We would normally have spent 1 week cycling in Andalucia to suck up the last sunshine of the year, but to cut down a bit our carbon footprint, and frankly I couldn't be bothered with more planning abroad, we decided to go up North instead, and I truly don't regret it. We checked the forecasts and the first weekend looked sunny in the Highlands, so we packed tent and rucksacks and headed for a 2 day walk, hoping to see the fewer people as possible.
Good weather and a week off, what else could we do, last minute, to make the most of it? We packed the tent, food for 3 days, a few clothes, and off we went to tackle one of the most boggiest sections of the trail (I lost count of how many times I said “thank goodness it hasn't rained in a while). To help with the logistic we decided to go North to South. Being the salmons worked great as there were more people around than we thought, and as Paul said, it's better to walk towards the food than away from it!
There are trips that, even if short, fill your heart with wander, peace and beauty.
As it happens every year in spring, the West Coast was calling and we had to go. This time we went for a different model. Given the uncertainty of the weather, and the amount of stuff that I need for camping comfortably, we rented a van (we called him Shoupy) and instead of a long distance hike we based ourselves in the campsite in Morvich and from there we would go on day hikes. This turned out to be a great idea. The van was our kitchen, lounge, changing room, store room and reading room, and without it we wouldn't have enjoyed it so much. Still, every day we would meet those on the Cape Wrath trail who stopped there for a night, and I felt so jealous. It feels like an unfinished business and my guts say one day we will be back, for the whole of it?
