knoydart and Glengarry. His situation in Creagan a Fhithich (Rock of the Raven) overlooking Lake Oich in the Great Glen, was of a strategic nature in the days of the fights of the feudal clans and Jacobite uprisings.
We leave Castle Invergarry at 12.00h with 47km traveled, and we continue circulating along the shore of Loch Oich, always enjoying magnificent views surrounded by a spectacular natural environment.
We continue rolling and arrive at the end of Lake Oich, from here we go to another section of the Caledonia Channel, specifically the one that connects Lake Oich with Loch Ness.
At the end of the Loch Oich, where the Oich River begins (which runs parallel to the Caledonia Canal), we find the magnificent bridge over the river, 46m long and consisting of two arched granite towers and a wrought iron structure. supported on the towers, the Bridge of Oich
We began to roll for a new section of the Caledonia Channel, with an uncomfortable gravel road to be something soft for the bike. As we circulate we take the canal to our right, and the Oich river to our left. The waters of the rivers that we are finding, like the torrents that come down from the mountains, have a characteristic brown color that must come from the filtering of the peat from the mountains that discharge into the rivers, and which give it a very similar appearance to beer, accentuated by the foam produced in the rapids.
At 1:00 pm we arrived at Fort Augustus. It may be that the city of Fort Augustus is small, but its location makes it one of the most touristic places in Scotland. This area has thousands of years of life, and owes its importance to its position on the main route from Fort William to Inverness. Over the years, Fort Augustus has become one of the most beautiful places in Scotland. The history of Fort Augustus begins when the abbot of Iona founds a church here in the sixth century. The city took its original name from the church, Chuimein Church. Since then, the area remained quiet, until the first Jacobin rebellions in 1715. The threat of the Jacobites meant that the situation of the city gained military and strategic importance. The first fort was built in 1715, followed by another more important one, in 1729, just where the Lovat Arms Hotel stands today. It was at this time that the city was renamed Fort Augustus. The importance in the history of the town has to do with the construction of the Caledonia Canal. Started in 1803 under the direction of Thomas Telford, it was completed 19 years later. The canal served to have a waterway from Fort William to Inverness. The arrival of the railway, which opened in 1903, had very little significance to the point that it closed a few years later. While in other parts of Britain, the railroad transformed the industry and transport, in Fort Augustus who did it was the Caledonian Canal, historical monument of the area. The center of the city is the Caledonia Canal. There is a lovely walk along both sides of the canal, plus a small visitor center.
In the rest of the town there is a second visitor center, which addresses the local history of the Highlands. Also from here you can book boat trips on Loch Ness.
We found a gas station next to the bridge that crosses the River Oich, with a supermarket, where we bought bread, fruit and drink and continued the march, now bordering the mythical Loch Ness.
Loch Ness is an extensive and deep freshwater lake that is located in the Highlands. He is best known for the myth of the Loch Ness Monster.
It extends approximately 39km southwest of Inverness. It is the largest body of water on the Great Glen fault line that runs from Inverness in the north to Fort Augustus in the south. The Caledonian Canal, which links the sea at both ends of the Great Glen, uses Loch Ness as part of its route.
This lake is part of the series of lakes in Scotland that were worked by the glaciers during the previous glaciations. Its waters have exceptionally low visibility due to the high peat content from nearby soils.
It is the second largest lake in Scotland by surface area with around 56.40km2, but due to its great depth it is the largest volume. It contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. In its deepest part, it reaches 226m.
It also functions as the lowest reservoir in the hydro-storage-pumping plan, the first of its kind in Britain. The turbines were originally used to supply power to a nearby mill, but now electricity is generated and supplied to the national grid.
In its most southwestern part, near Fort Augustus, you can see the only island of the lake. Cherry Island is an example of crannóg (artificial islands that date generally from the Iron Age).
We drive for 10km along the left bank of Loch Ness, until we reach Invermoriston, a small town with a beautiful bridge called Thomas Telford (in honor of the engineer who designed it in 1813), on the Moriston River. The waters of the river are very dark because of the peat that filters the water on all sides. From Invermoriston, we leave Loch Ness and head west following the course of the Moriston River.
A little further on we are struck by a landmark next to the road. This is the place where Roderick Mackenzie is buried. Tells the story that after the Battle of Culloden, in July 1746, the Hanoverians were chasing Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie), when they had him cornered in a cave, the Jacobite Roderick Mackenzie, posing as the Prince, got driving away the soldiers and at the cost of his life gave him time to flee. The body of Roderick Mackenzie beheaded is buried, right in the place where this landmark is located.
We continue along the quiet A87 road, until the course of the Moriston River ends to start the Loch Cluanie, which is actually a hydroelectric dam.
