With the sun shining on our backs, it was time to head to the northernmost point on our trip; Ben Nevis. It seemed like a long way to go without seeing the UK’s highest peak first-hand, so we headed along the A82 to Fort William. The Infiniti Q50 handled the roads perfectly and the drive itself was breathtaking…
Now, apologies to the good folk of Fort William in advance, but the town itself is a real throwback to the forgotten seaside havens that probably had their heyday back in the 1990s. The real star attraction, of course, was Mr Nevis; standing at more than 4,000ft tall it was actually a lot wider than I had envisaged. After a few obligatory snaps, it was back down the A82 for our next bed for the night, at Straithfillan Wigwams.
As the Scottish weather began to unleash a slightly darker mood, we pulled up to the wigwam with no real expectations or idea on what we would find. To our pleasant surprise, each wigwam had all the mod-cons that put it firmly in the ‘glamping’ category. You won’t find running water or a toilet in each hut, but they are spacious, clean and feel rather homely. In our Big Chief Wigwam, there were plug sockets, lights and a heater. We were confident that it would be a cosy night’s sleep and so headed out for a stroll to the nearby waterfall.
With the miles clocked up for the day, it was time for dinner. At this point, I should give a special mention to site manager Rena, who made sure we were stocked up for the evening with exotic meats such as elk burgers, ostrich steaks and kangaroo sausages. In a truly outdoor experience, we cooked these up over an open fire in a caveman-esque manner. Everything else was slightly more civilised. For dessert? Marshmallows. For drinks? Well, whiskey of course.
As the sun set, it was time for bed. The next day would involve traversing Loch Lomond followed by a Houdini switch with the car. Then, it would be time to prepare for the very important white tie ball…