The 2015 Challenge, day 5: Drumnadrochit to Dalbeg (9)

At Easter Aberchalder, there is an artist who has a little studio. I stopped and admired some of his work - which is really rather impressive - before continuing on my way. The track swings round a long, sweeping curve to the left and heads into Conaglenn; but there is a new track now, which heads off to the right and through the woods, which has been put in to assist with the wind farm construction. I guessed that this would link up with the tracks that I was aiming for higher up, and as long as it was safe to use, I figured I might be able to save a bit of time and effort by following it. So I turned onto this new track, and when I found a construction compound with some construction workers, I asked if I would be safe following the track up. They assured me that I would, and so on I went.

Now construction tracks are laid with plenty of aggregate to give a hard footing for the construction vehicles, but the top surface tends to get chewed up a bit by those very vehicles and is not all that walker-friendly. The vehicles also tend to put down a lot of mud and clay, which makes it a little slithery at times. With care, however, I was able to make good progress.

As I gained height I was able to stop and take this photograph looking into Conaglenn, with Creag a' Chliabhain to the left. Shortly after I took it, a land rover came up the track, and the construction worker who had assured me I was fine to use the track stopped and asked if I'd like a lift up to the top. I smiled and told him that no, that was fine, I needed to walk the whole way, and off he went. Then I resumed my steady trudge, onwards and upwards.