Commando Memorial

The Commando memorial is at Spean Bridge just outside of Fort William.

It was put here because it is on the route from Spean Bridge railway station to the former Commando Training Centre at Achnacarry Castle. Arriving prospective Commandos would disembark after a 14-hour journey, load their kit bags onto waiting trucks and then speed march the 7 miles to the training centre in full kit with weapon, weighing 36 pounds. Anyone not completing it within 60 minutes was immediately rejected.

There was an enormous downpour as we got there and we sat in the car waiting for it to pass over.  I was in a lot of pain and fairly glad for the stillness.  The weather seems to change rapidly around here and as quickly as the rain came in it was gone again.

It has a marvellous view of Ben Nevis.  The snow in the picture is not quite the top, which stayed firmly in the clouds.

There is also a lovely memorial garden with so many photos and mini memorials to fallen Commandos.  One man arrived on a motor bike as we were there clearly having travelled a very long way.  He placed a tribute in the garden and on the memorial itself and ask someone to take a photo of him doing it.  A promise he had made to someone kept.

Rainbows kept coming and going and there was a lady there with a very professional looking camera.  I pointed a rainbow out to her and asked if she'd seen it as I thought it would make a lovely photo.  "I'm here a lot" she said curtly.  I noticed later she looked rather upset in the memorial garden and I was sorry I had spoken to her and sorry for her.

 It was a moving place with stunning views in the distance.  It would be bleak in bad weather.  You can see why the area would be used for training.












And just before we left there was a brief break in the cloud to see (almost) the summit.  I'd been up there, I was rather proud.