[This post was completed on the 11th July 2022]
Yesterday was full of gorgeous sunshine and warmth. This morning, I wake to a gloomy sky. Never mind – it’s perfect walking weather. This is the view from my camping pitch.
I drive to my end-point for the day (more on that later) and cycle back to the campsite, chain up my Scooty bike, and begin my walk, starting along the A835.
Continue reading[This walk was completed on the 10th July 2022]
I had been staying in a B&B, but last night I moved on to a campsite at a place just north of Ullapool, called Ardmair. This morning, I cycle back to the car park where I ended yesterday’s walk. Today, I’m walking into Ullapool itself, and then on to Ardmair.
[This walk was completed on the 9th July 2022]
I finish my lunch, shrug my backpack over my shoulders, and set off again. I think I’ve fallen in love with the A835. What a road!
[This walk was completed on the 9th July 2022]
I stayed in a bed-without-breakfast place last night. So, this morning, I drove to a parking spot just outside Ullapool, brewed up some coffee in my van, ate my muesli, then jumped on my Scooty ebike and cycled back to the car park at Lael Forest Garden. The ride seemed longer than I anticipated – I’m still walking “off the map” – but luckly my bike’s battery held out.
Back in the car park, I chain my bike to a sign post, and look at a plan showing the forest trails.
[This walk was completed on the 8th July 2022]
Different weather today. Still plenty of clouds, but they are lighter, don’t drop any rain, and there are patches of sunshine moving across the landscape. I cycle back to the layby where I ended my walk yesterday, leave my bike in a ditch, and set off.
Nearby, a track leads off into a different branch of this same valley. Two “core path” signs tell me I can go this way to get to Lochluichart 18 miles away (never heard of it) or Kinlochewe 15 miles away.
Continue reading[This walk was completed on the 7th July 2022]
Today, I’m filled with a sense of urgency because I want to get to Ullapool before the end of this trip – and I discovered yesterday that Ullapool is much further away than I realised.
Its a dull sort of day, but at least it isn’t raining. I hide my bike in the bracken, and begin my plod along the A832
[This walk was completed on the 6th July 2022]
The landscape is obscured by mist and the air is filled with a constant, miserable drizzle, interspersed with heavier downfalls of rain. A real change from the glorious sunshine of yesterday.
This morning, I filled the van with diesel from the self-service pumps in Laide. As I was driving out of the forecourt, I noticed a woman standing with her thumb out. She was wearing a flimsy jacket over shorts, open-toe sandals on her feet, and carried a large backpack. She was thoroughly drenched and shivering with cold. She had been waiting for the bus to take her to Ullapool, but it wasn’t running any more.
Continue reading[This walk was completed on the 5th July 2022]
I start from the spot I ended yesterday’s walk – a nondescript lay-by on a corner of the road, overlooking Gruinard Island, near a place called Mungasdale.
It’s a sunny morning, with virtually no wind. Gruinard Island looks lovely – a gently-rounded green hump of an island, treeless and enticingly tranquil, lying less than a mile away across the blue waters of Gruinard Bay. I wonder if anybody lives there?
Continue reading[This walk was completed on the 4th July 2022]
I chain my e-bike behind a shed near the petrol station in Laide. Today, I’m walking eastwards along the A832. It’s a late start – nearly 2pm – before I get going.
[This walk was completed on 3rd July 2022]
The little road to Mellon Udrigle is “unsuitable for coaches”, which suits me fine. I’ve parked my van at the end of the road and cycled back to the junction at Laide. The weather forecast promises a mix of sunshine and showers, and I set off in good spirits.
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Incident number 1305Date: 30.08.26Site: Public footpath alongside of Egglestone Abbey near Barnard Castle. County Durham.Bull with cows and calves (Comment: very large brown cattle with small horns.)2 walkers with dog on a lead. Miley’s Report: “We were walking from woods towards grasslands alongside Egglestone Abbey. This was the only route back to the gate onto […]
Incident number 1303Date: 31.5.26Site: Between Lewes and Hamsey on the river footpath BN7I dog, on a lead, 2 walkers Description: “Chased by cows on footpath, not for the first time here but very scary. Our dog froze in panic making getting away from cows near impossible.We reported it to the council who have replied saying […]
Incident number 1301Date: 24.05.26Site: Roughly this: What3words:Punctuate.Otter.Fronted. Near Over Alderley, Hare Hill permissive path. 1 dog on lead, 3 walkers. RH’s report: “We were just walking and suddenly a group of cattle burst out of a field (from nowhere) and moved around us, not charging but getting quite close, agitated and shifting around restlessly with […]
Ruth's Coastal Walk (UK) 