Scotnatrail 34-35. Coulin Pass-Kinlochewe-Ullapool. The end of Scotnatrail & I do my first hitchhike

Day 34. Coulin Pass above Craig to Kinlochewe. Cape wrath trail.

I smell bad. So thankful I will be in a shower tonight. Whether at the campsite at Kinlochewe or somewhere else

Midges swarm heavily about my tent in the morning.

The amount of them on my jumper as I put the tent away is actually absurd. I’m sure some wouldn’t be able to bare the sight of that many swarming and crawling in a thick layer over the fleece. Off 8:20.

It is very overcast. There was drizzle last night which concerned me, but thankfully it went with the dark.

Oh! the memory returns to me suddenly, of the Glen filled with the Milky Way and the soft glow of Camban bothy.

I take off midge protection as I walk but they get bad again untill I finally get breeze on. A hill after hours.

The breeze is wet as I head down the other side at the bottom or a cloud, I could do with my waterproof here - hopefully it will get no worse - I don’t want my jumper getting wet. Lines in the moor suggest old farming or peat gathering systems.

I am shocked that by 10:30 I’m on the final page of the map! I was worried I wouldn’t be there before the shop closes at 5! The descent is steep but easy, on the same broad forestry track looking over Kinlochewe The track is new and not on the os map; scotnatrail talks of a harder route which I do see footpath options to. but if i I’m no longer walking Scotnatrail would be silly to follow. Besides this beutiful regenerating Caladanian pinewood is best appreciate on an easy path.

I just about squeeze through a stupidly small gate then head into the dreaded last two km which the guide describes as awful. It is often simply a matter of ploughing straight ahead in undergrowth but the path stays steady underfoot. But definitely one of those routes that was once worse, and the popularity of the trail is widening. Indeed it wasn’t near tough enough to warrant the description it had. Maybe the guide just took all the wrong routes! Although crawling on wet gravel under a 50cm gap beneath a fence where it crosses a river bed was probably not on the recommended route.

I reach Kinlochewe. Finally.

I go to the village store and collect my package - my waterproof mum sent. At least I am safe now whatever I happen to do. I go on to the petrol station as it’s a cafe and see Nicole - the father daughter from Ballymeia I met at Moal Bhuidhe waving to me! It’s so lovely to see them. The outdoor sitting for the cafe is lovely too and they do gf toasters and care about contamination.

I know that Kinlochewe is my place to finish walking. I could walk on, it would be fine, and I know the next stage is lovely, but it isn’t the right option. However i am not sure how to leave Kinlochewe. There are two buses a week, coincidentally one is tommorrow at 8. But it doesn’t head to Ullapool and also I wouldn’t be surprised if it can’t be relied on. Kinlochewe is on ‘the north coast 500’ though which is increadibly popular with tourers so there are loads of people here. After chatting to mum and dad I settle on seeing if I can hitchhike tommorrow. I am nervous, and i could try this afternoon as I would so love to be in Ullapool by this evening. but the option of a shower and clothes wash before I head on makes more sense. So I join Nicole and Billy at the camp site. And we will have dinner at the hotel later :)

After showering I sit by the charger in the warm drying room to check all my emails and do some Instagram updates

At 6 I went for a fantastic dinner with Nicole and Billy, they are so increadible and told such tales it was a privilege to listen to. The food was also soooo good, curry potato burger with chips (3x carbs) then a beautiful crumble. Later I read about hitchhiking and head to bed, early for me, late for billy and Nicole.

Also they gave me a giant pack of spare nuts. I love you all kind people. So many people willing to give out to share love.

As I clean my teeth and read the blog of an American who did scotnatrail years ago I realise. I’m seriously tired. Physically this time, my eyes are so tired.

Day 35. Kinlochewe to Ullapool hitchhiking !

I check the MoD firing range times at Cape Wrath and I am sad to see there is firing till the 11th. I can’t get to Cape Wrath :(

That scuppers my plan to skip to the last few stages. What to do? I could continue the next two stages and get to stay at the Sheningvall bothy which is meant to be brilliant. But it doesnt feel right. Also the opportunity for this adventure on the NC 500 seems silly to miss.

It seems taunting that the firing stops when I would reach the Cape if doing the whole thing. Ahh. But i know continuing isn’t right. Plan b is get book in Ullapool and find bothies.

I leave the campsite 9:20. My two poles both packed together for the first time. Head to the village shop to stock up in case I do end up hiking more.

The coffee bar at the petrol station is empty when I get back to it. Though it’s nearly ten and a Saturday

But I enjoy myself- crispy bacon and a mountain of ketchup in gf bread, huge cappuccino and a tub of gf porridge covered in honey

I draw up my hitchhiking sign “Ullapool via nc500 “

I decide to walk along a path that runs parallel to the road - the petrol station is the obvious place to hitchhike but I’m a bit embarrassed. Besides will be good to see Ben eighe and get my exercise for the day. it’s a lovely flat broad trail surrounded by pretty native growth and overshadowed by the incredible quartzite mountains It has regularly information boards about wildlife or gealic poetry carved into pretty benches of wood and slate

On the path I meet and have a brilliant chat with Brian a ranger with nature.scot. He tell me so much great info, recommends going to Knocked crag for geology and also says you can do summer intern work that sounds brilliant. He lives in Skye and started this job recently as a career change. And says Ullapool is magical, so happy! What an increadible move and an increadible job. I love these things the people who will stop by to chat. I spend time reading all the information in the brilliant Beinn Eighe nature reserve visitor centre- Britain s oldest national nature reserve, bought for £4000 in 1951. Over 400,000 Scots lines have been planted since the reserves founding (after felling for the war) with the aim of creating a continuous forest and removing deer fences

I go to the road before the centre and start to try to hitchhike. It will probably take a while as cars are not too frequent. Maybe two cars a minute All drive by. Some pull in but just for the visitor centre. Getting bored so podcasts time

After about 45 minutes someone indicates in, turns and this time it seems to be for me! A lovely woman with her little daughter from Inverness heading to Gairloch.

