Gurkha Highlander - Day 3

The day started auspiciously with bright skies, and the boys all wearing their “Gurkha Highlander” shirts - but the white ones as it was going to be a sunny day. They set off from Spean Bridge with the train pass they had been given by ScotRail. They were to catch the 15:20 train from Corrour, that fantastic great estate which belonged to the Maxwell MacDonalds for generations and which had its own train station, with no other way to get into it.
The day held fine, and at 3:45 I was waiting for the lads at Roy Bridge. They came up the steps from the platform.
“ Had to run last two miles sahib ,“said Captain Rajen. “ Sign by path say 12 miles but was 14” The Captain had a strain, but when a car had stopped at one point to see if he was alright, he had said to them " Oh, I was thinking you were wanting to read my map. OF COURSE I am alright" - and immediately made them all run the next section.
Back at the hotel, we washed and changed, then made our way to the Commando Memorial. The Gurkhas lined up, and the Walk Leader gave an uplifting short speech. He had been a Gurkha Officer, his father had been a commando. Then the Piper, who had specially driven all the way from the Army Piping school in Edinburgh, played “Flowers o’ the Forest” and we all stood to attention.
The Royal British Legion placed a wreath, then the Captain, with heart-warming military precision, placed the Gurkha’s. The sun shone on the enterprise, and even the Grey Corries and Ben Nevis looking magnificent. The photographer from the Sunday Times took lots of photos with the backdrop of hills - superb.
People were pressing money into my hands, wanting no thanks, tears in some of their eyes, mentioning fathers, uncles, sons,mothers who had had a connection with the Gurkhas.
I’ve felt humbled more than once on this effort. This was another time.
Appropriately, we had a meal in the Everest Indian Restaurant in Fort William. It describes itself as " Down the lane opposite the job centre". Says quite a lot about Fort William. We headed back to Roy Bridge for an early night. 06:30 start tomorrow and 26 miles to walk.
59 miles down, 133 to go.