West Highland & Great Glen Ways 2007

Title:
West Highland & Great Glen Ways 2007

Description:
Travel 168-miles in approx 9-minutes! The West Highland Way sequence includes the ascent of Ben Lomond, Scotland's most southerly Munro and the Tom Hunter official alternative low-level ending into Fort William. "By yon bonnie banks, and by yon bonnie braes, - Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomon' - Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae, - On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomon' " Can remember walking the second part of this trek, the now 118km Great Glen Way, a considerable number of years ago before it was ever waymarked and when barbed wire and deer fencing blocked part of the route - and when the converted icecutter the Scott II was the oasis berthed at Laggan Locks. Things change and the 'Eagle' (food, drink and accommodation) has now landed. The dramatic Thomas Telford Bridge over the River Moriston and St.Columba's Well awaits the walker at Invermoriston while further along Urquhart Castle is probably the best spot for that Nessie pic - so check the full reflection 2007 Nessie image on this video! This walk leads the hillwalker to Inverness and indeed ends (although there certainly are other potential endings to this trek) outside Inverness Castle at the Flora MacDonald monument. Flora of course is remembered in history for her assistance to the Young Prince. As regards Bonnie Prince Charlie (the only person to be named after three sheepdogs! - as per Billy Connolly), he is still remembered as one of the most romantic figures in British history as his charm and bravery endeared him to all that met him. In his wanderings over the Scottish mountains as a fugitive he has latterly been posthumously accredited with some first Munro ascents! However, history also recalls him in disguise as Betty Burke wearing - "a flowered linen gown, a light-coloured quilted petticoat, a white apron and a mantle of dun camlet, made after the Irish fashion with a hood"! The Prince aka Betty Burke, then set off for the beach with his party, one of whom was Neil MacDonald who went on to become father of Napoleon's Marshall MacDonald, the Duke of Taranto. Ironically, Flora's stepfather Captain Hugh MacDonald was in charge of the militia 'searching' South Uist and Benbecula for the Prince at that time. Charlie's last words to Flora before departing (as well as repaying the half-crown that he had borrowed from her!) was "For all that has happened I hope, Madam, we shall meet in St.James's yet", but of course they never did. The adventures of the 'Young Pretender' however ended in Rome, where he died in 1788 and where according to Seton Gordon's writings 'His tomb is to be seen in Rome, and is still visited by Jacobites". Anyway, for the record, the Great Glen Way was officially opened on the 30th of April 2002 and it should also be remembered that it was Thomas the Ryymer upon his return from Elfinland - yeah really - who foretold that the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean would one day meet through Scotland - which indeed it has via the Caledonian Canal feautured in this video! Soundtrack is (1) Runrig - "Loch Lomond" live and (2) Frankie Miller - "Caledonia". "In early times the great Caledonian forest extended over vast areas, from the extreme western limits of Scotland to the lands adjoining the east coast, and it is doubtless the remants of this forest which are present among the Cairngorm mountains. Relics of the Caledonian forest are in evidence near Fort William, extending across to Rothiemurchus, and farther eastward, and are also found on the Moor of Rannoch and in certain districts of Argyllshire. As a general rule, it is the tree stumps and the roots alone which are present in these peat mosses." - From the 1912 'Charm of the Hills' Seton Gordon.

Author:
roddymck

Tags:
roddymck, Scotland, West, Highland, Way, Great, Glen, Munro, Ben, Lomond, trail, Nessie, Loch, Ness, monster, mountains, Highlands,