First time over 50km since the Halloween 100!
Andrew found a route called the Trail of the 7 Lochs, which happened to be 50 miles long, so fit the bill without too much planning.
We parked up at Inverfarigaig, which is a place on the south east side of Loch Ness.
We did the loop anticlockwise, and started with a steep climb through a beautiful forest, the floor covered in bright green moss, which looked like a place fairies would gather.
I found out afterwards whilst reading up on it, that this is Boleskin, a place with a long history of tales of strange happenings including, but not limited to: a devious wizard raising the dead buried in the graveyard, the church burning down and killing everyone in it, Aleister Crowley buying the house built on this site and pursuing his black magic malarkey (Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin later owned the house for a while). All that aside, it was a good start to the run, and up at the top looking back at Loch Ness (Loch #1) was very lovely.
We followed a combination of the map and the trail markers....
...up over the top, with good views along to Cultie. Strange to feel too hot in Scotland, which is normally like running in a fridge, but there you go, had to drop a layer at the top. Then along forest tracks and a little road to Boleskin church where I saw a black shadowy figure of a beast slip behind a gravestone. Maybe it was only a sheep, but as it was Boleskin, I'm not sure. Nice downhill section to the south end of Loch Mhor (Loch #2) with good views of the surrounding mountains.
Along the southern side of the Loch was a nice trail to run along for a few miles. Soon it time for a walking checkpoint (breakfast beigel - veggie sausage and DairyLee). Going up a path enclosed by deer fences, we saw a deer at the end by the gate, who couldn't get out without going past us. Deer me, the poor wee thing got really anxious, but we stood still and he managed to run past us and away. Oh deer, oh deer.
On reaching the far end of the loch, we headed up a small lane near Errogie (the geographical centre of Scotland), up to the top to follow a track, to see some more deer.
Then it was down towards Torness. All been pretty good tracks so far, but the part after leaving the road at Torness to go along the bottom of Loch Ceo Glais (Loch #3) was pretty wild, including a few miles of no path, heather and gorse bashing and vertical bogs. Emerging from the bog, there was then a diversion with no directions (because of calving), which took some figuring out and fence climbing, before finally making it to the road at the bottom of Loch Duntelchaig (Loch #4).
Here, the cows and calves that we had just diverted around were happily sat at the edge of their field, which had no fence between them and the road.
The next part was several miles along a tiny road, which was nice running after the bog section. Up a forest track around Loch a'Choire (Loch #5).
Next up, followed really nice forest track, over Creag Dhearg and back to the south of Loch Duntelchaig.
Here, we had a little logistical situation, because Andrew's sister and family were coming to meet us for a checkpoint, but due to us having got the timings wrong, and them going for a walk and getting lost, plus a situation with some aggressive Highland cows, we had a bit of trouble meeting up. In the end, we skipped out the section around Loch Bunachton (Loch #6) (because of the Highland cows), and did a bit of road running around there instead so we could find each other.
It was nice to walk for a mile or so with them back to their car, where they had kindly brought water refills, hot tea, and malt loaf! There was a giant downpour just as we were sheltering under the car boot, which was well timed!
On leaving the car boot, we saw some friendier Highland cows.
Along more tracks with warnings of cows and calves (it's a dangerous time of year in the Highlands) and over to Loch Ashie (Loch #7).
Here I had a nose bleed, which is a novel 'injury' to have on a run.
Then along a road toward the northern most part of the route. Passed some wee lambs.
35 miles in at the top Inverness end of Loch Ness, Andrew's leg went (sudden pain in the front of the right shin), which threw a spanner in the works. We were now on the South Loch Ness Trail, all the way down the southern side of Loch Ness (suprisingly) back to Inverfarigaig. Time for a snack (there are dark chocolate Tunnocks here!)
Bit of a mixed route this section, with some nice paths through forests, but a horrible bit through some farmland and knee high slurry. It also started to rain heavily again, which was a bonus touch to the slurry section. But it was very beautiful watching the light change over the loch as the weather and the time drifted along.
The route carried on up above Loch Ness (no Nessie sightings today) above Doors, which I guess made us outdoors.
About 10 miles from the end, Andrew's leg went even more to the point where he couldn't put weight on it or lift it up, and climbing hills was worse. Fortunately we were only out on a long run, so this didn't matter at all as it's not like you need both legs or anything like that. By coincidence, we we running through a section of forest which had had some logging done, so there were lots of sticks around, and after trying a few, one of the perfect size for a walking stick was selected! Fortunately the last few miles were easy going, and there were lots of options for even easier routes. Not really. The route went up the Fair Haired Lads Pass (about 800m), and that was the only way to get to end (well, that or a few miles along a 60 mph road sandwiched between a cliff and the loch, with no path). Faced with the choice of a painful few miles, or imminent death, Andrew opted for the former. Just as we reached the top of the pass and another forest section, it got dark all of a sudden.
I focused my attentions on the middle of the light of my head torch, and definitely not on thoughts of devil spirits taking a short night time jaunt over from Boleskin to this deep, dark forest, with it's owls hooting and leaves rustling in the shadows.
Emerged a while later, with only a few scratches obtained during some momentary lapses in attention to glance at a dancing shadows, rather than looking out for branches in front.
Over the top of the pass, down along a track past some farms, with sheep's eyes shining orange in the headtorches. About a mile from the end, we came to a final gate. Shining the light into the latch, the beam caught a pair of large red eyes staring back from the other side. As I jumped in fright, the light bounced and glinted off another 30 or so pairs of eyes to the right of the original ones. And three tiny pairs. Even worse than coming across a field of devils at 49 miles, we had come across a field of cows and calves, a far worse fate. Andrew and his broken leg were already turned around, and ready to head back the last 49 miles, rather than open the gate. I summoned my inner cow spirit (which has been strengthened over Covid and plenty of runs with Tara, who isn't scared of anything in the countryside, and has been know to hit a confrontational cow on the nose with a map), gave the red eyed cows a good stare with my torch, informed them I was coming, and opened the gate. I won't say it was the most comfortable experience, but it was better than running back 49 miles through the devil woods.
The run finished with a steep downhill via the corkscrew road, back to the carpark at Inverfarigaig. Bang on 50 miles, and about 5000ft ascent.
Andrew had an x-ray and hasn't fractured anything, but he's still having to use a walking stick to get around, so it seems the Scottish 50 wasn't such good 100 training after all 😳
