Knoydart

Mountains, some still with snow, soaring from sparkling Loch Nevis to a clearing sky and fresh sea air in the face.

As a way to get to work this takes a bit of beating; the short voyage from Mallaig across Loch Nevis to Inverie in Knoydart. I'm sure I have blipped from here already but Knoydart is very remote indeed outwith boat access. The nearest public road is the termination of the single track road at Kinloch Hourn and from here to Inverie is about 22km on a footpath which spends much of its time threading between the huge mountains. Another option is from Strathan at the west end of Loch Arkaig. I haven't done the arithmetic on this approach but I believe the paths are less well trodden and right now
the road to Strathan is closed. I blipped about this on Saturday.
On the boat back (only three passengers) I met our friend E. E's husband was my Best Man and We haven't seen them for ages. E works with a council department responsible for checking water supply quality and she had a couple of heavy boxes of water samples to get on to the boat after her morning's work. Remote communities like Knoydart have no mains water and homes are fed from private water supplies. To strictly comply with legislation commercial properties like guest houses and letting cottages must have their water checked.
Anyway it was lovely to bump in to her and have a blether. Chatting over the noise of the boat takes a bit of concentration and I dispensed with clutching the camera for split second opportunities but the boat swished past a group of surfacing harbour porpoises on the way back.

In between sailings I actually got some work done I may add.

My rave reviews of the trip and the setting has perhaps whetted M's appetite for a picnic (or pub lunch) trip to Knoydart. The Old Forge being one of the most remote pubs in Scotland has a good food reputation.