Day 3 - River Meig to Loch Meig

We had another great day today, walking the whole way with Duncan and Charlie, who decided to take the low route with us. We had lots of great group discussions and side discussions which helped make the walking part go by so fast.

We were up a few minutes earlier this morning, starting to get ready around 6:45. We were lucky enough to get packed up just before the first rain started. It would be the first of three or four times I got my waterproofs on. Charlie was the smart one keeping his on all day.

The views today along River Meig were some of the best. It has been a fantastic two days of walking beside this beautiful river and its beautiful surroundings.

River Meig 🤩

Strathconon Forest Area

We did not waste any time (other than putting on and taking off waterproofs) and were done more than half today’s route when we decided to stop and have lunch on a stone wall overlooking the gorgeous river valley.

Four New Friends Enjoying Lunch Together

After fuelling up we crushed the remaining kilometres to our intended stop for the day. Unfortunately my research for this stop did not pan out the way I had hoped, so we carried on for a couple more kilometres until we found a spot that would work. It is a bit less than our ideal spot but good fortune smiled again, and we ended up having one of our most enjoyable evenings on the TGOC. It was a good reminder that no matter the circumstances when backpacking, it might not end up as bad as we think it might.  The highlight of the night came when across the loch two other challengers we had been playing leapfrog with (Claire and Ailsa), must have seen our tents and started waving and singing Duncan’s “dancing naked in the garden” song. We don’t waste any time and sang all three verses back to them on the other side. We all laughed and enjoyed the very fun moment. Duncan is pleased that he has been able to spread the song already, and that it will be coming back to Canada with us! 😊

After having a sip of Duncan’s whiskey last night I thought it would be appropriate to share my two mini-bottles from our care package (thank you, Joyce!!). Duncan and Charlie seemed to enjoy it, and before long there were a couple more flasks brought out from the tents for a few more sips. 😁

We Forced Amanda To Have One Sip With Us - Reminded Her Of Gasoline 😂

We sat, enjoyed the evening view and the company a little longer, had our dinners, and then headed to bed once it started to cool down around 7:00. 

Action Shot Of Duncan And Charlie Passing The Flask 😁

 It is now 8:30 and my hands are shaking. Time to sign off. We will be in Muir Of Ord tomorrow for our only B&B of the trip. I think we are both looking forward to a nice shower and a warm sleep!!

Thanks for reading everybody!!!


Health Update:

JM - Shoulders a little sore, feet a little tender
Mandy - Two small blisters, manageable


Day 3 Route - 21.1 km, 152 m ascent