Blog

We had made such good progress the day before that we had time to sleep in and relax in the morning, just as well as someone had kept Sophie awake with his snoring from 50 feet away.

There was a little light rain and then the sun came out as we strolled down the hill into the city. To be accurate, I strolled while Sophie limped. The miles had caught up with her feet and going downhill in particular was painful. We made it to a café at the Botanical Gardens, had breakfast and sorted ourselves out. Sophie jumped in a cab to the airport and off she went. She had been fantastic company every day after 11 o’clock in the morning. She is not a morning person and best left to herself before 11 o’clock, if indeed she has got up by then.

I walked along the riverbank towards the city centre and stopped to dry my tent on the riverbank. I had a few things to do in Inverness. I’d get some lunch and then set off on the very last section of my walk, the John O’Groats Trail.

Walking out of Inverness was not picturesque but interesting. Inverness is an important port as well as an historic town. To leave in the direction I was going the only route is across the Kessock Suspension Bridge. The total length is about a kilometre with the roadway 30 metres above the Moray Firth below. It was also very windy. Crossing was an exhilarating and slightly scary experience and unlike anything I’d encountered in more than a thousand miles of walking so far.

Arriving in North Kessock I was struck with how beautiful it was. Stopping for a soft drink (mango juice) at the pretty White Cottage Cafe I had a good chat with a cyclist who had rode from Land’s End to John O’Groats last year. The cyclists take a completely different route than most walkers.

I had wild camped every night since Fort Augustus and needed a shower so cut the day short at a campsite. The decision was informed by a highly rated Inn nearby where I went for dinner. Sea food chowder and the cheese plate were both delicious. I chatted to a man who used to live in North Kessock back for a visit from his home in Glasgow. He missed it although he didn’t appreciate it when he was younger. 

Day Summary

Crossing the Kessock Bridge, seafood chowder and cheese. Saying goodbye to Sophie.