Walk 205

Balloch to Nairn 17.5miles

I stayed in Ardersier overnight so I could catch a bus in the morning back to my start point at Balloch.  I asked the bus driver to drop me at the turning for Balloch, but you have to ask yourself sometimes why people are in certain jobs as his response was to make me feel bad for asking him such a question! Miserable Git!!!!
                    So as I made my way along the busy A96 my thoughts turned to the last time I was on this road when someone with the intention of mugging me had stopped his car and tried to force me to get in, he was  driving in the opposite direction and was extremely aggressive and nasty, I obviously ignored him and was thankfully saved by flagging down a bus going in the right direction.  This incident shook me and now I am very weary of people approaching me whilst I'm walking (unless they are other walkers).
                    Soon the A96 carried on and I turned left down the much quieter B9039, this took me past Castle Stuart and the road that takes you to Inverness Airport. Inverness Airport has been my choice of Airport for some time now and I was sad to see it go :(

Ardersier

The B9093 wound its way along the bay until finishing in Ardersier, I then picked up a path taking me all the way to Fort George, as today was Saturday there were no red flags flying at the rifle range so I was able to walk all the way around the bay along the sand.

Fort George Bay

Eventually the bay finished at a Platform Construction Site where they used to build oil drilling platforms, this site went out of business a long time ago and it was quite spooky walking past the old buildings. Not long after the site I got chatting to some people who had come to see how the it looks now as they used to work there many years ago, it was really interesting to hear their stories. I carried on walking away from the site and had to walk along a 2 mile arrow straight road before meeting up with the A96 again.

The long straight road

I was only on the A96 for 1/2 a mile before turning off left towards the sea, I walked alongside my first of many golf courses all the way to Nairn.  The sea front at Nairn is lovely with its beach and grassy area for picnics they say first impressions last and in this case it was certainly true.

Accommodation: The Waverley Hotel, High St. Nairn £30.00 BnB. A very old hotel that's also right next to a fairly busy road, the place has seen better days but not too bad a stay.