Just Back From 220
JUST BACK FROM… VERSION REPRO OP
YOUR TALES OF... Memorable train journeys
ART
Scotland the green (clockwise from top) The lush hills of the Affric-Kintail Way; the track up to Scoraig, a peninsular settlement near Ullapool; the family celebrates conquering Bealach na Bà; the serene waters of Loch Affric
PRODUCTION CLIENT
Scotland
Nandini Chakraborty recalls her road-trip adventure through Northern Scotland and its wild and remote stays and trails The highlight: An 18km loop around Loch Affric. This route takes in parts of the Affric-Kintail Way, and we were blessed with a perfect combination of dry weather and a partially overcast sky, which made for good walking without us being too hot or dehydrated. The views were expansive, stretching out ahead like a giant map, while the trail had just enough scramble points and crossings (burns without bridges) to give a sense of achievement but without being too technically difficult. Must see: The drive through Bealach na Bà is a winding single-track road through the mountains of the Applecross Peninsula, connecting Shieldaig and Applecross.This can be a driving challenge but is well worth the views and the bragging rights of having negotiated the many passing points. Top tip: Be sure to use the Walk Highlands website (www.walkhighlands.co.uk) to research walks in whatever area you are crossing. It has elaborately detailed stage-by-stage descriptions of many trails, downloadable maps and a number of suggestions to suit all levels and tastes of hiking.
Cautionary tale: Take an insect repellent. I had underestimated tales of just how bad the midges here can be. I’m still nursing the many bites. I wish I had known: I would have liked to have been able to predict the weather better, and to do so far ahead of time. Hiking the Quiraing in the fog was pretty frustrating, offering only a hint of the views – a bit like smelling the aroma of a feast but only being passed morsels through a hole in the wall! Anything else: Out of the many picturesque accommodations we stayed in, Garvault House, Sutherland, took my eye. Its claim to be the “most remote hotel on the British mainland” is not unfounded.You could stay a week and walk in many directions to numerous lonely hills and lochs. The hospitality of owners Eva and Adrian was impeccable, as were their sit-down three-course dinners, ornate tea sets, dark-wood library and living room that basked in the rays of the setting sun as you took afternoon tea. I am glad, at least, that the lack of travel over the last year has taught me so much about what the British Isles has to offer.
“We boarded in Cape Town (South Africa) and rode to Ceres and back. I spent the first part chatting to the conductor, who later returned with permission to access the footplate. I was escorted to the front where the heat of the engine burnt the tips of my hair as we departed. I only wish 10 year old me could’ve been there to see it.” Eleanor McBrien “I remember the first day waking up on Via Rail’s The Canadian and gazing out of my window at what looked like Narnia: snowy trees and frozen lakes with beaver dams.” Katherine Clifford Go online to share your tales on next issue’s topic: surprising ancient sites
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SUBS
“Colombia’s steam train from Bogotá to Zipaquirá’s Salt Cathedral had carriages as old as its puffing engine, and grand leather seats. The journey passed in a flash as we were entertained by jazz bands, who strolled the train while vendors offered leaf-wrapped tamales, tinto (coffee) and white merengó desserts.” Helen Jackson
22 April/May 2022
BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN
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