Lovely beautiful views and she’s very nice- hitchhiked when young, I think those are the sort of people most likely to pick up and I worry how much loget that sort will be around as not many of my generation or millennials ever got to hitchhike. She also said she was waiting to see if I was a girl. She drops me on the road in Gairloch - about halfway to Ullapool. I go for a tea to figure out where to go next. enjoying seeing the sea. I stew and stare at the water and the shadow isle beyond

Send a message to Nicole hoping she’s having a great time

Lovely sea views and an information panel on geology as I walk back along the road to a viewing point lay by, looking across to hills of rocks 3 billionyears old -can you conceive that?! 3 billion, nearly 1/4 of the age of the universe itself- (Lewisian gneiss)

I stand before the lay bye and start to try hitchhiking again. It’s still a long drive to Ullapool. Fingers crossed I can get there in one go.

This time only takes about half an hour, though for some reason feels longer and more frustrating with all the passing cars but a young guy hops out and says, we’re heading to Ullapool- they’re very nice- fancy car as well. They stop to get coffee on the way. I chat to the son about applying to uni, interested in doing geology etc

We drive on. Then the dad unexpectedly goes off the road a bit. Then the ride becomes very bumpy, stopping they realise the tyres completely scupperd! Not what I expected (or very convenient), still 50 mins from Ullapool.

The tyre is ripped to shreads. Lots of phone calls. Of all the unexpected thing that happen on adventures this definitly was - particularly in this fancy car - though it’s quite funny really, the classic hitchhike adventure (obvs not for the dad but he was driving a bit brashly and they seem well off enough that they’ll be fine)

Our picturesque view looks right over Gruinaird island- anthrax island! I had always imagined it lay remote in the sea not here in the middle of a bay. (Making me recall the Wikipedia rabbit hole I went down on biological warfare and the Aral Sea in the middle of a lecture)

Taxi arrives 5:30

The drive is increadible. I can’t blame the dad for having taken His eyes off the road, it’s nearly impossible to keep focused with this stuff passing by.

All in all I’m quite pleased with my hitchhiking adventure and the long delay getting to watch lovely scenery (though wouldn’t show that of course when who knows how much this will cost them!) - felt a bit useless (nah not really- gonna let them sort it and tag along because I can and they’re polite and won’t say go away or anything)- though at least I could supply hotspot so the son could use his phone fully & bananas.

It’s quite enjoyable too, the fast pace at which all these increadible sights fly by, tooo soon to the awe to dissipate just flashes of magic and gone.

Fishing boats! Light on islands! Crags! Cliffs! The long Loch inlet - Silver water stretching on and on to left and right

Also, as we head inland again to round the Loch the landscape is pretty similar to what I’ve been in the last few days - like increadible and everything but I don’t think id have been that excited to walk it, the only thing I would have liked to have seen was the rumoured great Shenavall bothy. BUT I have discovered there are 4 botheys close together east of Ullapool- bothy trip?

It’s 6 &1/2 hours after I started hitchhiking that I reach Ullapool :)

And now I’ve discovered hitch hiking im so happy- the potential! The freedom! The not paying £10.80 for a bus!

The place with the Bunkhouse is only doing single occupancy. Whole room £65. The youth hostel is full. The campsite charges £13. Oh well. I head to find dinner. everywhere is full. I get in a pretty rubbish pub that is chaotic. But a big chilli con carne does me fine. Then I head up the hill behind town to camp. It is a steep climb , steeper and darker than i thought. Though I do get rather lovely views of the glittering lights of Ullapool in dusk . I take the first half decent spot. Probably my worst lumpy pitch. But so thankful as always for Scotland’s increadible rights. In England camping in what is effectively the Welcombe hills of Ullapool but closer would just never go.

I said I was going to ‘mix up’ the trip. Today has been much more chaotic than I anticipated! (Me imagining being in a nice wee Ullapool cafe by lunch with a lovely proper bed to head to by sunset) Oh well you get what you ask for! No rest for the weary. I plan tommorrow to walk 18km to the bothy at Knockdamph but first a busy morning getting a full breakfast, a LOT of food (there shall be no rationing on my bothy adventure) and choosing a good book

In all relief & reflective. Feeling so lucky and thankful for what I’ve had as I finish my time on the official Scotnatrail , this wonderful adventure. Yes it was tough. It’s happens through hard work. It relies on the coming together of so many other thing - wilderness and land rights. it is the hard parts that made it special and chased away the blandness that haunts life.

I’m scrolling Instagram and see a dreamy text post and I’m like: I have that! I have that dream! It’s real