Sisters Trip - Ariundle Wood NNR to Fort William, Nevis and Glencoe

Already the holiday was nearing an end, time had flown by but there was still a few wee things to see and do.  First a drive from Morar down to Ariundle NNR, again taking in the scenery on the way:

This particularly pleasant spot is Acharacle, can you see the Red-breasted Merganser on the river?

Ariundle was an absolute delight we saw Chequered Skipper (a 100% hit rate of target species for Jenny), and loads of dragonflies including this Four-spotted Darter:

It's a lovely setting:

And with lots of interesting wildlife to catch the eye of the passer-by:

 From Ariundle we drove North to Fort William, stopping to catch the car ferry that is part of the A861, and then to our hotel overlooking Neptune's Staircase.

The following morning it was Ben Nevis o'clock for the three nutters, sorry i mean willing volunteers.  The visitor centre was closed til 9am though so Helen and I had to surrender our only water to make sure the three climbing Sisters had sufficient supplies, we dropped them and then headed to the Glen Nevis gorge car park for our own walk, into woodland at first:

This soon becomes a narrow gorge which unexpectedly then suddenly opens out into a huge glacial valley, worn down now by the Water of Nevis:

We stopped under Steall falls to admire the view, though i suspect in snow-melt it will be an even more spectacular sight: 

We waded the stream, carefully, as the water was freezing and the rocks slippery:

And got about as far as we felt we could safely go without water, roughly 2.5 to 3 miles in, before turning around:

From the car park we drove up to Spean Bridge as i've wanted to see the Commando Memorial there for some time:

And then had a well deserved cuppa.  Meanwhile....

When we got the call to collect the walkers we did so, dropping them off at the hotel before Helen dragged us back out for another walk.  This time along the Great Glen Way down to Corpach and the lock that accesses the two sea lochs, all the while with a clear Ben Nevis in sight:

We all achieved something that day, some more than others, but smiles all round at dinner and the odd sore foot no doubt too.

Our last day together involved mostly driving home,

However we did build in a short walk, a 'leg loosener' at the entrance to Glencoe, Ballachulish to be precise and the Brecklet path above the former quarry with views of Loch Leven:

The path winds on through plantation forest:

Growing up, around and through abandoned homes and farms from a long abandoned settlement:

From there it was time for the jaw-dropping drive through Glencoe and home for a last dinner together before people started heading off to their various homes.

Scotland had delivered, despite Mull, it's beautiful, vast and poetic a landscape and country and we've barely scratched the surface of it...