We practically never stop carrying water as a companion, either in the form of a river, or in the form of a lake, and almost always in the form of rain. To the west of the lake we find the village of Cluanie, which has a hotel and we can stop in the cafeteria for a coffee and shelter for a while from the water and the cold.
After getting warm with the comforting coffee, we resume the A87 and continue with the march. After a few kilometers we make another stop to admire the landscape and take some pictures.
At 6:45 pm after crossing the bridge Clachan Duich Bridge, we reach the Loch Duich, a saltwater lake with access to the sea. From now on we circulate around the same edge of the lake
We continue along the A87 by the lake shore for about 8km, under a fine rain and finally reach the impressive Eilean Donan Castle.
At the confluence of three lochs of the Highlands (the Loch Duich, the Loch Long and the Loch Alsh), a narrow stone bridge leads to a small island. There, surrounded by water, mountains and mirages, a dark fortress emerges: the Eilean Donan Castle.
We arrived around 7:20 pm and the castle received us with a typical image of the Highlands: a leaden sky, the fog crawling over the lake and the fine rain breaking the reflections.
An image recognizable by the numerous scenes that have been shot in the castle, Braveheart, The immortals or The world is never enough are some of the films in which the photogenic Eilean Donan Castle appears.
Although the strength we see today is recent, the small island of Donan has a long history. The predominant theory explains that, in the sixth century, the Irish saint Donnán settled on the island along with some of the faithful. Hence, perhaps, the name of Eilean Donan ('eilean' in Gaelic means island, 'the island of Donan').
However, the first fortification on the island was not built until 1220, taking advantage of its strategic location on the lake to defend the land from frequent Viking raids. Once the calm, the MacRae clan turned the castle into their residence, and for centuries the structure was enlarged and dwarfed according to the needs of the moment, but it was finally abandoned.
In the framework of the Jacobite uprising of 1719, after France refused to support the revolt to return the English throne to the descendants of the Stuart house, the Scots asked for help from Spain.
An expedition of 300 men from Cádiz managed to land in the Highlands, and 46 of them took the castle of Eilean Donan. The occupation soon reached the ears of the English and, a month later, the British frigates bombed the fortress until the Spaniards surrendered, and then the remains flew.
Thus, forgotten and in ruins, the story of Eilean Donan Castle would have ended if it were not for the fact that John MacRae-Gilstrap, a descendant of the MacRae clan, bought it in 1911 and began the long and romantic task of restoring it and restoring its splendor. Today, Eilean Donan is again a rough castle, more or less similar to the original, which serves as the official residence of the MacRae clan and as one of the main tourist attractions in Scotland.
And from the castle of Eilean Doyle we headed to the hotel, the Caberfeidh Guest House, a small and cozy typical Scottish house transformed into a b & b that is located about 1000 meters from the small village of Dornie. We arrive at 7:30 p.m. so soaked by the rain that the owner is placing towels on our way so that we do not wet the carpet. The room very comfortable and with a beautiful view towards the lakes and the castle of Eilean Doyle.
Fort William and surrounding areas can not be described without reference to the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, which is normally climbed starting at Glen Nevis, just northeast of Fort William.
Ben Nevis, or Ben, as they locally call the mountain, sits proudly on the head of the Loch Linnhe and their presence dominates the landscape from any corner of Fort William, as well as, from many other areas of Lochaber.
The Caledonian Canal, Caledonian Canal, connects Inverness in the North with Corpach, in the South of Scotland. It has a route of around 100 kilometers from the northeast to the southwest. Only one third of its length is artificial while the rest is made up of Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. These lochs are part of the Great Glen, a geological fault in the earth's crust. There are 29 locks (including 8 on the Neptune Stairway, Banavie), four aqueducts and 10 bridges along the canal. It was built between 1803 and 1822.
The Great Glen or Great Glen, is a set of valleys that extend along more than 100km from Inverness, in the fjord of Moray, to Fort William, at the end of Loch Linnhe.
The Great Glen follows a line of fracture in direction NE-SO, that constitutes the call "Failure of the Great Glen", that divides the Highlands in two zones: the one of the Grampianos mounts to the southeast and the one of Inverness or Uplands proper, To the northeast.
This depression of Glen More has a series of valleys and, among them, are Loch Ness and the Canal of Caledonia. It is a natural route through the Highlands and as such is used by both the Caledonia Canal and the A82 motorway, which connect Inverness, on the east coast, with Fort William in the west. Its strategic importance to control the clans of the Highlands, especially during the revolts of the Jacobites of the eighteenth century, is recognized by the presence of settlements such as Fort William in the south, Fort Augustus in the center or Fort George in the north.
Much of the Glen is occupied by a series of lakes connected by rivers. The Caledonia Canal uses these lakes in part, but not the rivers, which are not navigable.
