"Is That All There Is?"

I woke bright and early, well not too early but at 07:15 with the sunlight streaming in the loft windows of our beautiful room at Auberge Carnish and superb views over the still exposed sands. Presumably, the tide had come in and gone out again overnight but I'm such an expert on tides that I really didn't know. I hoped that my navigation to Kinlochresort and on to Bowglass would be better! Peter Clarke writes at great length about this fabled abandoned settlement and I was looking forward to visiting it.

By the time I'd showered, got ready, had breakfast (excellent quality, of course) and paid the bill it was raining. Such is the fickleness of Hebridean weather!

The Boss drove me to Kinlochroag where I'd finished walking yesterday and headed off for the bright lights of Great Bernera. I set off in waterproof jacket, gaiters and rain hat, although there was more promise of rain than the actual stuff. I walked down a short track from the road, past what I supposed were a couple of holiday cottages and came across an immediate problem - the route blocked by a house. This should not be! However, the farmer let me in his back gate and out the front and I was then on the narrow road to Loch Morsgail. Rather than the LDWA GPS route (or Peter Clarke's - I think) I simply walked down the drive alongside a pretty stream bordered with rhododendrons leading to Morsgail Lodge.

The Lodge itself was, as Peter Clarke had observed, quite disappointing, being a modern detached house almost like one of the so-called "kit houses" which seem to be the norm in the Western Isles. Nonetheless it was impressively big with its own wind turbine.

I turned left onto the footpath around Loch Morsgail - a very becoming body of water with a pretty island, followed the path clockwise, crossed a footbridge over Abhainn a' Lòin and climbed beside another stream. The going became quite difficult and, of course, more and more damp underfoot. The path was now less distinct and reached a stream which I managed to cross without falling in - something I did several times during the day (avoiding falling in, that is!). I came upon a cairn - one of the so-called "chambered cairns", I think, crossed another stream after which the faint track I'd been following just disappeared. How Hebridean!

I began yomping across open and very boggy moorland following the LDWA GPS route and eventually came across a line of stones, possibly about a hundred meters apart, which seemed to be going in my direction. I supposed that these were markers to show the way to the fabled Kinlochresort. I breasted a rise and to my right (er - west, I think) I could see a very impressive Norwegian style fjord which I assumed was Loch Resort. "Hello", I said to myself, "it looks like Slartibartfast has been here alright"! I stopped for a while and admired his handiwork.

Over another rise I could see the corrugated iron roof of a house and wondered what it was doing there. As I drew closer I realised that it was one of the ruins of Eldorado, sorry - Kinlochresort! It had taken me about three hours of walking through pretty horrible boggy moorland to get there and to say that I was underwhelmed was an understatement (sorry Peter!). As far as I could see, Kinlochresort comprises the aforementioned corrugated iron roofed house (with its windows blocked with stones), another, white painted, house some distance away which looked as if it was still used as there were gas cylinders outside and a small number of what appeared to be ruined houses. Nevertheless I was glad to have got there, took the obligatory piccies, had lunch and prepared myself for the crossing of more boggy moorland to Bowglass. I consoled myself with the thought that at least I wasn't walking on bloody tarmac today!

My first problem, I thought, was getting over the stream, Abhainn Mhor Ceann Reasoirt, leading into Loch Resort but, although fast flowing, it wasn't too difficult to find a crossing. I was glad that there hadn't been a lot of rain as there apparently had been when Peter Clarke crossed it (he had to take his boots off and put an old pair of pumps on). Once over the stream I followed its west bank for a bit with my way gradually easing away from it. I looked back and could see the rain sweeping into Kinlochresort and I did, at that moment, briefly consider the hardships of those who had survived there all those years ago. I continued south east, following Abhainn a' Chlàir Bhig beneath the heights of Cearascleit Bheag. The going was very hard indeed and I longed for a nice Lancashire moorlands footpath!

I had supposedly, according to the OS 1:25,000 map, passed a couple of beehive huts but missed them altogether. After what seemed an age Loch Chleistir came into view and, on the far side of it, what I believed to be a mirage - a broad green, gentle, grassy path. I could hardly believe my eyes; it was like heaven after the moorland crossing.

I walked joyously along the path, now making good time. After a while direction markings appeared beside the track as if a race of some sort was taking place. Later I found out that one of the local schools had been having a sponsored walk that day (I had missed them by less than an hour) and that one of the participants had been the daughter of our B&B hosts at Bowglass.

The path reached a broad stream at which I stopped for another butty and the remains of today's coffee, crossed the stream without falling in and continued along the very undulating path (up as well as down!). I was now way behind schedule, having told The Boss that I would be at the B&B between 15:00 and 16:00 and tried to contact her by mobile. Although I could get a signal she obviously couldn't and I do know how she (rightly!) worries about my navigational abilities, i.e. I do tend to get lost on occasions!

Anyhow, at near enough 17:00, having set off walking seven hours earlier I reached the A859 main Stornoway to Tarbert road and there was the welcoming red SAAB and the even more welcoming beloved waiting for me, worried, as I'd expected, since I was rather late.

Loch Seaforth House - our B&B for the night was just a couple of hundred meters along the road and we received a warm welcome from Irene and Alistair Morrison and their family. He's a langoustine fisherman on Loch Seaforth and she runs the B&B. Alistair told us that nearly all of his catch goes to Spain and Italy. Irene cooked us a lovely dinner which we ate in their kitchen with the breathtaking view of Loch Seaforth in front of us and the sun now shining. It was perfect - just magic.

I'd walked a fraction under 13 miles and, apart from the farmer who let me through his garden at the start, had seen no-one whatsoever all day. I'd made the journey to the fabled Kinlochresort, had navigated without trouble, hadn't fallen in any streams or injured myself and had made the transition, without seeing the join, from the Isle of Lewis to the Isle of North Harris. I was pretty pleased and sleep came easily!

A Few Photos From Day 05 (just click on them for the BIG versions):
Day 05 - Leaving Auberge Carnish, 23/06/11	Stream To Loch Morsgail
Loch Morsgail And The Lodge	Loch Morsgail
Footbridge Over Abhainn a Loin	Where's The Footbridge Gone?
Chambered Cairn	The Squelchy Track To Kinlochresort
Yet Another Footbridge!	Loch Roag
Lochan Near Cearascleit Bheag	Another Typical Hebridean Footpath!
View To Bowglass	Loch Chleistir