I love living in Inverness! Maybe because I’m not originally from here, I still get that buzz when I discover a new place, uncover more of its historic past or make new friends. It’s officially a city but it feels like a big village to me!! 🙂 . It has everything I need – plenty of shops, restaurants, cinemas, bars, parks and attractions but at this time of year, for me, the best thing about Inverness is that I have an abundance of wild and beautiful nature on my doorstep!
It was mid September, the weather was looking good and after a morning of cooking breakfasts and room services, I decided that we needed to recharge our batteries! Richard was happy to oblige and we agreed that another visit to Glen Affric was in order. Sometimes you just need to feel the warm, autumn sun on your face, hear leaves crunching under your feet and breathe in the crisp, clean air.
Now don’t get me wrong, the surrounding countryside is glorious in the summer months too, it’s just we don’t often get the chance to visit as our wee Inverness B&B keeps us very busy for the majority of the year. There’s just something invigorating about Scotland in the autumn, the colours in trees, the purple heather, the clear, blue skies and the lowering sun that’s really good for your soul (and makes for a cracking photo or two!). It’s also magical to see these stunning landscapes in the winter months too, covered with a blanket of white, untouched snow (that’s the landscape that’s covered and hopefully not you! 🙂 ).
We packed our rucksack, put on our sturdy walking boots and donned our waterproof jackets (better safe than sorry) and drove the 1 hour journey to Glen Affric from our Inverness B&B. It’s a scenic drive, along the banks of Loch Ness and then heading inland at Drumnadrochit. Some of the route is single track roads and some of the road is very bumpy but take it slow and you should be fine.
We always use the Walk Highlands website for all the information we need for any type of outdoors excursion.
We parked in the free car park. There are no services here so take your own water and food but there are picnic tables. Please note there are no toilets. You can walk directly to the waterfall but we’d recommend doing the longer walk, following the green and white path markers. It’s a woodland walk with impressive Douglas Firs and a clear path. I love walking a trail through woods, it’s so peaceful, the light and atmosphere are unique. Listening to the birds and hoping for a glimpse of a red squirrel. I immediately feel any tension and stress disappear and enjoy just experiencing my surroundings.
The walk takes about an hour with the best bit kept til last. We arrive at the foot of the waterfall and it’s superb! All that rain we’d had a few weeks back has made for a spectacular show! The path leads you closer to the falls where you experience the noise and the spray. On the other side of the path you can see the remains of what is probably a viewing path from the Victorian era – they were brave back then is all I can say!
Follow the path up the hill and you come to the viewing platform. Now it’s my turn to be brave. It’s an amazing and scary experience, just don’t drop your phone over the edge!!
Back to the car park we go. Feeling refreshed, energised and calm (also a bit peckish). We drive back to Drumnadrochit with just enough time to enjoy a cup of fresh coffee and a tasty, homemade cake in one of the brilliant cafes in the village. What a superb day it’s been.
