Blue skies, low winds and surprisingly high temperatures. Most people would be relieved with this forecast for their first solo long-distance hike, but all I could think of was sunburn, heat stroke and excessive back-of-the-knee sweat.
But I needn’t have worried as I nervously walked through Fort William under gloomy skies and made my way to the start of the Great Glen Way for a 79-mile, five-day walk from Fort William to Inverness. My stomach churned with anticipation and panic as I felt the unexpected rain soak into my windbreaker and realised I hadn’t packed my waterproof. It was a frustrating schoolboy error and only fuelled the self-doubt that I had been trying to dampen in the weeks leading up to today.
A personal challenge
A few months before, I decided it was finally time to set myself a solo challenge and make the most of having the Great Glen Way on my doorstep. Although I’d done a fair bit of hillwalking on my own, the thought of spending five days relying on myself for navigation felt a bit daunting. But the Great Glen Way seemed a safe choice, being less than two hours away from home at its furthest point and with my husband on speed-dial for when I inevitably tripped over my own feet or got lost.
Making it happen
Despite knowing I had to walk 21 miles for my first day, I felt surprisingly chirpy once the rain stopped and I made my way along the Caledonian Canal passing the Caol shipwreck and Neptune’s Staircase. The first ten miles flew by and before I knew it, I had reached Gairlochy feeling somewhat cocky. Big mistake. After strolling along the shores of Loch Lochy my feet began to sting and by the time I hobbled into my home for the night, Laggan Locks, I realised I had multiple blisters. Disaster.
The beginning of blister hell
On day two, I entered blister hell and never left. Within half an hour of leaving my accommodation, I wasn’t convinced I could carry on for another day, never mind another four. This was by far my most challenging day and as much of a mental battle as it was a physical one, which wasn’t helped by unexpected steep diversions, a lack of scenery to distract me and having to walk on my tiptoes to relieve the pain from my substantial heel blisters. Twelve miles later, I shuffled into Fort Augustus close to tears and was greeted by my ‘support crew’, ie my husband and our dog, who had driven down to offer much-needed moral support. On arrival, I had been questioning whether I’d overestimated my capabilities and would be able to complete this challenge, but after being treated to a steak pie dinner, fresh clothes, a change of shoes and mountains of Compeed, spirits were high!
Powering through
After surviving a night in a shared hostel room with a man who snored and another one parading around in very small pants, I was ready to get this painful show on the road again. As I left Fort Augustus on day three, I climbed high above the treeline and was rewarded with glorious views down to Loch Ness and along the length of the Caledonian Canal. At one point I stopped for a snack break surrounded by sunshine and birdsong and realised I was enjoying myself. A new sensation! Later in the day, as I sat on a wet picnic bench enjoying some apple sorbet in the rain with my boots off and my feet in a carrier bag, I felt slightly feral but completely convinced that I could do this after all. The blisters and I had become one and I accepted they weren’t going anywhere. I knew they would slow me down, but I was determined to make it to the finish line no matter what.
Day four was a mix of emotions as I walked 12 miles towards home. I still had one more day to go but knowing I could sleep in my own bed tonight after a bath and a home-cooked meal felt like luxury. It was another day spent high above the trees under a cloudless sky looking down onto a glittering Loch Ness and there were so many lovely moments of chatting to others on the trail and realising how lucky I was to be there. At other times, I felt unreasonably furious at how close I was to home yet how long it would take to get there on foot. A day of two halves! I walked the last few miles with two new friends I met on the trail which helped to lift our spirits as we hobbled in painful, silent solidarity for the last 15 minutes on the approach into Drumnadrochit.
Eyes on the prize
Dragging myself out of my own bed for a 19-mile walk on the fifth and final day was a challenge, but I was a woman on a mission. My strategy for the day was to pop some painkillers and walk as fast as I could for as long as I could. It was yet another steep, energy-sapping climb to start the day, but I powered on and even started to overtake people for the first time in five days. My smugness soon wore off, as did the painkillers, and my feet were in bits for the final five miles into Inverness and the slow, painful descent. But I could not have been happier to finally spot my husband standing at the finish line next to the conveniently located pub. A pint and a pizza quickly numbed my painful feet, and I was already pondering my next potential challenge as I celebrated!
Reflections
A solo, multi-day, long-distance walk was way out of my comfort zone but once I believed I could get to the finish line, pushing through the tough moments became so much easier. Breaking it down mile-by-mile kept me focused and I felt surprisingly liberated walking alone, especially when I realised I was one of the few solo females on the trail that week. The thought of another solo adventure no longer fills me with fear and dread and I’m genuinely excited to discover what I can achieve next. Lessons have been learnt, however, and I will be thoroughly researching blister prevention tactics before any future boot-based endeavours!
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Biography
Inverness-based Lynsey has lived in the Highlands since 2022 and enjoys exploring Scotland, writing, spending time outdoors and being dragged up hills by her four-legged adventure buddy, George.
IG: @lynseyoutdoors
