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Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Jeremy, this is very helpful for a first timer who doesn't know the area well to help me break things down into more manageable chunks. Thanks for sharing.

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Hi Matt,

I took am very much considering a Dornie or Malliag start at this point. Oban would be the easiest for me I think as I need to take into consideration public transport and travel time from London but as you said, all the interesting stuff seems pretty far away.

Very helpful to read your process on putting your route together, seems a sensible approach and I've started doing the same- plotting some interesting sites and social hubs and trying to link them up.

I hope your planning goes well and perhaps see you in May!

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Melissa -

Dornie is a great start point. Take the sleeper to Inverness, the morning train to Kyle of Lochalsh, and the afternoon bus from Kyle to Dornie. Spend the night at the Dornie Hotel and you're right on the spot to sign the register next morning.

Alternatively, from Kyle you can walk across that controversial bridge thing, down through Skye to Kylrea and take the turntable ferry to Glenelg. Same principel applies.

Or, if you don't feel like riding the train all the way to Kyle, you can hop off it at either Strathcarron or Plockton. Both are Challenge start points.

You'll find a lot of fellow Challengers on the sleeper ... and a gathering at the Bree Louise (just to the west of Euston) the evening before it sets sail.

You can even leave all your maps in the Bree Louise, and somebody will dash onto the platform with them and hand them to you a couple of minutes before the train departs ...

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Haha! Sounds like someone has discovered the Bree Louise map delivery service first hand

Great tips, thanks a lot Jeremy, very helpful.

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Melissa
Haha! Sounds like someone has discovered the Bree Louise map delivery service first hand


You can read all about it in my blog:

http://tworoutes.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-2015-challenge-getting-to-start-1.html


(You've got to copy-and-paste into your browser's address bar, I'm afraid, because I'm not clever enough to do one of those clicky links)

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Jeremy Burrows

(You've got to copy-and-paste into your browser's address bar, I'm afraid, because I'm not clever enough to do one of those clicky links)

As if by magic....

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Judith

As if by magic....


... a clever person appears

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Jeremy Burrows
Judith

As if by magic....


... a clever person appears


Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Dornie start for me.
Across to N Affric Hills.
Sleeper Wed to Inverness with aperitifs in the Bree.
Then Citylink bus to Dornie.

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

The way my planning is looking, think I might be a Dornie start too. Quite attracted by starting and ending the walk with a castle - Eilean Donan to Dunnottar.

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Ha! I'm thinking exactly the same thing. Still early days but nice to have a theme, and might throw in some more castles along the way.

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Exactly. I've been struggling to narrow down the choices and having been attracted to Dunnottar as a finish the logical thought was start at a castle too. Then I started thinking about adding some more in. So current thinking is to head through Glen Affric to Dumnadrochit and Urquhart castle, find a way across the Monadhliath somehow, then Glen Feshie to Braemar for another castle. It ticks off a decent number of the things I wanted to include so that's the way my route is looking so far...

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Yes, for a peace-loving people we have a surprising number of brochs, duns, caisteals, forts and fortified houses; for defence purposes, of course. One of the simplest but most atmospheric is the vitrified Pictish fort near Drumnadrochit at NH 499 295.

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

John -

You make the classic error of those not schooled in mediaeval warfare, of thinking that castles are DEFENSIVE in nature. They are not. They are OFFENSIVE in nature.

A castle is the principal means by which you can maintain an army in the field in hostile territory, dominate the surrounding area, subjugate the people, suppress any uprisings before they can gather cohesion and coherence, and choose whether, and when, and where to offer battle to any hostile force in the field.

Castles, by and large, are evidence of ht ehostility of the invader, not the people invaded. Why do you think Longshanks threw a ring of castles around Wales? To subdue the people. Why do you think Bruce tore down th castles of Scotland? So they could no longer be used by the English as a tool for the oppression of the Scots people.

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Jeremy, you'll be telling me next that the wall across Northern England was built by the Romans; we all know that it was actually built by the Southern Picts who wanted to leave a pan European Union. How times have changed!

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

john donohoe
you'll be telling me next that the wall across Northern England was built by the Romans


Don't be silly, John. The Romans had slaves to do their manual labour for them!

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

Your history books, influenced by Saxon, Viking and Norman conquerors, clearly don't cover the activities of the United Pictland Independence Party, UPIP, and their heroic struggle to take back control, Prexit.

Re: First Timer Just Getting Started

I normally manage to pick unsociable routes! All my challenge reports are at www.meip.co.uk so if you want company avoid my routes!