Day 4 - Loch Meig to Muir Of Ord

Despite the amazing evening we had last night we were excited to get up, and on the road this morning.  Tonight we would be in Muir of Ord at a hotel - our only hotel of the crossing.  The thought of a hot shower and a warm bed sounded soooo good to us after four days in the wild.

Our walk today took us out of the mountains and into the area just west of Beauly Firth.  We started by Loch Meig, past the Meig dam, on to Loch Achonachue, then beside  the banks of River Conon and later River Orrin.  The walk was very enjoyable coming out of the mountains, along some minor roads, and through some beautiful woodlands.  Although we are out of the Scottish mountains already we are really excited to be on the North Moray coast in a couple of days.

Dam At Loch Meig

Bye Bye Scottish Mountains ☹️

Mandy Making A Quick Call 🤣

Just before we were going to stop for lunch we ran into Claire and Ailsa taking a quick break, and four became six for the rest of the day.  The kilometres flew by with lots of conversation, joking around, and the occasional stop by Mandy to call on the cute lambs and coos in the farm fields around us.

The final approach into Muir of Ord was bittersweet for Mandy and I.  Sweet because Duncan had us sing the “Naked In The Garden” song one last time, but in rounds for the first time - three sets of two (Mandy/Duncan, JM/Claire, Charlie/Ailsa). In our ears it sounded sweet, and it was a very happy moment for all of us.  Bitter because this was the end of the road (😆) for our time with Duncan and Charlie. (I’ve written it that way on purpose because they are kings of telling puns) Walking with Duncan and Charlie these past few days is one of the main reasons we love coming back to Scotland for the TGO event.  They have been kind, considerate, and entertaining walking companions, and have made some tough days go by much easier.  Although we have spent relatively little time together, we feel we have two more life-long friends, and the door will always be open for them on our side of the pond. 😊 Thank you so much, Duncan and Charlie - we miss you already!!!

We continued into town, passing the Glen Ord distillery on the way.  I was tempted to buy a 40-ouncer and hide it Mandy’s pack, but I think she was on to me… When we got to our room our packs exploded all over the place, and we wasted no time taking showers, checking in with the kids, and tending to sore feet and bodies.  Next order of business was to run across the road to get dinner.  Mandy had a burger, and I of course had fish and chips.  The fish was literally as big as my face!!  No worries, I finished every bite!

JM’s Dinner 😱

For Comparison - I Wasn’t Kidding!!

After dinner we rested for a bit before running back across the road to the grocery store to get supplies for tomorrow.  We are now on our beds doing a bit more catch-up with friends and family, and watching multiple episodes of Lingo, a British show based on Wordle.  Hannah, you would love it!!

Thanks for following the blog, everybody.  We can feel the support every day, and it is helping with the long hikes! 😊

Day 4 Route - 23.1 km, 320 m ascent