Trip to Scotland 1983: Four and half months in the Highlands and Islands

[DCampbell16B]

£2.30 hostel [Torridon]
14p
25p

[More missing photos]
● Beinn Eighe, Corey Dubh
● Liathach
● Coire MhicFhearachair NW?
● Coire MhicFhearachair 90° right
● Coire MhicFhearachair in bad conditions. Doesn't show pinnacles.

Talked to Manchester policeman at breakfast. [On the climb up into Coire MhicFearachair] Got royally sleeted on. Very cold, high winds, rain also. Nice views, but I don't know of what. [From in the coire and on the way up, I could out over a large area, but I had no reference to understand what I was looking at.] Can see some Outer Hebrides, probably Uists, in the distance. Very cold here. Got [back to bottom] warm and balmy. Ride w/ 2 Israeli women. Evening not [unclear]. Talked to American girl from New England for a while. She was at Carn Dearg. Read "Sons of Odin" by Donald Hurry (see Glen Nevis) not great writing.

[Coire MhicFhearachair was impressive from the inside. I did not have any inclination to climb up the ridges. Most were covered in mist anyway. There was a small lochan. VeryRocky, I don't remember anything green at all, but it was getting later in the year.]

[DCampbell16B]

80p tea
£2.30 hostel [Loch Lochy]

[Here I have a drawing taken from the marker for the battle of Inverlochy. ]

Walked hostel to battlefield. Ride to Invermoriston w/ American girl and Sussex boy (living Nairn) in Mini. Ride with fisherman living east, fishing west to Fort Augustus and changed check for the weekend (banks closes Sat). Walked a ways. Ride w/ Welsh man living in Scotland to hostel. Very nice hostel. Old manor housetfarm. Nice warden. Very quiet. Beautiful inside. Warden's husband has a little Gaelic, from Invergarry. Warden from Inverness, no Gaelic, but Highland accent.

[DCampbell16B]

£2.30 hostel [Loch Lochy, or at least that is the date stamp on my membership card]
£2.53 food

Bread, Soup, Meat

● Tobar nan Ceann (inscription in English, Latin, French, Gaelic)
Inbhirgaraidh really very large, 4 foot walls. Called Creagan an Fhithich in garden, too.

[Here I have a drawing of the layout stone ruin of the castle.]
● Invergarry
● Glen Roy and Parallel Roads

Walked to Invergarry Castle and back to Hostel. At Hostel got lift to Spean Bridge w/ doctor (English) w/ practice in Stornoway on way to Oban and Mull. Pitlochry Knitwear very expensive in Spean Bridge. Walked to Roybridge and up Glen Roy (wrong side but shorter) and back to below Roybridge. Picked up by English couple and left [at] Spean Bridge, crossed road and immediately picked up by man w/ some Welsh, used to live in Glen Elg. Boring evening Hostel. Allan Campbell, Glasgow, wife and friends here (all 50-65) very loud but nice.
Tomorrow, Blair na Leine! right here in Laggan!
Either Forest Road and up Cairn Bhealach or up hill directly across for views. Corrieyarick ends Ft Augustus, but too far. Church?
Not sure what to do tomorrow, but that will work out. Don't know, but should get to Inverness ASAP. Six days left. This one open through October. [This was me trying to decide when to go back to Inverary. My plan was to stay there until they closed mid October, but also back to Inverness. I didn't note which ones closed or when except for Inverary].
I'm longing for the sea again, the West Coast, or Islands. The mountains are nice, but seem tame without surf at their feet. No seagulls call here.

[By the way, I know those mountains are not tame.]

[DCampbell16B]

£2.60 hostel [Glen Nevis]
34p candy
Sunday

Left early. Got ride to Spean Bridge w/ Glasgow couple (older), had puncture on the way. At Spean Bridge got ride w/ Christian to Ft William. Waited ~4 hours for ride south from Ft William. Tried for Oban, even Glencoe. No luck. Went to Glen Nevis. Big deal. Gaelic service 2nd Sunday of month. Did see Donald Hurry again. Comments on book Sons of Odin in back [of journal, it wasn't a very good book. I read it because I met the author.]. Supposed to discuss with him later. Played whistle by Nevis Water tonight. Weather dull today. Spatter of rain after dark. 10:00 bus to Oban tomorrow. Go to Oban or Connell Bridge? Want to see West Lorne Coast so much. Suggestion from Mrs. Ramsey [Inverary Hostel warden]? 1No Blar Leine!