Turning Point - Traveller’s Tales to Cape Wrath

Cape Wrath has been on my radar ever since my love for the Highlands emerged. The appeal was the idea of pushing north until you can’t physically go any further; in other words “The Turning Point.” To get there would require a 240-mile self-sufficient journey from Fort William in the heart of the Highlands to Cape Wrath, the most northwesterly point of mainland Britain. The route would span over two-and-a-half weeks and is regarded as one of the most challenging long distance walks in the country, encountering Scotland’s finest wilderness, grandest mountains, loneliest glens, highest waterfalls and most remote beaches.

The elements were deeply embedded in my consciousness. Water determined everything. Forming the way of our route, flowing down beside us along every glen we walked up, pooled at the top of every bealach we crossed and lurking in bogs - endless bogs we grew to curse, loathe and dread. Following the yellow weather warnings on day one - a respectable introduction to the wrath - we bashed our way through the lush green glens of Knoydart. Supposedly one of the wettest regions of the UK - it certainly felt like it that day. The rain washed us in sideways sheets in Cona Glen and soaked us in downpours as we passed over the featureless moorland above Inverlael. It influenced our decision making, our kit choice - head-to-toe in GoreTex Pro but that wasn’t enough to keep us dry - or how and when we declared our campsite and utilised our negotiation tactics to cross rivers. It always played on my mind; knowing there was a river crossing later on in the day, or the approaching rain that was forecast. I became so fixated on keeping my boots dry. All my efforts to dry them out over the night were immediately dampened as we began the morning fighting through the boggy terrain surrounding Maol Bhuidhe bothy. A bootless errand you might say. Mentally and physically it wasn’t easy. There were moments of frustration, brought on by the wet weather (which don’t seem so bad now I’m sitting in the comforts of my home). However we considered ourselves lucky, having two near perfect (for Scotland) weeks of weather bookended by rain meant it could always be worse.