Challenge Day 3 Sunday 13 May

The weather forecast for today was incessant rain and so it proved to be. However, we first fortified ourselves with a Full Scottish Breakfast at Brambles which opened at 8.30 prompt. It was first class and washed down with excellent coffee. A place to be recommended (and they do B&B).

We started the day's walk, in the rain, through the grounds of Inveraray Castle which avoided road walking. At the head of Loch Shira, we headed north east along a track on the west side of Glen Shira with forest on our left and the small Dubh Loch and then pasture on our right. We eventually wanted to be on the other side of the glen. There are four bridges along its length. We took the second one by Kilblaan to meet the road on the east side of the glen.

Twinkles having a tinkle

We then followed the road, turning left where there was a bridge over the Brannie Burn. 

The road, which was virtually traffic free, took us up to Lochan Shira reservoir. We passed by the power station below the dam. We'd been with Ian Cotterill thus far but he left us by the dam to follow a track east. We went west and then north, first along a concrete slab track for nearly a mile and when this came to an end, we were able to see two masts at Bealach nan Cabrach which we wanted to head for about a mile away. There was no path and we splashed across the open moorland. Once we were as wet below the knees as we could be, yet more wet made no difference.

The masts in the distance

... and then close up

Upon reaching the masts, where the wind was gale force and the rain horizontal, we went downhill on a vehicle track, eventually passing into forest. We are camped just off the forest track in a glade. It's still raining. The ground is quite soggy but we're very sheltered, as long as no trees come down in the night.

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange