A stranger sort of day.

With enough of the afternoon left we drove to the car park at the east end of Loch Affric. The pay and display machine was broken which was a bonus. A number of short walks can be had from here as the information boards display and also longer ones that follow the loch and river out to sea or the numerous Munro's which surround the area.
When we walked down Gleann Beag to see the Brochs the other day my left foot and boot were not happy partners. For some unknown reason, after walking in them for about 50 miles or so I was getting pain underneath my heel and up my Achilles' tendon. Plantar Fasciitis I thought.
I limped back to the B and B but having inspected both foot and boot, I couldn't find a visual problem but the pain persisted.
When I put the boot back on the pain was worse. I was worried and limped for the rest of the day in my trainers.
What's that got to do with today you may well be thinking. Well it restricted what I was prepared to set out and do, hence the numerous short walks.
So looking down Glen Affric was very trying as it was in my head to go part way along the Affric track, north bank, for about an hour and then return. As it was we strolled by the river on the marked path and then went up to the viewpoint that is Am Meallan. It is a great view.
Back at the car I noticed an elderly chap sporting a day pack and walking poles and for a moment just wondered, as you do, where he was going. Then the thought was gone as we had a sandwich and coffee.
Driving for only a couple of minutes and approaching Chisholme bridge, said chap was there and I thought he was indicating to us to go across the single track bridge before him, which we did with a smile and a wave. Across the bridge i slowed and looked in the rear view mirror.
This chap wasn't letting us go as I thought, but was in trouble.
He struggled across the bridge and I got out and asked if he was ok.
His back had gone He replied.
Making room in the car, which was loaded with camping gear we got him in.
It turns out he had set off from Drum yesterday and stayed in Cannich last night and had set out to walk to his booked accommodation in Morvich today. Cricky I thought, that's a good plod for anyone let alone an elderly chap.
I said I could give him a lift to Cannich or to somewhere to stay and he replied, rather surly I thought, "well I suppose that will have to do, I' m going to Morvich".
As much of a Good Samaritan as we were there was no way I was going to Morvich. If he had been a bit more grateful I probably would have taken him back to Drum.
As it was, we dropped him at the bus stop where there was only a short wait for the bus to Drum which would then put him on a bus route to Morvich.
When we came out of the grocers he was sat on the wall on the opposite side of the road to the bus stop. He said to me, "where am I", Cannich I said, where you said you started from this morning.
He shouted Cannich down the phone. He had ordered a taxi, from where I can only guess, Drum but it could well have been anywhere.
I shook my head and left.

In the Slaters, the chap who said he was walking from The Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness came over and asked, What's the walk like from Altbeithe to Cannich?
I looked kind of blankly at him and questioned, to get here you must have passed there already?
No he replied, I walked to Morvich and then drove to here.
He was telling me things that made absolutely no sense whatsoever for someone doing that walk.
I wondered if I had "talk to this idiot" tattooed on my forehead. Sheila went next door, bought a bottle of wine and was about to walk out when as luck would have it, he stopped mid sentence and left, got in a car and drove away.

What a day. I must stop taking the tablets. Sorry no photographs at this time.