What a shame to leave Andrew Carnegie’s weekender with its 4 poster bed, trouser press by the bedroom door and servant’s stairs at the opposite end of the building to the main entrance. Alas.
Down the loose gravel drive and up the hill to Lairg. Last chance for coffee and anything else for 70 km to Kinlochbervie. Along past Merlin in his tree, talked to a log truck driver who said that his load of 30cm+ spruce logs was going to Inverness for export, smaller thinnings to Fort William paper mill, past the Wee House on the town reservoir and on to Loch Shin.
Loch Shi n goes on forever! Halfway across Scotland followed by Loch Mercland, Loch Alt Ceann, and Loch Stack and finally to the sea Loch Inchard. Lot of water in Scotland.
First lunch stop was abandoned due to midges, next one was windy and cool/cold but the wind had blown the midges away. I came upon 2 stags in velvet in middle of road just after lunch. The 8 pointer looked at me for a while before he and his buddy casually ducked into the forest. And disappeared, couldn’t see them a second later
A few unexpected hills got us past the salmon fishing bothys (grass being cut around many presumably for the start of the season) to Riconish and the turn to Kinlochbervie. Three more hills and we were there.
Other advice of the BnB operator Michelle we headed straight to the pub for venison casserole to beat the kitchen closing. ” Don’t go to the restaurant, they’ll say they are closed, go around the back to the public bar”. Grabbed the venison and after a quick trip to the SPAR store for some desserts, to the BnBs for bed. Hillary are I were lights out by 9pm, John and Christine in their other BnB over the road turned in not long later. J &C had the best view.
