TGOC'24 Day 7 Laggan to Newtonmore Hostel May 16, 2024

Interlude:

Today is the shortest day for me on this year's crossing. I don't take zero days (a day with zero mileage), but I do try to have a nero day (a day with near zero miles), in this case 8ish miles from Laggan to Newtonmore. I think of this area as the half way point, Newtonmore lies along the main railroad line up the middle of Scotland at about the beginning to the Cairngorm Mountains. Blair Athol to the south and Kingussie and my favorite Aviemore to the north.  Newtonmore is the last of those four I have yet to visit.  This was also my chance to stay at the Newtonmore Hostel. The Hostel is run by Ali and Sue, the current coordinators for the TGO Challenge.

I was up early as usual, in my private room of the gymnasium, but no need to get going. First was over again to the Laggan Coffee Bothy for what became a rather large breakfast.

First the coffee, with some lovely latte art.

Then a sausage roll with Lorne sausage (my favorite). I do like the sausage rolls that are are inside the puffed pastry, but I understand that is more of an English thing than Scottish, but you can find them in shops and Co-Ops in the bigger towns. I also had scrambled eggs on toast. Yum

You can tell this is a family owned business as the same nice lady was out front each day and the same gentleman in the kitchen. I lingered over my breakfast and when I was done, I got a surprise of a little gift of a couple of magnets! What a lovely place this is and I hope they really thrive, and if the breakfast traffic that was coming in, as I left, is any indication, they will. 

Laggan Coffee Bothy and Gallery

This scene caught my eye as I left the café. The Church is across the street and this is where I was going to pitch my tent (behind the church). The church was beautiful in this light and I thought a striking photo 

Today is just a long walk on various roads. The first on the A86 and then the A889. The 86 being the much busier, but the 886 was a constant state of watching and listening, as well. Fortunately these only last a couple miles and I am at the hamlet of Catlodge. (cats are a theme today). I will get on minor roads for the remainder of the day.  

Looking to the North, I wondered why I didn't take to the hills today. I will talk about that more in a bit.

Arriving in Catlodge. A very old phone box stands at the corner.

This minor road is lined with farms but also fencing along each side of the road, so no place to get off the road. 

One of the problems, and there are a few, with walking along a road is that there is no place to do one's business. By late morning, all that breakfast and coffee had begun to work its way through me and I needed to find a place to dig a cat hole (another cat reference today 😁). One of the best hiking games is to find the most beautiful place to do the job. I think I did manage to find a very pretty view from my squatting position (below), and leave no trace. 

The road on the way to the Bridge of Trium climbs a fairly steep hill. In the left of center, below, you can see the hill called Creag Dhubh (756 meters/ 2480'). This is part of the end of the Monadhliath Mountain Range. It turns out to be an important feature in the area.

I came across very interesting landmarks that I had no idea I would see today. 

The first is the motto of the the Chattan Confederation. Of course the inscription on the plaque tickled my juvenile humor and I just cut it short to be Touch Not The Cat Butt!  Which made me laugh out loud

The monument is a testament to Ewan MacPherson. The Macpherson Clan was part of the Chattan Confederation. 

Just across the road is the geographic center stone of Scotland. 

(internet photo)

The view from the Center Stone is impressive. Creag Dhubh

Having mentioned it a couple of times today, I think the better route would have been the north side of the River Spey in the Monadhliath. Looking at the map it should have been possible to go up to Binnein Mor from Laggan and then weave around a bit to get up and over Creag Dhubh and then down into Newtonmore from the north. This would have been a much more interesting day and only added a bit more mileage, which was not a consideration today.

Well enough of that. Thoughts on routes for another day. My walk continued down the hill from the Center Stone past what had to be the biggest Rhodadendrum I have ever seen. and into the RV park called Invernahavon Caravan Park. This was a really nice RV site. I needed it as this was a very dry section with only fields for cattle and sheep, so not very good water, even if there had been some. The bridge of Truim goes over the River Spey just here, but the RV park had water from a tap, which was much easier.

Up the hill again and you join the Spey Side Way, a walking and biking trail that runs all the way to the East Coast and the City of Aberdeen. For now, it just takes me easily into Newtonmore a bit after 12 noon. 

The Newtonmore hostel sits at the beginning of the main downtown area. I originally walked past it as I missed the little sign on the gate for the turn. The hiker hostel sits behind the main residence house.

I walked into the center of town and found the Antler's Café for a coffee and called the hostel, as Google maps was useless for the correct address location. 

 

                                       

The hostel building for hikers 

I had grandiose plans for dinner in Newtonmore tonight, but Everything closed so early, between 2:30 and 5 pm. First I needed to do laundry, go to the Co-Op for resupply and take a shower. While I was in the Co-op, I found some pre-made pasta and sides and decided just to eat in the Hostel. It was a quite night as Ali, Mick and Gayle were getting ready to leave for Montrose, in the morning, to set up Challenge Control in the Park Hotel.

Ali showed me how to use the spin dryer! 😆 It turned out to be a very quiet evening, Everyone drifted away and I was left being the only person spending the night in the hostel. I ate my premade food, made sure my clothes got dry and it was off to bed I went. The long days would start again tomorrow. 

                                                        

Today's route and Elevation profile.