Coast Guard Pays a Surprise Visit in Fort William, Scotland

After finishing our trek along the 96 mile West Highland Way, we spent an extra day in the end town of Fort William to recover. Over breakfast, our kind B&B hosts, Jim and Wilma, kindly suggested some things for us to do on our off day. One of the ideas that sticks is a 90-minute boat tour of the bay to see the mountains, seals, and other interesting cultural sites.

While underway, a helicopter buzzed our boat. Her Majesty's Coastguard hovered over us.
They decided to commandeer our boat and begin one of their training exercises. A man was lowered by cable and eventually lands on our boat's top deck. After chatting with our skipper, he hooked up to the chopper that has since returned, and with legs dangling and a hearty wave, is up into the sky and on his way. Boss. Real boss.

I later talk with our skipper who tells me that this only happens once, maybe twice a year. "You just got a special bonus for your tour ticket!" he tells me.

On an exposed rock, seals basked in the sun, unconcerned with our presence but posing nicely for our cameras. Salmon farms were numerous, an important industry in the area. The shore line is dotted with old cottages, dating back centuries, nestled in the forests of Scotch pines. Cormorants dive under water fishing for their meal of shad and other bait fish.

Back in town, we wander the streets eating snacks, window shopping and having a pint or two. We also have our stamped trail passports examined and, in return, receive our placards certifying our successful hike. Our day has been most relaxing and necessary after our nine-day long trek along the West Highland Way.