Kilometres Walked : Sunday – 2.5, Monday – 7.7, Tuesday – 26, Flights Climbed – 247.

Tuesday 1st August , 2023.

Sunday was super slow which suited us perfectly. Reading, Netflix and a couple of short strolls and our day was done. With an early start yesterday we packed up and jumped on a train from Balloch to Fort William. Fort William is in the western Highlands on the shores of Loch Linnhe and the starting point for Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest Munro. Even though it was a drizzly and Misty day (typical Scottish weather they say🤔) the train journey was spectacular. The stunning scenery kept us all enthralled with fields of purple heather, boggy marsh, thick forest, beautiful lakes and lochs, rolling green hills, rocky gorges and yes we finally saw our first big wild Stag. What a majestic sight he was, just sitting on the grass taking in the views with his enormous antlers. We were lucky enough to see a huge Doe as well, again just chilling out in the field right by the train tracks 🦌. Wow this is Bonnie Scotland 😊.

Arriving into Fort William we just had a wander down through the Main Street, indulged in some fish & chips for lunch (perfect F&C weather) and stocked up on groceries before heading back to our lovely little cottage beside the river Nevis to relax before our adventures today 🌼🌸🌺.

With yet another early start we were up and out of the cottage well before 6.30am with the intention on tackling Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis is not only Scotland’s highest Munro at 4411 feet or 1345 metres but the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. It is also one of the busiest 😳.

We were on the track at 7am in the hopes of getting to the top before it became to busy😆. Ha, so did plenty of other walkers. Admittedly it was much quieter for the ascent than the descent though. We couldn’t actually believe how many hikers there were on the trail today. It was a constant procession. We also found this hike no where near as challenging as Ben Lomond. Even though it was a very long slog ( 7 hours return ) it was a gentle ascent with small steps rather than the steep track and big steps at Lomond. Don’t get me wrong, it certainly wasn’t easy but we both enjoyed this hike so much more. The knees are feeling pretty good this evening even though we are a little stiff. The weather was clear nearly all the way up but once we reached the summit we were walking through the clouds again. Stunning scenery surrounded us at every step and we were lucky enough to also experience the famous Scottish Midges 😳. Luckily only for a short bursts in certain spots.

What a spectacular hike indeed. One of our favourites in the UK. After the 4 hour hike up we turned around and headed straight back down to the Ben Nevis Inn, strategically placed just at the bottom of the mountain. That’s what we love about hiking in the United Kingdom, there is always a pub to ease the pain 🍺.

Feeling a great sense of accomplishment with 26km and about 8 hours of walking. Our feet are now a little sore but nothing a nice scotch can’t fix🥃.