18 July

Bright and optimistic this morning as I headed across Scotland, alongside Loch Ness before climbing up to around 1500ft then a long downhill into Fort Augustus. 

Just like the two previous days, stunning scenery and warm weather, but thankfully now not much wind.  From Fort Augustus, I decided to take the path down the side of the Caledonia Canal.  A good move, I thought, avoiding the traffic and on the level.  The ground was a bit rough, but it must be better than the A82.

From there, I crossed the canal again and back on to the road, re affirming my decision to take the canal path, much better to be away from the traffic and safely ‘off road’.   After a few miles, my family passed and stopped for a break and a quick chat on the banks of Loch Oich, then off again alongside Loch Lochy into Fort William.

Now the problems started.   Having had such a good experience alongside the Caledonian Canal, I thought I’d take the track on the opposite side of Loch Lochy and avoid the major road.  Much safer.   Great idea, so long as you don’t take a wrong turn and end up climbing into a forest, 800 ft above the Loch.  The path petered out to nothing and I was left literally high and dry.  I turned round to descend then a loud bang.    My back tyre was punctured.  But more than that, the side of the tyre had a large rip in it.  When I repaired the puncture, and inflated it, the inner tube just ballooned out of the whole, then burst.

Still, no problem, I had another tube, but by this stage, I had run out of gas cannisters which I use to inflate the tyres.....and I’d forgotten to take my pump.

It was four miles back to the road and about six to the other end of the Loch and back to civilisation, where I thought I’d be able to borrow a cycle pump from someone, so I set off walking.  I walked, and walked and walked.  I met  a lot of German’s mysteriously all with massive rucksacks, walking along a deserted track in the middle of nowhere, but no one with a bike pump.

About 200yds from the end of the track, after over an hour and a half walking, I met Dave and Stuart, two cyclists from Chorley, on their way back to Fort Augustus.  Between us, with the aid of their bike pump and a wrapper from an energy bar, to bolster the rip in the tyre, we successfully repaired the bike and I was off again. 

The campsite here is on the banks of Loch Linnhe and quite spectacular, overlooked by Ben Nevis.

And there are no midges.

And my backside isn’t sore.