Daily route pages: Day thirty
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this days route map
Walking Scotlands coast.....
DAY 30
THURSDAY 30th JULY, 2009
INVERNESS TO FORTROSE
14 MILES, 8 HOURS
MORRIS AND DOUGLAS
THURSDAY 30th JULY, 2009
INVERNESS TO FORTROSE
14 MILES, 8 HOURS
MORRIS AND DOUGLAS
Two days walking were planned for this trip and to make best use of the local bus service we travelled by car to Fortrose the night before and stayed in the welcoming Anderson Hotel. In the morning we caught the 8 a.m. Inverness bus starting our days walk at North Kessock. It was a lovely sunny morning when we set off walking passed the Lifeboat station under the Kessock Bridge on a minor road towards Kilmuir. We followed the road until it ended passed some houses near Croft Downie. We had a nasty experience at this point when a vicious Doberman dog which the owner obviously allows to roam free to discourage walkers from using the path decided to menace us. Thank goodness for walking poles. We picked up a signposted sea edge path to the lovely village of Kilmuir where we enjoyed our packed breakfast which had been supplied by our hotel as we were having an early start. From Kilmuir we walked at sea edge for half a mile before taking a path up the hillside where we enjoyed the lovely views. We met the local gamekeeper who advised us that as it was low tide it was possible to walk at the sea edge round the point into Munlochy Bay. We returned to the sea edge and once round the point we followed various farm tracks and paths along the south side of the bay to Munlochy. At a point near Bayhead we thought it would be possible to cross the river and shorten our route but had to abandon that idea when we started to sink in the heavy mud. Walking through the village we found the disused railway line (signposted) which we followed to the end then made our way passed two lots of ruins back down to the sea edge. We walked along the north side of the bay and round the point onto a very rocky stretch of beach into Avoch (pronounced locally as Och). From here to Fortrose we chose to walk on the disused railway line which runs on the hillside above the road as the main road runs along the sea edge, is busy with traffic and dangerous. A path behind house opposite the harbour takes you up the hillside onto the railway path. Our days walk ended back at the Anderson Hotel.
Summary; The route we walked today is only possible at low tide. A good day’s walk with a variety of terrains.
Highs; Some great views, the dolphins we spotted under Kessock bridge
Lows; The aggressive dog.
Summary; The route we walked today is only possible at low tide. A good day’s walk with a variety of terrains.
Highs; Some great views, the dolphins we spotted under Kessock bridge
Lows; The aggressive dog.