Our idea was to take the gravel road to the Loch Lochy, which runs along the same bank of the canal, but an error in the access makes us go by a secondary road B8004, which although it also runs parallel to the Caledonia Canal, it does it at a distance of this of about 100m. The firm asphalt is much better than the gravel road of the canal, but on the other hand it is a bit of a legbreaker with continuous ups and downs. In any case we always have it close and in sight although we do not find any access to it.
At 9.30h we arrive at the place where this stretch of the Caledonia Canal ends, to continue along the shore of Loch Lochy and Loch Oich lakes. Both are freshwater lakes with a varied and rich wildlife and with a wide variety of fauna in the form of fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals or birds.
At 10: 00h with 23km traveled we arrived at the Memorial Command, a monument dedicated to the Commandos, the special forces of the British Army, to the men who fell during the Second World War. Located one mile from Bridge Spean village, it has become one of Scotland's best known landmarks, both as a war memorial and as a tourist attraction offering spectacular views of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor, when there is no fog logically .
We continue skirting Lochy Lochy, and soon we reach a place where we can have a latte with toast. The Letterfinlay hotel, located on the shore of the lake, and with a panoramic terrace with stunning views of the nearby mountains and the lake itself.
We left the Locky Loch, and after retaking another stretch of the Caledonian Canal for a couple of kilometers, we reached the Loch Oich.
As we drive along the road that borders the shore of Lake Oich we come to a strange column, topped by seven severed stone heads, Well of seven heads that has a particularly bloody history.
It was a story between members of the MacDonald clan, the young chief of Keppoch and his brother Ranald, who were stabbed to death by their rivals within their clan. The murderers were well known, Alexander Macdonald and his six children of Inverlair. Time passed and justice was not done, until the seven murderers known (and probably more) were killed and decapitated. This column shows the heads of the seven executed.
We continue bordering Lake Oich and a kilometer ahead we find Invergarry Castle, built around 1610, was the headquarters of the MacDonells Staff of Glengarry, a powerful branch of the Donald clan, known as the Ranald clan of Knoydart and Glengarry. His situation in Creagan a Fhithich (Rock of the Raven) overlooking Lake Oich in the Great Glen, was of a strategic nature in the days of the fights of the feudal clans and Jacobite uprisings.
We leave Castle Invergarry at 12.00h with 47km traveled, and we continue circulating along the shore of Loch Oich, always enjoying magnificent views surrounded by a spectacular natural environment.
We continue rolling and arrive at the end of Lake Oich, from here we go to another section of the Caledonia Channel, specifically the one that connects Lake Oich with Loch Ness.
At the end of the Loch Oich, where the Oich River begins (which runs parallel to the Caledonia Canal), we find the magnificent bridge over the river, 46m long and consisting of two arched granite towers and a wrought iron structure. supported on the towers, the Bridge of Oich
We began to roll for a new section of the Caledonia Channel, with an uncomfortable gravel road to be something soft for the bike. As we circulate we take the canal to our right, and the Oich river to our left. The waters of the rivers that we are finding, like the torrents that come down from the mountains, have a characteristic brown color that must come from the filtering of the peat from the mountains that discharge into the rivers, and which give it a very similar appearance to beer, accentuated by the foam produced in the rapids.
At 1:00 pm we arrived at Fort Augustus. It may be that the city of Fort Augustus is small, but its location makes it one of the most touristic places in Scotland. This area has thousands of years of life, and owes its importance to its position on the main route from Fort William to Inverness. Over the years, Fort Augustus has become one of the most beautiful places in Scotland. The history of Fort Augustus begins when the abbot of Iona founds a church here in the sixth century. The city took its original name from the church, Chuimein Church. Since then, the area remained quiet, until the first Jacobin rebellions in 1715. The threat of the Jacobites meant that the situation of the city gained military and strategic importance. The first fort was built in 1715, followed by another more important one, in 1729, just where the Lovat Arms Hotel stands today. It was at this time that the city was renamed Fort Augustus. The importance in the history of the town has to do with the construction of the Caledonia Canal. Started in 1803 under the direction of Thomas Telford, it was completed 19 years later. The canal served to have a waterway from Fort William to Inverness. The arrival of the railway, which opened in 1903, had very little significance to the point that it closed a few years later. While in other parts of Britain, the railroad transformed the industry and transport, in Fort Augustus who did it was the Caledonian Canal, historical monument of the area. The center of the city is the Caledonia Canal. There is a lovely walk along both sides of the canal, plus a small visitor center.
In the rest of the town there is a second visitor center, which addresses the local history of the Highlands. Also from here you can book boat trips on Loch Ness.
We found a gas station next to the bridge that crosses the River Oich, with a supermarket, where we bought bread, fruit and drink and continued the march, now bordering the mythical Loch Ness.
Loch Ness is an extensive and deep freshwater lake that is located in the Highlands. He is best known for the myth of the Loch Ness Monster.
