A later than normal walk this April.
That was because of Easter, which is, of course, a moveable feast. That is, it is a Christian feast day that does not occur on the same date every year. So, Jesus was born on the same day every year, but he didn't come back to life after crucifixion on the same day every year! This is a bit odd, but not as odd as the reason that Easter is on different dates each year. The story starts with the disciples not actually recording the date that Jesus came back to life. Now that seems to be a bit of an oversight for something so miraculous. Then the Eastern and Western Christians couldn't agree on which calendar to use - Gregorian or Julian. The Julian one was invented by Julius Caesar and was based on the time for the sun to go round the earth, which, of course, it doesn't. This caused all sorts of problems and Pope Gregory started up the other calendar in 1582. This immediately added new days into the year, which caused all sorts of issues. The crucifixion was apparently some time after the feast of Passover, which is related to the phases of the moon. The new calendar arrangements meant that sometimes Easter fell before Passover, which just confused people, who believed that the bible was literal. So the two branches of the church agreed on a lunar arrangement, but not the same one, so Easter moves with the moon and moves differently depending on whether you are an Eastern or a Western Christian.
Anyway, we postponed our walk to allow everybody to roll their eggs and gorge themselves on chocolate. That was fine until we stumbled on the fact that the walk was going to coincide temporally and physically with Etape Loch Ness. Parking and things like that would have been chaotic, so Hugh and Pam had to reorganise the walk and we had a moveable recycled walk!
It may appear a little odd, but we were meeting in a retail car park, but that wasn't far from the Caledonian Canal.
It wasn't long until we were on the canal bank.
We quickly passed by the open air swimming pool without being tempted into a dip.
Just above the swimming pool, we came across this slightly odd looking craft. This is the CWind Alliance. Not exactly a catchy name, but a pretty cool boat, to be honest.
The CWind Alliance is an MPC 19 resin infused composite vessel. Wow!, I here you say. I think that just refers to how it is built. It is a flexible boat used for a wide variety of tasks in off-shore windfarms. What makes it so flexible is the fact that it has a moveable wheelhouse and a modular 3 section pod system, but you knew that, I'm sure.
One of the tasks it can carry out is survey work and the great thing is that it has a moonpool attachment to make that easier. I'm sure you all know that a moonpool is just a hole in the bottom of the boat that lets underwater survey craft attach to the boat and lets divers transfer safely from, say, a submarine to the boat.
And, you thought it was just a wee boat going through the canal. You'll be pleased to know we saw the boat later in the day, so I can tell you a bit more about it! Bet you can't wait.
A lot of allotments.
Rather more pretty than the boat were the bluebells on the canal banks. In Gaelic, blue bells are called Brog na Cuthaige - The Cuckoo's shoe!
It wasn't just the bluebells that were in bloom. There were some fine cherries around the Tomnahurich cemetery. Despite the cherries, the name means the hill of the yew trees.
Today's sweet of choice from Maureen was twin Jelly Babies. Who knew such a thing existed, but they were at least twice as good as the singular ones, and, yes, I still bit their heads off first.
This Grey Heron was seemingly unafraid of these Dinosaurs - presumably, it knew that a sprint to try and catch it was most unlikely to happen and even less likely to be successful!
It did fly off eventually!
We stopped for a little break at the Tomnahurich Swing bridge, where the old men had a seat in the sunshine and set the world to rights.
The ladies, on the other hand, spoke to some of the cyclists who had managed to get all the way round Loch Ness! Well done to them, whoever they might be.
The swing bridge opened up to allow, yes you've guessed it, the CWind Alliance go through. Now as I type this 6 days later, the boat is moored in Barrow and Furnace in Cumbria. I'm sure you don't need to know any more than that.
We were coming back on the other side of the canal, some of which was edged by some really nice cherries.
We also passed the very useful staff parking bays. Either they all walk to work, or there is a bit of a breakdown in employee relations.
Meanwhile Susan and Sharon were magically transported to the shores of Loch Ness overlooking Urquhart Castle.
Not exactly a bridge photo and, some might argue, this lot should be locked up.
Dave asked me about this building and, at the time, I thought I remembered that it was once a pub, but I would check. It was actually two adjoined lock-keeper's houses, built in the middle to late19th Century. They were not built at the time of construction of the canal, but some 50 years later. The houses were converted into the Caley Inn and it was used as a pub for decades until it closed some time in the early 1990s. It was very popular with Inverness Caley fans when the team played at Telford Street close by. The amalgamation of Caley and Thistle in 1994 and their subsequent move to the new stadium in the Longman will not have helped the pub remain profitable.
By now it was about lunchtime. Normally we would sit in the open and eat our sandwiches, but Hugh and Pam had arranged for us to go to The Ledge and have lunch there. So, we did. Very good it was too, although Susan and Robin do seem a bit at odds over the soup.
This was a walk of two halves. Sue and Hugh left us, and we carried on the canal path out to the sea lock at Clachnaharry - The watchman's stone is the Gaelic meaning. We passed this nice blue fishing boat on the way.
We were keeping a bit of a weather eye out, even though we didn't have a stone to lean against. The clouds were gathering on the horizon.
Looking back the way, you get a fine view of the Kessock Bridge. The bridge was once the only multi-cable stayed bridge in the country and the longest one in Europe at a little over a kilometre long. The need for continued sea access to Inverness and the canal means that there is up to 29 metres clearance from the sea to the road. The main pylons holding the cable stays are 40 metres high. It is an amazing piece of engineering that we often take for granted.
Despite the clouds, we made it out to the far end of the canal.
You get great views from here out to the west.
.....and the works clock. It permanently tells the workers that it is nearly knocking off time.
Just towards the end of the second walk, there is a Lucky Ducky bench commemorating the late Keena Mackenzie, who suggests that we all "Smell the sea and feel the sky ley your soul and spirit fly into the mystic". Sounds like a good sentiment to me, if only I could find out what ley means in this context!
That sentiment seems like a fitting end to our walk, which we all greatly enjoyed. Many thanks to Hugh and Pam for all their organisation and for ensuring it did not rain.
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