Camusnagaul, Little Loch Broom

12/5/15

The last two days were a low point in our journey but this morning a drop in the wind and some hope of sunshine meant we could confidently leave Gairloch.

I chatted to a woman who arrived at the campsite last night and it would seem that our choice to pack up and move in to the bunkhouse was timely. She had remained fully clothed and ready to escape most of the night as her caravan rocked like a ship on the high seas.

As we left Gairloch it seemed as though the rain and run-off from the peaty soil had turned the sea into beer, each breaker produced a head of foam like a freshly pulled pint.

Our first climb gave us a final glimpse back at the end of Loch Maree before it disgorged into the river Ewe that took us to Poolewe.

Although we lost a day, we were determined to include our visit to Inverewe gardens. Our main objective (apart from visiting the tea shop) were to see a Himalayan Blue Poppy, a reminder of another distant land that we love but somber thoughts about Nepal as it is struck by yet another earthquake.

We were delighted to discover that the poppies had flowered and had just survived the previous 2 days- although they were not looking too cheerful!

The gardens are beautifully landscaped and are in an incredible location. It is nice to see them at the start of the growing season as the last time we were here it was mid winter.

The gardens are such a contrast to the raw and barren landscape of Wester Ross and it's a credit to Osgood Mackenzie who managed to create it all out of bare rock back in 1862.

We sat and had flask and snacks on a sandy beach looking out at a calmer sea in Gruinard bay and realised that our 50km maximum distance each day was becoming easier.

By the time we started our last climb over to Little Loch Broom the shadowy figure of An Tealach started to appear, albeit with it's head in the clouds.