TGOC'26 Day 3 Loch Affric Jetty to Cougie

What a night and what a morning. The Jetty is someplace I always wanted to stay and it was a perfect spot to camp. Any pain of the long day, thanks to a couple of vitamin I, was forgotten, and the day looked more promising for some better weather. There was a good layer of frost on the tent this morning but it quickly dried in the morning sunshine. 

Today is a very short day. After the first two days which I knew would be rough. I had not done any training hikes longer than 5-8 miles. I knew I would need a bit of a break on day three. This will be even shorter since I had done 4 miles of today, yesterday afternoon, getting to this spot. 

Today I would be going to Cougie. Cougie is one of those hand full of stopping points on the Challenge that are spoken of with great enthusiasm and a bit of mystery. It is in the category of Callater Lodge, Ault na Goire and Tarfside. I have stayed at Callater Lodge (and what a night it was.. Link) and of course Tarfside many times. I think I had imagined that Cougie would be like Loch Callater. I could not have been more wrong!

Since I was in no hurry, I was the last, of the few people that also camped at the Jetty, to leave. It made for a nice panorama of the beach and up the loch in the morning sunshine. 

The jetty building at the edge of Loch Affric

My camping spot, as I gained the main track along the loch.

Looking back to the direction I had come down Glen Affric the day before.

As I started along the track, I spotted two deer on the hill above me. 

Better picture, when I moved into the light

Images of walking up the Glen

I have seen this sign post many times, but today I will make the right turn and head up the track toward Cougie. At this point, John had joined me. He had camped just behind me near the bridge that passes over the River Affric. 

More stunning views

A large fallen tree over the path 

Still more fantastic views 

My sightseeing was suddenly interrupted when the path abruptly ended into some hideous heather.

I still do not know where we missed the path. I later spoke to two different people that used two different routes getting up this section. So the correct path remains a mystery to me. Fortunately, this section was only about a half mile of heather bashing. I did feel bad for John bashing up the hill behind me.

We knew where we were going as we could see the fence line,  which contained a gate to pass through, so this horrible experience only lasted about 30 minutes! 

Having gained the fence and finding the gate, John wanted to take a break for a snack. I wanted to continue to the top of the climb before stopping. At the gate we regained a "normal" path that I could see, so I decided to press on up the hill. As soon as I looked up, I saw two Challengers Jim and Kristen. Both experienced Challengers. I had walked a few days with Jim in 2022. I stopped to chat for a bit and it did seem that Jim, who is normally a very strong walker, was struggling a bit. I chatted with Kristen and she confirmed Jim was moving a bit slowly today, but they would be fine. Might be a bit understandable at 79 years young. They would be stopping at Cougie for a break, so I knew that I could watch for them later this afternoon. 

I gained the road to toward Cougie, which was a bit of a relief and also found Clara from Denmark relaxing on a rock outcropping in the temporary Sun. This was a shock as I had passed her, also sitting on a rock in the Sun having breakfast along the path up Loch Affric, so she was well behind me, but had beaten me to this spot, but not passed me. She explained that she had taken a different "split" along the path that had taken her on the opposite side of the river, coming up the hill.... Still all very confusing. 

Clara and I walked along the road toward Cougie together. 

This was her first Challenge, but she was already a very accomplished hiker having done the Cape Wrath Trail. 

The scenery continued to be fantastic

We were passed by a group riding horses from Cougie and they stopped to chat and we got to pet the horses 

The time went by quickly chatting with Clara and we arrived at Cougie. Clara was moving on to Tomich, for the night, after a brief break here. 

Cougie is Melanie and Billy's home, along with their two young sons. The entire area includes the homes and land of their extended family as well.

They open their home once a year for the participants of the Challenge as a lunch stop for anyone and a full B&B if you want to stay the night. 

The enclosed porch area is turned into a cafe/dining room. 

View out the windows 

There is a lunch menu board of soups and sandwiches as well as dessert treats and drinks. They could not be more welcoming.

It was just past noon when I arrived, So I ordered an egg and sausage sandwich, and since it had to be 5 pm somewhere, a hard cider. 

Just a bit later, Andy and Carl finally arrived to meet up. I was also glad to see that Jim and Kristen showed up not too much later as well. Edit - Jim did finish his 15th successful Challenge and Kristen  her 14th @78 years young! Amazing

Cougie is completely off grid. No electricity, no WiFi, barely a bar of cell service. Billy runs the generator from 6pm to midnight so we can have lights and charge electronics. The property has a couple of external dorm buildings, with little kitchens and bathroom facilities for hikers as well as a nice flat grassy area behind the house for anyone wanting to tent camp. 

I opted for an inside stay and had this room to myself.

Later before dinner, Andy and Jeremy chatting in the living room.

The guitar only had 5 strings, so no music tonight. 😉

I think there were 12 Challengers here for the night.

The fire felt great and made it easy to dry out a few things 

The rest of the evening was spent chatting around the fire, drinking more cider and having a fabulous dinner.

I will say it plainly, this was probably the best hospitality I have ever experienced in any of my travels. Might be a combination of a couple of rough days, but Melanie and Billy looked after all the guests like they were actually friends visiting. They were always interested in our travels, what we might need to make us more comfortable. Mel and Billy could easily give a few pointers to any establishment I have stayed at in Scotland. On top of that the food! It was just fantastic. (so good I forgot to take pictures). The lasagna I had for dinner was surely the best I have ever eaten and the desserts..... My introduction to Toffy Pudding, and I doubt I will ever find its equal. I know I am gushing but it was a terrific stay and one I will always remember. 

