I woke up on the morning of day two still feeling the exhilaration from the day before. Today’s journey, while to be done solo, was going to be just as exciting for me as climbing Ben Nevis. The second bucket list item I had set out to complete for this journey! A trip to Glenfinnan, a small rural town in the Scottish Highlands on the shores of Loch Shiel. Known for its Glenfinnan Monument, commemorating the 1745 Jacobite Rising but best known for the Glenfinnan Viaduct as seen in the Harry Potter films! Yup, I wanted to try to find Hogwarts and arrive there by train.
Unfortunately, due to some issue between the company that runs the steam train and the government, the steam train was not active. So, a much cheaper adventure took place along the same tracks and across this famous viaduct to arrive into the small village of Glenfinnan. I got off the train and embarked on a beautiful hike. The wind was powerful and I had to be steady on my feet to not be blown off the side of the hill. Surprisingly, the trail that guided me to the viaduct itself was carved out of the hillside with three main viewing points of Loch Shiel along the way. A fairly easy hike in retrospect but one that was more challenging than anticipated. I tried to walk as slow as possible. The distance from the trail head to the viaduct itself was short, only about 4 km, if that. So, I wanted to take it all in. Every few feet I would stop and take in the surroundings. The white fluffy clouds that looked so soft high in the sky. Soft enough that I felt if I were to be able to reach them my hands would feel a silkiness that is non-existent on the earth. The hillside around me with high peaks as I followed the valley standing over me calling my name, cheering me on and welcoming me to their home.
Walking along a boardwalk, I pulled out my camera and took some video of the trail. As I rounded the corner, the viaduct came into view. Just how I pictured it. The script from the movies playing in my ears and my minds eye showing me snapshots of the scenes I had seen so many times on my tv at home. Here I stood staring at this beautiful artifact that has so much history and meaning to this small pocket of the world. Selfies and pictures, likely way more than I would need to keep ensued, but I couldn’t help but notice all of the families taking it in together. Posing with their “wands” and shouting incantations that only a wizard would understand. Return of the niggle. The knock on that door was getting louder and I was beginning to understand that I may not be able to ignore it.
I made my to the shores of Loch Shiel and stared out envisioning the great Hogwarts castle in my imagination again as I had seen it on tv. Such a unique thing to be in a space that was once filled with camera crews and the joys of creating something so wonderful. This was my bucket list item. This was what I wanted and as much as I was thoroughly enjoying every second of the day there still felt like something was off. I made my way back to the train station and curled up to read while I waited for the train. An ordinary task with a wonderful storyline that was sucking me in, as Diane Chamberlain is so good at doing. Day two of this trek was coming to an end.
Upon arriving back into Fort William, my friend was going to be having dinner with her thru-hike crew of women just as I was arriving. They invited me to join them and I enjoyed a beautiful dinner out with this fantastic group of women. Delicious food and glorious conversation all surrounding their trip that was concluding and mine which was just about to begin. The joy of hearing their stories embodied such love and companionship between them. A shared journey they were all going to take home with them and be able to reminisce about together for many years to come. Again, that little niggle arrived but it was turning into more of a giant black shadow. A yearning that I didn’t know I was capable of having. I am not one who typically likes being in groups. I usually find this difficult and awkward. But here I sat, with this amazing group of women and there was something about the energy at the table that was slapping me across the face shouting “this is what you are missing out on!” Where the hell did that come from??
I usually find it so difficult to connect with people in social settings that these feelings were just as foreign and I had no idea how I was going to deal with them. We finished up our time together and I made my way back to my hostel for the night. Walking in the rain, I couldn’t help but almost feel a full body sense of dread for what I was about to do. The complete opposite of what I should have been feeling.
After all, this was what I was usually all about ……….. right?
