Day one hundred and twenty two - Kinlochbervie to Strathchailleach Bothy

  30th June.

A grey day with low cloud but not too much rain.

A fine campsite 

Forgot to say yesterday that on the way to Kinlochbervie, in the middle of nowhere, I came upon the 'London Stores' which looked fairly derilict but had 'open' on the door so in I went. It was amazing, a true Aladdin's Cave, with pretty well everything you could need. By then it was 19.30 and I asked when he closed the answer, after he looked at the clock, was "Oh, about now". He also told me about the place to camp.

I was in no hurry today so I wandered down to the harbour, which was very quiet, went to the shop to see if they had anything useful and when the café opened went in to charge the phone. I thought I could have more breakfast while I was there as well.

Up the road then to Blairmore where the track to Sandwood bay starts.

A fine track and path with wonderful views over to Sandwood Bay.

Met some interesting people who were heading back to the car park.

The bay area is, as the name suggests, sand, which makes walking hard.

Met a French guy who had been camping there for two weeks, basically living off the fish he caught.

Inland and over some boggy ground to Strathchailleach Bothy.

This was where Sandy MacRory-Smith lived for thirty two years until 1996, walking out to collect his unemployment benefit and latterly pension every week. He bought provisions at the London Stores, a round trip of 21 miles, winter and summer. It is thought to be the last house on the mainland that was lived in on a permanent basis without any services, not even a path.

Managed to light the peat fire, not needed but nice.

Some of his paintings on the wall

I have spent the last few days thinking about an animal I saw on the track ahead of me in Inverlael forest and, after much discussion with myself, have decided that it must have been a Lynx?

Not my picture!

11.5 miles walked 450 meters ascent.