Miles: 66. Wildlife: seals, salmon and cormorants. Camper Vans: 9. Steps: 12043.
Cost of pre-bought food: £7.50 approximately
Extra costs: nil
7 and ¾ hours! That’s how much sleep I had last night. A-ma-zing! This quirky hotel is dark and silent. And I was ever so slightly knackered.
We didn’t need to leave the hotel until 8:30am and boy did we make the most of the extra time. Even though we were awake at 6:15, we lounged around for a good while and pondered the day ahead.
We had a breakfast of porridge, banana and seeds with a proper mank cup of coffee. Down the drain it went.
The first stop of the day was a short drive away and arriving at 9am meant we were only one of two cars there. Reelig Glen Tall Trees trail takes approximately one hour if you don’t take any photo breaks. And we took a rather lengthy pitstop when out of the trees bounced a very happy puppy. Yes, you guessed it, gone was my concentration and even any pain I still had in my back. Down to my knees on the muddy floor I went and up at me did this special little guy jump. Oh my gosh the puppy love. And his very big feet! His owners soon followed and we stood chatting for quite some time about photography and travelling the UK. Puppy Mungo kept running off to explore but was so good at coming back when either Alison or Paul called.
The glen itself was full of lush green ferns and autumn colours underfoot. The small river calmly passed by with the occasional babbling noise over rocks and twigs. Above the tree canopy the run had risen and the sky showed hints of blue. Although wet and steep in places the visit was made by the discovery of a very old stone bridge which left to the woodland has grown wild itself. Ferns and grasses have welcomed the stone back to the forest floor by laying their carpet upon it.
Happy to have made the short trip we refueled with a breakfast bar courtesy of our food store in the car and set off for our next port of call.
Chanonry point has long been one of the big draws for me on this trip. With regular sightings of dolphins I knew I needed to check it out. On arrival I was pleasantly surprised at the number of car park spaces and all the benches and seats from which you could gaze out to the water. Over time the chunky wooden table tops have weather to such a degree that they have started to curve out of shape. I was reminded how extreme the weather can get in Scotland and was glad of the fairly mild weather we have so far experienced.
With binoculars in hand we sat in quiet patience watching the calm waters of the Moray Firth. The odd cormorant kept diving for his lunch as we kept out vigil. With no dolphin in sight I scoured the waters for movement. And there it was. A rounder shape than expected but something was there. A seal. Not too far from the water’s edge. Happily swimming along. Unreal. For the next hour or so we kept a eager eye out for more movement and although we didn’t see any dolphins we saw at least six more seals bobbing up and diving back under. The whole scene was so peaceful.
In front of me I had the Queen’s funeral on my phone and I am so glad to say I could pay my respects by tuning in. It is not often you can see history literally written before your eyes and as the sun made its way across the sky chasing away the clouds and dancing its light on the waters before me I was reminded to take every opportunity to make your life great. I feel very privileged to be able to travel the way I do and make these memories. Life is too short. We spent longer than intended at Chanonry point. We used our travel kettle to make some tea, had a spot of lunch and continued our glancing up at the Moray Firth to catch a glimpse of wildlife. The waters current there is what brings such a variety of life to its depths and from our seats we could see the different textures of water on the surface. It was simply beautiful.
After slurping our tea, we left for Fairy Glen Falls. It is a very short drive from Chanonry point and even though the free car park was exceptionally full we were able to find space in the Rosemarkie community car park. Which as well as being free has toilets too. Winner!
The walk to Fairy Glen Falls is pretty enough but having experienced quite a few lush green woodlands and their waterfalls I feel we have been extremely spoiled in the past. As pretty as this place is and a wonderful spot to while away an hour I’m unsure it has the wow factor.
Now, Rogie Falls on the other hand…
The falls sit a very short way from the car park and even though it has some steep sections I have taken the approach to speed up to lessen the impact on my back and it definitely made a difference. The falls themselves are enormous. Not too tall, but wide and vast in stature. If I hadn’t known any better I would have thought I’d been transported to Canada. The ferocity of the water was mind boggling as it crashed over the scattered boulders in the gorge. Here you will find a suspension bridge that puts you front and centre to the power of this monster!
We took the Salmon Trail from the car park and you might be wondering why it is named so. Well if you are visiting between August and October, you may well find out. From the pools beneath the thundering falls came the wriggling bodies of salmon trying to make their way upstream. At first I whooped with complete glee at their appearance. I could not help myself. It was like nothing I have ever seen before and I was sure I could hear David Attenborough in my head marveling at the scene unfolding.
The salmon, truth be told, had no chance of reaching the top of the falls but they gave it a bloody good go. There is another smaller route nearby, a man-made salmon ‘ladder’ and we also saw some making the journey up that way. It was a spectacle I will not forget for a very long time. Absolutely fascinating.
After realising we had been there for over half an hour just waiting for another fish to attempt the vault we tore our eyes away from the water to drive back to our accommodation. At the top viewpoint we took one final glimpse and cheered at the last salmon as it made the biggest leap yet.
What a day. Seals, a puppy and salmon. Oh my!
Cost of pre-bought food: £8.05 approximately, all meals
Extra costs: Nothing
Title photo by Dave Watson
Please check out his work on https://www.instagram.com/davewatson_uk/ or at https://davewatson1980.picfair.com
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