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)