Day 13 - Lochinver (68 kms) - " It's Scotland & it's wet" !

There's something cathartic about standing in a glacial scarred wilderness in an ice cold wind getting soaked to your skin. It frees the mind to consider life's imponderables such as how could the Scots have possibly ever invented golf when its never dry enough to play and how could anyone think that Mel Gibson was being fashionable in running across this landscape in a dress without undies !

We left Kinklochbervie to the sounds of the local cuckoo birds which seemed pretty appropriate considering the ominous weather forecast for the day.

It was a slow grind climbing past numerous lochs and through barren landscapes. In between showers we finally made the hamlet of Kylesku scenically located at the head of two lochs .

While trying to dry out we had the scumptious smoked Salmon and Haddock fish pie and of course a pot of hot tea large enough to allow us to shelter from another passing downpour !

The climb straight after lunch took us up a 10% gradient and it didn't seem to get much easier over the next 10 kms going up a number of switchbacks before finally descending to the black waters of Loch Assynt.

As luck would have it our change of direction heading towards Lochinver took us now straight into the face of a strong northerly making progress slow and causing Monika's already strained knees to start playing up again

As broody and gloomy as the landscape was this is the same landscape that has inspired writers and painters over the years. This is what Scotland is all about.

After nearly 2 hours of battling the northerly we entered the picturesque (well it would be if the sun was out) village of Lochinver. We sought out our B&B to dry out our gear and assess our battle scars for the day

Tomorrow we've somehow got to get around or over the numerous peaks between here and Ullapool so we catch our late afternoon ferry to the outer Hebrides.