Pack matches the chairs 🤣

The next morning breakfast was just as good and once we had eaten our fill and all packed up. I managed to persuade our hosts to pose for a photo

Of course, the whole gang had to get involved. 

L-R: Me, Andy, Carl, Billy, Melanie 

Day 3 Summary and Stats 

TGOC'26 Day 2 Maol-Bhuidhe Bothy to Loch Affric Jetty

 I had a good night sleep in the Bothy, despite a bit of snoring from my bothy mates, but it beats sleeping outside in the rain and putting away a wet tent.😁 When I looked at my plans, today was going to be a bigger day. It will not be particularly long, around 15 miles, but it turned out to be 21 miles! There will also be a couple of good elevation gains beginning right at the beginning of the day. 

I was up, packed and breakfast done, walking out the door just before 8 am. I was well before anyone else was ready, but at the moment it wasn't raining and I had a morning constitutional to get too, so I wanted to put some distance between me and any hikers coming after me! 

Just as I walked out the bothy and crossed the little steam right next to the bothy, it started to rain. It was drizzle then rain hard and hail, then stop and wait 20 minutes and the whole thing would repeat. You could tell when it was starting up again as the wind would start to blow much stronger as the wave approached. 

It was a steady climb all the way up the hill toward the bealach. 

The sky tried to console me with another rainbow, but I wasn't falling for it as another wave of rain and hail hit just as I reached the top. 

At the top was a long stone wall, then remnants of a structure

Over the bealach and great views for a long way. 

It was all downhill to reach Glen Eichaig, which is a really lovely glen. The stand of trees you see in the distance surrounds an abandoned home called Iron Lodge 

Reaching Iron Lodge, Vicky and I walked from Dornie to Iron Lodge, on our first day, in 2015. 

The switchbacks you see on the hill is the climb behind Iron Lodge to the Bealach Coire Ghaidheil, which takes you over the big hills into Glen Affric. 

Where I came from

Glen Eichaig

Lot of sheep with new lambs 

playing around 

Reaching the turn off, at Carnach, to reach the Falls. This is the bridge over Loch na Leitreach

Crossing the bridge looking up to that cleft on the left, that hides the Falls.

The Falls

My route up the Falls was directly next to the Falls. I would go up a little further and then cut over and you can see my route up the side below in yellow. 

Looking back down to the bridge I crossed at the loch. There was a much easier way (that is clearly marked on the map) you will see toward the end. Did I mentioned this route was two years in the making? Already, I could have made two changes that would have made life a bit easier. Not more adventurous or scenic, but just easier! 🤣

I was grateful that I seem to be climbing well with no issues in the first couple of days, which potentially were going to be the most strenuous, so all in all, I was feeling pleased. 

That feeling didn't last long. I gained Glenn Gniomhaidh. I would not even try to pronounce this Glen, but it turns out to be simple Gniomhaidh (YOH-wee).

It was not simple to walk however! The map shows a path, but in many cases a path on the OS maps means a path might have been there 50-100 years ago to drive sheep or cattle, but no longer exists on the ground. This is one of those glens. 

If it would have been hot, I would have taken a swim here.

You can however forgive the lack of track with the wonderful scenery and complete feeling of aloneness. I did not see another person for my entire trip down this glen. I could have been the only person to ever walk here. The views of the surrounding hills, most still with snow and the lochs and lochans were spectacular. 

I walked down this glen was about 5 miles with no sign anyone had ever been here, until you reach this point and suddenly there is a path that looks like it came straight from a National Park in the US.  Flat, compacted, engineered for comfort, and a sign that says heavy machinery in use. What? here? where? As far as I can see there is nothing. 

I am thinking,  if this path continues all the way to the bottom of the glen, this will be heaven. Then I turned a corner and WHAM, heavy machinery and the path just vanishes in mud, almost as fast as it had appeared. 

Picking my way past the "construction" site. There is about 3 miles left in this glen, but there is now a thin gravely path that appears and leads the rest of the way. 

The closer I get to Glen Affric that better the path becomes. 

Entering Glen Affric you arrive at the YHA (youth hostel association) bothy called Alltbeithe (meaning Birch Stream). You will find many Alltbeithe's on a map of Scotland... It can all be very confusing.

It was now around 4:30 pm. A long day for sure as I was walking at 8am and had covered around 16 miles (20km). I had arranged to meet Andy and Carl here and camp somewhere near by for the night. However,  they were no where to be found. I waited around for a bit, figuring that at 4:30 I could not have beaten them here, they were just coming from Shiel Bridge, as this was their first day, at the head of Glen Affric. 

I concluded that they must be up ahead as there are several very nice camping spots close to the YHA Bothy. So I started down the Glen. 

Glen Affric is considered by many to be of the most beautiful glens in Scotland, sharing the title with Glen Feshie. I would however include Glen Quoich, which I walked in 2024

So the conclusion of this day is I never found Andy and Carl. I just kept walking the additional 4 miles to the Jetty at the mouth of Loch Affric

Passing over the River Affric as it reaches the Loch. Another rainbow looking to make up for the rainy cold day. 

Perhaps the rainbow was not apologizing as much as promising as the evening turned out to be very fine.

A great reward for 21 miles of walking

Dinner was made while watching rainbows over the loch. 

A couple of vitamin I and a spectacular calm evening, and you are reminded why you signed up for this "challenge"

Day 2 Stats and Summary

My anticipated route is in blue, the extra mileage from the YHA to Loch Affric is in red. The yellow detour is the easier route I could have taken to reach the top of the Falls

My garmin watch died at the YHA. The distance and time only cover to the YHA, so add 4 miles to this and about 90 minutes to this.

not much additional elevation gain walking past the YHA to the Jetty. 

almost 2000' today (600m)