[This walk was completed on the 15th August 2019]
It’s a treacherous cycle ride to Shieldaig, along a surprisingly busy road. I leave my Scooty bike chained up by a gate, and set off walking… well, actually, I sit on a bench overlooking Loch Shieldaig for a while because first I need to recover from the bike ride.
It’s a beautiful morning.
[This walk was completed on the 14th August 2019]
The road twists, turns, and dips up and down. It’s very pretty really but, after the excitement of the ‘proper path’ this morning, the rest of today’s walk seems a bit of a slog.
[This walk was completed on the 14th August, 2019]
It’s a dull morning, and I leave my Scooty bike chained up in the layby near Kenmore.
[This walk was completed on the 13th August, 2019]
This morning, I park my van (The Beast) near the hamlet of Kenmore, and cycle back to the Cuaig viewpoint, where I stow my Scooty bike behind a boulder. Looking ahead at the road, I can see it leaves the shoreline and heads northwards in a series of swinging curves.
[This walk took place on the 12th August 2019]
I spend the morning sheltering from the rain in my van, before driving up from Applecross, and parking at a beautiful viewpoint just south of Cuaig.
Pull on my waterproof trousers and zip up my raincoat. Hop onto Scooty, and sail down the road to the parking spot at Sand, where I hide Scooty in a clearing surrounded by dripping bracken.
[This walk was completed on the 11th August 2019]
I am determined to cover a good distance today, and make up for some of the ‘wasted walking’ I’ve been doing along dead-end paths at the bottom of the Applecross peninsula.
But, the narrow, twisty single-track road along the coast is hard to navigate. When I pull into a car park, believing I have travelled miles, I discover I’m only half way to my intended destination.
Decide I’ll do the walk in two sections, and set off cycling back the way I’ve come. Leave my Scooty bike beside one of the newly planted trees along the shore road in Applecross.
[This walk was completed on the 10th August 2019]
After lunch, I follow the footpath back to the shore of Poll Creadha bay. Joining the road again, I head left towards Rubadubdub – sorry, Aird-Dhubh. On the way, I turn off to visit a slipway, where a not-very-necessary sign warns me my non-existent car might fall into the water.
[This walk was completed on the 10th August 2019]
I drive from the Applecross campsite down to Loch Toscaig, and the pier at the end of the road. The pier is somewhat underwhelming, as it is, basically, a large car park!
[This walk took place on the 8th August 2019]
I’ve reached Applecross and, following my rules, I should just turn northwards and follow the coastal road up to Sheildaig and Torridon. Instead, I decide to walk to the most southernmost point I can reach along footpaths, to the base of the Applecross peninsula, and work my way northwards from there.
I leave my van in the campsite, and ride my Scooty down the road to Toscaig, and chain him up at the beginning of today’s walk.
[This walk was completed on the 7th August 2019]
I shrug my rucksack back on, and turn away from the Bealach na Bà viewpoint. Despite the lack of an actual view, I do feel an intense sense of achievement. This particular section of the walk has been worrying me for ages, but I’ve conquered the pass and one of the most difficult parts of the N500 route.
Onwards. Down into the mist.
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One of the cows started to run towards me.
There are plenty of empty fields around, but…
I had to abandon my walk.
