A Long Weekend Trip to Glenfinnan Part 2 - Are We There Yet?

At Neptune's Staircase with Ben Nevis in the Background

One of the benefits of going on trips without our kids (who are pretty much grown ups now) is having the option to ad-lib with the itinerary. Any parent will be familiar with being constantly asked the same question over and over," are we there yet", from roughly a mile away from your starting position until you reach your final destination. This progresses to "I'm bored" - even when you think
you are off the scale with your best banter - so it's nice to decide that you can make a change to the plan without the need to employ a persuasive diplomat. Since we were passing through Fort William en-route to Glenfinnan we decided to stop off and have a look at Neptune's Staircase which is situated on the Caledonian Canal at Banavie.

It was still early in the morning, so the plan was breakfast, a gallon of coffee, clean up the van, quick showers then head off. With the breakfast and coffee done it was cleanup time. It was at that point we

Neptune's Staircase

discovered that hot water system had failed yet again. Disaster! Disappointment! My heart sank to the depths of despair. I quickly dismantled the seating area that housed the hot water heater only to find a small leak had got into the electronics and rendered it beyond repair. All those night's of sealing, testing and resealing, all the re-engineering not to mention the financial outlay of the new controller unit. Was the trip over? It was Mamabroon's birthday. We were like two kids that had just been told, Santa Claus didn't exist. A minute of silence passed. We could patch up the leak and we could always boil hot water for a stand up wash at the toilet sink. I quickly set about stemming the flow of water (a small dribble really). It would be enough to allow us to continue using the cold water system without flooding the van. We filled the kettle many times to wash dishes then wash ourselves - I even had a shave. A stand up wash takes longer than a shower, but we were soon on our way and heading to Fort William for supplies that we might not be able to find in Glenfinnan. Our spirits were high and we were back on the A82 for what was a pleasant drive.

It had started to rain by the time we reached Fort William, but we were going for supplies so were not worried about the weather. There are a few supermarkets, Morrisons, Aldi and a Lidl. We opted for Lidl and that turned out to be a great choice - I got new wellies for the princely sum of £7 and it wasn't even my birthday. I've always wanted to own a pair of wellies, so I was completely made up.

One of the 8 Locks on Neptune's Staircase

We were soon back in the van and heading along the A830 to Banavie. It didn't take us long to reach our stop off, but I drove past it twice while Mamabroon was yelling "turn right, turn right", as I trundled past without a care. I was busy telling my story about the time when I had played a gig in Fort William - I can only focus on one thing at a time. We eventually made the correct turn and drove into the car park (56.8462° N, 5.0940° W). We had a quick coffee before we left the van - that's something else we drink too much of, but it was a cold day and warm drinks were required. Neptune's Staircase was build in the early 19th century by Thomas Telford and took around 20 years to complete. There are eight locks making up the staircase and it's the largest of its type on the British Isles. It truly is a fantastic feat of engineering and well worth a visit. There are lots of things to do in Fort William, but I would recommend a visit to this site to see it for yourself and to take in the views all around. You can see Ben Nevis and beautiful Loch Linnhe as you wander up and down the canal towpath. We walked for a while talking rubbish about how certain parts of the staircase must have been built, wondered about how they positioned the sixteen, 22 ton gates and admired the spectacular scenery. The rain had started to fall, so we headed back to the van for a late lunch.

Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument

Once we had been fed and watered we were soon back on the A830 for the short drive to Glenfinnan.

The Glenfinnan Viaduct 

The rain was heavy but the scenery driving alongside Loch Eil was nice when there was a break through the trees. Before long we arrived at the visitors centre on Loch Shiel with its truly magnificent views of majestic hills that rolled down to the loch and the towering monument that marks the areas historical significance. The Glenfinnan viaduct (used in the Harry Potter films) can be seen from the visitor centre car park. The rain was heavy now, so we decided to wait until the following morning before going out to explore. We don't mind the rain, but we had plenty of time. We would't have enough time to see everything we wanted before it was dark anyway. The visitors centre doesn't allow over night parking, but it wasn't difficult to find a suitable spot nearby. With our trusty Park4Night app we found a great place next to a river. It was sheltered by trees and the ground was flat. The coordinates are 56.8578° N, 5.4066°W if you are ever up that way and need to stop for an overnight or even just fancy a nice place to park. As it was mid March it was getting dark, so we settled down to some dinner and a couple of rum's before bed. We had a great nights sleep and were up early with a good breakfast and ready to explore the area. There's never any real choice other than getting up early in the van. Mamabroon is usually up by 6am and wearing her weighted divers boots, or so it would seem. She's light on the dance floor but heavy on the van floor.

Glenfinnan Monument

We drove up past the visitors centre to a car park on higher ground - we're not tight, but we had paid the parking fee the previous day and only stayed for 10 minutes. Our aim was to go walking and the visitor centre only allows parking for an hour. After parking the van we made our way down to the visitor centre. You can buy coffee and there's a gift shop with some interesting stuff for sale. The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable about the area and it's historical significance.
We bought some keepsakes and tickets to go up the monument. We met our guide outside and headed across the road toward the loch. Getting up the monument involves climbing a narrow spiral staircase and exiting onto the viewing platform via a small hatch - perfectly manageable unless you have problems with stairs. The view from the top is well worth it. Looking out over the loch and breathing the clean fresh air was a joy in itself. We took some time to take some photographs and made our descent back down the spiral staircase. At the bottom, our guide was waiting to answer any questions. We had a few and we ended up chatting for over an hour. Just as well it wasn't busy that day, although quite a few other visitors came and went and the guide paused to answer their questions. We already knew a little of the history, so I think we were prime candidates for a good old chin wag.

After our blether with the guide we set off for a relaxed walk to the viaduct and through the hills. We drove down to Glencoe for a late dinner and birthday drinks, but more of that in the next blog.  Thanks for taking the time to read this post - if you managed to get this far, please feel free to leave a comment.