The Co-op in Drumnadrochit is quite small, so don't expect a huge selection. If you're staying in a B&B or hotel, they should hold a parcel for you. You should be able to buy gas in Braemar and food supplies should be better. I generally only post freeze dried main meals as other food can be sourced from local shops.

There are shops and/or supmarkets in Drumnadrochit, Aviemore, Braemar. Most B&Bs, YHA's will take in parcels sent ahead. Personally I have not needed to send prior parcels, unless it's specific dehydrated package meals, as there are plenty of opportunities to purchase supplies en route.

You can not send fuel by post.There is no place to buy fuel in Drumnachdrochit to my knowledge but you can buy it Aviemore and Braemar.

If you arrive at Tarfside late and all seats for dinner have been taken then you can order from the nice young lady from 'The Retreat" who will come around the Sportsfield and take your order. They deliver the meals back to the Sportsfield about 30/45 minutes later

The next morning you can partake of a full english breakfast at "The Retreat" which is under 2 km down the road en route to Edzell.

In Edzell everyone stops at the "Tuck Inn" for lunch and don't forget to purchase some pies from the butchers they are superb!

On the assumption you are going via North Water Bridge, there is no supplies there hence the pie purchases in Edzel.

If you do post anything, be sure to send it enough in advance that it’ll arrive before you do. And, you might want to avoid mailing things you can’t do without if you don’t get the parcel (maps that can’t be replaced locally, for example). I mailed a box to Dalwhinnie from Oban on the Thursday before the Challenge started last year. I walked to Dalwhinnie faster than the parcel traveled there. I had to wait around for the post on Friday, hoping the box would arrive. I could have replaced the maps and some food I’d dehydrated, but not the contact lenses and an inhaler I’d mailed. (Luckily, the package arrived on Friday). I’m pretty sure a box I mailed to Montrose took two weeks from Oban (getting there the day I did).

If you are heading over Lochnagar after leaving Braemar, a useful resupply point I found last year is the Spittal of Glen Muick visitor centre, Birkhall, Ballater, Aberdeenshire, AB35 5SU. You can get in touch with them via the Balmoral estate website. It meant I only had lunch to carry with me over Lochnagar last year and collected the final 3 day's worth of food on the other side of the mountain as I walked through the centre. They have a coffee machine there as well!

On my second Challenge (first solo) - I dutifully made up and sent 3 parcels ahead for resupplying myself. The first I was a day late collecting due to re-routing for bad weather so I was on my emergency rations by the time I collected it. The second parcel mostly went in the bin as I could not or didn't want to eat or carry what was in it. The third parcel was collected on my way home as I re-routed again and didn't get to it.

So now I do not send parcels ahead. I never pass a shop, cafe or pub without eating or stocking up. The only thing I still do is post maps home to myself when I've finished with them.

Generally I never carry more than 4 days food apart from some emergency rations which I often arrive with in Montrose.

It's a personal choice thing.