Day 349: Glen Dessarry to Inverie

I wake to a light dusting of snow, painting the landscape into a winter wonderland and, less pleasing, frozen water and milk. I’ll need that flask of hot coffee today.

What a beautiful start to the day, crunching across snow beneath the pines and a blue sky.

An early climb works the stiffness out of my legs, winding out of the forest and up to the head of Glen Pean.

Cresting the watershed, everything changes. Finiskaig River runs down to Loch Nevis through a long rocky pass, all ice and shadow. The OS map shows a trail to the left, which I follow for a while before arriving at a scramble down to Lochan a’ Mhaim that looks risky without microspikes. It was a mistake to lighten my load by not bringing both crampons and microspikes. I switch to a track on the opposite side before it peters out.

A narrow path runs along the side of the partly frozen lochan, and I can’t resist testing the ice with one foot — perhaps not.

After another climb, the descent to the sea begins with a tricky section, where I throw my poles before scrambling across icy slabs of rock.

Finally, Loch Nevis is sighted.

I only pause at Sourlies Bothy for a warming cup of coffee, worried that my slow progress means a finish in the dark, keen to clear the mountains in daylight.

The bothy is popular in the hiking season, but I have it to myself today.

The wide River Carnach plain is notoriously boggy. I ignore my OS app and follow a trail through the middle of the grass, which is a mistake, blocked by an impassable bog and forced to retreat to a dry streambed and the riverbank, where the ground is much firmer.

The old suspension bridge was condemned and removed in 2017, making this a treacherous crossing when the river was in spate. A new bridge, opened in 2019, makes my life much easier.

The landscape is intimidating and breathtaking, providing a surge of energy for the long climb out of the valley.

The ascent is hard work, and the zig-zag path is covered in patches of snow and ice, but mercifully free of rocks, a straightforward physical challenge, without worrying about falling. I’ve not seen another person since I left Glenfinnan, but there are fresh footprints in the overnight snow. Someone likely spent the night in Sourlies Bothy.

Finally, I reach the bealach, happy in the knowledge that Inverie lies somewhere on the shore below.

The descent is relatively easy, quickly passing below the line of ice, and I relax, content to finish by torchlight if necessary.

It’s pitch black when I reach the Inverie Bunkhouse. There are three rooms, and I’m pleased to see that I have one to myself. I drop my gear and dash to the Old Forge for a pint and a hot meal. Unfortunately, there’s a Valentine’s Day special and the chef only has capacity for bookings. After much pleading, exaggerating the tribulations of the past two days, the waitress relents and brings a bowl of chips. I’ll live.

It’s been a fantastic, challenging and tiring two days of hiking. Rain is forecast all day tomorrow, so I’ll defer the coastal walk for another trip and spend the day in a cosy bed and surroundings. I spotted a log fire in the common room, and there are other residents to meet.

Date of walk: Saturday 14 February 2026.

Walk distance: 14 miles.

Total distance: 5,606 miles.