We traversed the descent through the flight of locks at Fort Augustus in tandem with Charlie, a nice sailor who was transporting a classic ketch across Scotland, aided by Zak, a young South African from Bloemfontein who was taking a year in the uk on contract to a rugby club. We 'buddied' up and moved the boats down together on the ropes in bright sunshine and watched by the crowds who flock round the locks for the free entertainment. We then met up (as arranged) with Maive Ersu, a musician friend of Cath's sister Gabz, who used to play violin in the LSO, and now teaches and does some Scots fiddle playing in the Highlands, where she has been settled for several years. She visited Vega for a coffee and sold us some jars of home made preserves! After this long break we motored on and entered Loch Ness running at 6-7k under a half-furled Genoa in 20-35k wind. We had intended to stop on a pontoon on the east bank to visit a waterfall at Foyers, but the wind was now gusting and swirling so much inside the steep 'walls' of Loch Ness that it would have been a most unpleasant night, so we moved swiftly on to a tiny harbour/inlet near Drumnadrochit, almost below the walls of the magnificent Urquhart Castle, where we spent a very quiet and sheltered (and free!) night.