A Walk up Meggat Water

Gaye was planning to visit her friend Wilma at Bentpath this afternoon so I took advantage of the trip up the Esk valley to drop her off at Boonies and then travel a few miles up the Meggat valley in order to top up my daily miles walked. I parked up beside the river a couple of miles south of Glendinning and walked up this remote and beautiful valley.

Close to where I parked the car was this embankment next to the Meggat and I am sure there would have been Sand Martin nests there this summer.

A further away view of the banking

I was about an hour up this valley and in that time I saw no other vehicles or people

This is still sheep country and this is an old sheep stell. 

My car parked up beside the Meggat. It must be 4 or 5 years since I was last up this valley and I loved the remoteness of it. There were a pair of Buzzards flying about but too far away to photograph with my I phone camera.

Heading up the valley towards Megdale and then Glendinning further up the valley

The new bridge at Megdale

An old bridge at Megdale which is now too dangerous to cross

Megdale

Plenty of sheep up this valley. I hope it is never sold for forestry as it would ruin this valley.

I met these 6 big Rams or Tups as we call them in Scotland. They will be very busy in a few months time, but today they were enjoying a quiet life beside the river.

I saw a couple of Dippers at this spot but was not able to photograph them

A most enjoyable 1 mile walk up the valley and then back down again and I was back at Boonies for tea and cake exactly an hour after dropping Gaye off at Wilma's. One of the best hours I have spent walking in a long time. Just as I was leaving two cyclists appeared and gave me a big wave as they headed up the valley. I have a feeling they may have been heading for the Bothy at Greensykes which is about 4 miles up the valley from Glendinning. It was at Glendinning that the famous Scottish Engineer Thomas Telford was born in 1757 and there is a memorial to him there. 

 

Our 75th Birthday Island Adventure Starts

Five years ago my friend John and I were 70 and celebrated by going to Orkney for a week with Gaye and Sandria. It is now our 75th year so to celebrate this we are heading to the Outer Hebrides and have a cottage booked for a week on North Uist. It's a long drive to the ferry which leaves from Uig in northern Skye so Gaye and I headed up to Fort William to break the journey and after a 5 hour drive we are staying in a lovely B & B near where the Caledonian Canal enters the sea. After a nice Fish and Chip supper I headed along the canal to walk to Neptunes Staircase along one side of the canal and back along the opposite side. The Cruise Ship anchored in the canal basin at the start of the Caledonian Canal is The Lord of the Glens a luxury vessel with capacity for 54 people.

The start of the Caledonian canal, which of course was built by a Langholm man Thomas Telford between 1802 and 1823.

One of the many Locks on the canal. This is on Neptunes Staircase a series of 8 Locks lifting the canal up 64ft. 

The Lord of the Glens and the best way to see the Inner Hebrides and the Caledonian Canal if you have a considerable amount of money.

The road and the railway pass over the Caledonian Canal just after Neptunes Staircase and from there its just another 2 locks before it reaches the sea. 

Another of the Locks on Neptunes Staircase

Ben Nevis shrouded in clouds from the canal. 

Neptunes Staircase and the series of 8 Locks

Taken from our bedroom window as the Jacobite Steam Train passes by on its way to Fort Willian from Mallaig. Tomorrow we have another 3 hour drive up to Skye and the Ferry Terminal at Uig. Then an hour and three quarters Ferry to North Uist followed by a short drive to our cottage by the Atlantic. we arrive about 4.30pm so hopefully a nice walk along a beautiful beach before our evening meal.