A Hike in the Scottish Highlands

Last weekend I went to the Scottish Highlands to hike across the Five Sisters of Kintail. The trip was organized as a charity fundraiser by one of my co-workers and so on Friday afternoon 22 of us flew up to Inverness and then drove two hours to Kintail. Kintail is not really a town, as such, but there is a charming bed and breakfast there on the picturesque shores of Lake Duich and it provided the perfect starting point for our hike the next day.

On Saturday morning we got up very early and enjoyed a full Scottish breakfast (complete with black pudding, naturally) cooked by the kind proprietor of our B&B. Then with water bottles filled and our packed lunches tucked into our packs we set off on what we had been warned would be a very challenging hike.

The Five Sisters is a difficult ridge walk which begins with a steep ascent and then crosses six mountain tops, three of which are full Munros (i.e. over 3,000 feet). The total ascent is about 5,250 feet and took us about 9 hours to complete. We began the climb divided into three teams but after the initial ascent we re-formed into groups based on pace.

The peaks were high, steep and rocky and getting between them required scrambling over boulders, tromping along sometimes muddy, slippery paths, and a lot of climbing.... but the views and the scenery were spectacular and getting to the top of each peak was a great rush. Our guides who were leading the way wouldn't let us rest for long and kept us moving for almost the entire 9 hours with a few short breaks. During one such rest, at the top of the first Munro, our snack break turned into a Scottish cultural experience when another hiker climbed to the top of the peak next to us and pulled out his bagpipes! This gentleman and his Scottish friends were making their way through the Highlands so that the bagpiper could play at the top of each of the 284 Munros in Scotland. Impressive and random! It was a great moment that kept us going for the next 4 peaks.

There wasn't much wildlife out on the peaks, no birds or bunnies, but we did see a few rugged sheep out on the cliffs once we knew where to look. As we neared the end of our hike and Lake Duich came into view once again (every time we saw it I had to take more pictures - it was such a beautiful backdrop as we hiked) we saw a lovely rainbow as the sun shone through some light rain in the distance (which luckily didn't quite reach us).

The most difficult part of the hike was the last hour and a half - our final descent. It was very steep, covered in thick heather and ferns, and there was no path. It was precarious, tough on the knees and seemed to take forrrreeeeever. When we finally picked and slid our way down to the bottom we were greeted by an electric fence which we then had to navigate around. Finally we found our way through a gate in the fence and into some kind Scottish farmer's back yard. We were so exhausted but thrilled to be back on flat land. We reconvened with the rest of our colleagues for a big dinner and some celebratory drinks in the little bar of our B&B. The proprietor had promised to keep the bar open for us as long as we wanted (she was probably assuming that the out of shape city lawyers would be knackered by 10pm) and she kept her word until we finally went to bed around 3am. Without complaint she still got up and made us another excellent breakfast the next morning.

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To see how much we raised for the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign visit our Five Sisters Challenge Just Giving Page and feel free to add to what we have collected so far!

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Eilean Donan Castle

On Sunday we woke up, popped some ibuprofen for our sore muscles and aching joints, finished our second great breakfast at the B&B, and drove 15 minutes down the road to tour Eilean Donan Castle. The first fortified stone castle on the spot, built in the mid-13th century, was destroyed and rebuilt many times during Scotland's feudal history, bombed from the inside in a Jacobite uprising in 1719 and finally rebuilt in the early twentieth century. It has all the requisite castle features - a drawbridge, turrets, a banquet hall, and it’s surrounded by water. We had enthusiastic Scottish tour guides inside - dressed to the hilt in traditional garb, they told us all about the castle’s history and its present owners. I think I understood most of what they were saying (skull duggery!).

When the tour was over we drove down to Loch Ness for a quick lunch and then made our way home. It was a fantastic first trip to Scotland - I think I’m in love and definitely need to make a return visit!

Slainte mhor agus a h-uile beannachd duibh

Good health and every good blessing to you!

(A Gaelic Prayer)

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