On this day we went to explore the capital city of the highlands...Inverness. Usually either of us (me or my husband) plans the entire trip from deciding the walking route to printing the route maps and checking the timings of buses or trains to and fro. But this particular Sunday was a deviation in terms of the usual preparation that goes into our planning and yet it is one of the most memorable hiking experience.
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| High Street....The city is yet to wake up!! |
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| What lays beyond the High Street... |
My husband previously lived here and on numerous occasions I had heard him quote Inverness as a very quiet and beautiful place, great for biking etc... So to satiate his nostalgia, we got on the morning train to Inbhir Nis (Inverness in gaelic.. which means mouth of river Ness) and onboard I was asked to choose between climbing a hill or walking along the river. I am so glad that I chose the latter, to walk along the caledonian canal.
Unlike most places, the walk can begin right from the high street. End of the high street is marked by a bridge on the river Ness that provides a spectacular view of either side, especially the one with the red sandstone Castle (that is currently not open for public and functions as a court house). It is a historic city that stood witness to two great wars and still has some very old buildings that forms part of the heritage trail popular among tourists. King Duncan and his murderer, the famous Macbeth both ruled this north most city in highlands of Scotland.
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| Inverness castle perched on the banks of Ness |
River Ness coursing through the settlement adds to the charm and beauty of this serene city that sits amidst the surrounding hills. The city that stands divided by water stays connected by several pearly white bridges (for pedestrians and cyclists) across Ness. Banks on either side of Ness are lined by houses and I wonder how refreshing it would be to wake up in one of them looking at the sun rising behind the mountains and casting silhouettes of birds on the crystal clear river.
While walking along the River after crossing the bridge, it was hard to believe that we were in heart of the city. It was exhilarating to hear the sound of rapping water while walking along its bank. Within the city there are many idyllic walking trails, specially the ones connecting the ness islands, which is a great place for birding. Well! that is reserved for some other weekend as this day, we planned to walk till the Dochgarroch lock, which forms a part of the Great glen way (117 Km long walking route) that extends till Fort William via the famous loch Ness.
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| Walk in the city centre |
We were very lucky as it was mostly a bright and warm day. Though, there were patches of clouds, the wind was on our side pushing the whites across the sky to let the sun smile on us. And the unobscured sunshine made it possible to capture some of the most beautiful pictures of this picturesque town.
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Yet another bridge
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| I could sit here whole day long... |
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| Wait for surprise beyond the antiquated steps |
After spending an hour admiring the beauty of the city, when I had almost depleted my reserve of vocabulary, we finally decided to move on and find the path that would take us to the Caledonian canal to begin our actual walk. Instead of taking the road beside a children's park (which is the usual route), in a row of confusion, we walked into the park and had to cross a small stream to get back on the right track. But I must say it was more beautiful and exciting than the dull tar road that would have taken us to the starting point.
After the long jump over the stream, there was a muddy rugby field to be crossed, that led to a set of rustic wooden stairs. what lay beyond was breathtaking. We were on a path with burbling river Ness on one side and the calm Caledonian canal on the other. The site was so mesmerising that I kept looking at it to fill the canvas of my imagination. I wondered how vibrant this place would appear during the summers with more greens adorning the scene.
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| What can I say about this one.... |
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| One was not enough... had to turn back |
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| Looking back again |
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| Looks like a painting.... |
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| So blue!! |
The walk continued on a towpath along the two water bodies for almost 3 miles, providing some pleasant views that changed with each bend of the canal. After a while, Ness meandered away from sight, only to return in view half a mile before our destination. There were small islands in the river, breaking the monotony of the coursing water, that are also home to many species of birds and trees. Apart from the shade of blue, distant hills and farmlands on the far side provided a contrasting character to the setting.
After anticipating for a long time, that the destination was only few yards away we started feeling tired. There was a small trail of footsteps across really tall browning grass that led to the river. So, we took a detour towards the river and the site was absolutely blissful. Second time that day we had our snack break beside the blue of Ness and the overgrown grass on the bank provided the perfect cushion. On the other bank we could see the sheep busily grazing and few were homewards as dusk was closing in.
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| Almost there... |
As we were getting close to the destination we could see array of colourful boats docked at the edge of the canal. They looked like fishing boats and some of them were very fancy. Straight ahead we could see peaks with some reminiscent snow, though I'm not sure if that was Ben Nevis ( highest mountain in British isles).
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| After a long walk finally at the destination.... |
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| Still some snow on peaks afar... |
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| Dockgarroch Lock |
Caledonian canal extends about 60 miles, which was built in the early 19th century and it stills remains pretty much the same after almost 200 years. only one third of its length is man made while, rest is formed by four lochs (lake). In summers, many cruise boats take people on tour in caledonian canal, to explore the scenery, history and mystery of highlands. we saw Jacobite queen, one of the tour boats docked while returning back to the city. There is also a nice tearoom at Dochgarrock lock that additionally offers great collectibles. Unfortunately, it was closed when we reached there.
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| Chirpy residents |
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| Taking a U-turn |
During summers there is a lot of activity on water with many people visiting the place but today it was just two of us and the exuberant birdies wadding in the quiet water of the canal. This path further extends till Fort William but we took a U-turn here to return on the far side bank, which lacked the view that we enjoyed while walking on the other bank. We walked at a fast pace to catch the early evening train but the effort was in vain. Once we realised we can't be fast enough to make it in time we slowed down and enjoyed the beautiful sun set.
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| Mallards having a nice time |
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| Journey back.. |
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| Time for sun to go home... |
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| Beautiful colour palette |
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| The Jacobite Queen in distance |
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Found the starting point.....finally!!!
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The perfect lighting
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By the time we reached the city centre it was almost dark. We crossed the river by walking down on one of the bridges and went to the castle entrance on the other bank. Bathed in artificial light it was shining like a jewel in the dark of night. The glow from the street lamps provided perfect lighting for a romantic evening along the river bank but at that moment my mind was busy conjuring up images of delectable dishes. So, it was time to hunt for a place to have a meal and relax those legs that had been on work since morning without a break.
The eventful day ended with a grand dinner at an Indian restaurant, before boarding the last train back home. I was in awe with the place, so to experience more of its magic and splendour, we have planned a walking holiday, on the Great Glen way, all the way to Fort william via Loch Ness during the summer.
Looking forward to the trip!!!
I might get lucky to catch a glimpse of Nessie (legendary monster inhabiting Loch Ness).
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Radiant fortress against the night sky
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