On my last post I covered the dangers of the crazed serial killers who lurk the length of the Great Glen Way in the Scottish Highlands (Walk of Terror).

Turns out there is a worse danger … hills.

I set off yesterday from Fort Augustus, hoping for a long but straightforward 40 mile walk. I knew it would be a challenge to be on my feet for that length of time, but I had decided to give it a shot.

Things I hadn’t taken into consideration were that I’m not as fit as I thought I was – and the Great Glen Way is not the flat loch-side walk I thought it was. Bloody hell, it goes up and down and up and down and up and down and…

One of the reasons I like solo long-distance walking is because the solitude gives me time to think about my writing, impossible when I’m panting and sweating and my heart is hammering with uphill effort.

As I took so long on the ascents, I decided to run the descents to make up time – but ended up bashing my toes in my walking boots.

All in all, by the time I had done 22 miles in 8 hours, my feet were pretty sore and I felt exhausted. I couldn’t face another 6 hours. So I bailed out and got a bus back to Inverness from Drumnadrochit.

I feel bad that I didn’t manage to do what I set out to do, but I’ll go back and finish the last 18 miles, maybe even next weekend.

6.30am. Why am I doing this?

Worth it for the early morning view down Loch Ness

8am, high up breakfast of pasta, tuna, sweetcorn and mayo

Descent into Invermoriston. Did I mention the hills?

Pretty primrose at the edge of the deep dark wood.

Primroses everywhere!

Tree trap?

Found a quaint pottery/cafe in the middle of nowhere

Rested my aching feet outside the pottery cafe with this fur-ball beside me. Took me a while to work out if it was a cat, rabbit or dog. Take a guess!

Even though this looks delicious, it was the worst coffee I’ve ever had. Bitter, bleuch. I couldn’t drink it.

Getting close to Drumnadrochit and my mind has turned to bus timetables…!