It extends approximately 39km southwest of Inverness. It is the largest body of water on the Great Glen fault line that runs from Inverness in the north to Fort Augustus in the south. The Caledonian Canal, which links the sea at both ends of the Great Glen, uses Loch Ness as part of its route.
This lake is part of the series of lakes in Scotland that were worked by the glaciers during the previous glaciations. Its waters have exceptionally low visibility due to the high peat content from nearby soils.
It is the second largest lake in Scotland by surface area with around 56.40km2, but due to its great depth it is the largest volume. It contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. In its deepest part, it reaches 226m.
It also functions as the lowest reservoir in the hydro-storage-pumping plan, the first of its kind in Britain. The turbines were originally used to supply power to a nearby mill, but now electricity is generated and supplied to the national grid.
In its most southwestern part, near Fort Augustus, you can see the only island of the lake. Cherry Island is an example of crannóg (artificial islands that date generally from the Iron Age).
We drive for 10km along the left bank of Loch Ness, until we reach Invermoriston, a small town with a beautiful bridge called Thomas Telford (in honor of the engineer who designed it in 1813), on the Moriston River. The waters of the river are very dark because of the peat that filters the water on all sides. From Invermoriston, we leave Loch Ness and head west following the course of the Moriston River.
A little further on we are struck by a landmark next to the road. This is the place where Roderick Mackenzie is buried. Tells the story that after the Battle of Culloden, in July 1746, the Hanoverians were chasing Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie), when they had him cornered in a cave, the Jacobite Roderick Mackenzie, posing as the Prince, got driving away the soldiers and at the cost of his life gave him time to flee. The body of Roderick Mackenzie beheaded is buried, right in the place where this landmark is located.
We continue along the quiet A87 road, until the course of the Moriston River ends to start the Loch Cluanie, which is actually a hydroelectric dam.
We practically never stop carrying water as a companion, either in the form of a river, or in the form of a lake, and almost always in the form of rain. To the west of the lake we find the village of Cluanie, which has a hotel and we can stop in the cafeteria for a coffee and shelter for a while from the water and the cold.
After getting warm with the comforting coffee, we resume the A87 and continue with the march. After a few kilometers we make another stop to admire the landscape and take some pictures.
At 6:45 pm after crossing the bridge Clachan Duich Bridge, we reach the Loch Duich, a saltwater lake with access to the sea. From now on we circulate around the same edge of the lake
We continue along the A87 by the lake shore for about 8km, under a fine rain and finally reach the impressive Eilean Donan Castle.
At the confluence of three lochs of the Highlands (the Loch Duich, the Loch Long and the Loch Alsh), a narrow stone bridge leads to a small island. There, surrounded by water, mountains and mirages, a dark fortress emerges: the Eilean Donan Castle.
We arrived around 7:20 pm and the castle received us with a typical image of the Highlands: a leaden sky, the fog crawling over the lake and the fine rain breaking the reflections.
An image recognizable by the numerous scenes that have been shot in the castle, Braveheart, The immortals or The world is never enough are some of the films in which the photogenic Eilean Donan Castle appears.
Although the strength we see today is recent, the small island of Donan has a long history. The predominant theory explains that, in the sixth century, the Irish saint Donnán settled on the island along with some of the faithful. Hence, perhaps, the name of Eilean Donan ('eilean' in Gaelic means island, 'the island of Donan').
However, the first fortification on the island was not built until 1220, taking advantage of its strategic location on the lake to defend the land from frequent Viking raids. Once the calm, the MacRae clan turned the castle into their residence, and for centuries the structure was enlarged and dwarfed according to the needs of the moment, but it was finally abandoned.
In the framework of the Jacobite uprising of 1719, after France refused to support the revolt to return the English throne to the descendants of the Stuart house, the Scots asked for help from Spain.
An expedition of 300 men from Cádiz managed to land in the Highlands, and 46 of them took the castle of Eilean Donan. The occupation soon reached the ears of the English and, a month later, the British frigates bombed the fortress until the Spaniards surrendered, and then the remains flew.
Thus, forgotten and in ruins, the story of Eilean Donan Castle would have ended if it were not for the fact that John MacRae-Gilstrap, a descendant of the MacRae clan, bought it in 1911 and began the long and romantic task of restoring it and restoring its splendor. Today, Eilean Donan is again a rough castle, more or less similar to the original, which serves as the official residence of the MacRae clan and as one of the main tourist attractions in Scotland.
And from the castle of Eilean Doyle we headed to the hotel, the Caberfeidh Guest House, a small and cozy typical Scottish house transformed into a b & b that is located about 1000 meters from the small village of Dornie. We arrive at 7:30 p.m. so soaked by the rain that the owner is placing towels on our way so that we do not wet the carpet. The room very comfortable and with a beautiful view towards the lakes and the castle of Eilean Doyle.
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