Sunday Times Where Was I ? Holiday Competition

Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:

Q1. Loch Arkaig

Q2. Sgurr Finnisg Aig


The Eastender's laptop has thrown in the towel (it is deceased, it is no more) , so he is carrying out the research on this puzzle and writing the results, via iPhone (which it has to be said, is a marvelous piece of kit). I digress, the initial clues seem to place us on the eastern shores of Loch Arkaig, in the Lochaber region of Scotland. Some of the references I checked claim that the Loch is around twelve miles long and about three hundred feet deep. It is also rumoured to be home to a water horse or kelpie.


There appear to be a couple of islands at the eastern end of the loch but they are so small they can barely be seen on the satellite pictures. One of the islands is called 'Island Columbkill' (St  Columba's Island ) after the sixth century Saint ( feast day 9th June ). Driving south from Loch Arkaig, would take us through the hamlet of Achnacarry, which was where the commandos were trained, during WWII. The Eastender has visited the clan Cameron museum in the locale and this has a section dedicated to the Commandos.


There does seem to be a lighthouse at Gairlochy and driving east from there would bring us to the Commando memorial, at Spean Bridge. This appears to have been designed by Scott Sutherland and unveiled c 1952 by the queen mother.


The battle fought in the vicinity c August 1668, is probably the 'Battle of Mulroy' , which was a Donnybrook between the MacDonalds, Cameron Clans on one side and the Mackintosh government backed forces on the other.

Traveling south west down the A82 from Spean Bridge would bring us to the cable cars of the Nevis Range ski centre. The cable which carries the gondolas, passes very close to six hundred and sixty three meter or two thousand one hundred and seventy five foot high peak, called 'Sgurr Finnisg Aig' . The canal mentioned in the clues is probably the Caledonian canal (around sixty miles long and completed c 1882) .