We had collected the more accessible summits above the station, leaving only Beinn Mhanach out on a limb. As it turned out, I did it alone. At that moment in time John’s Munro ambition was in an early stage of gestation and he decided that, given the weather, an affliction of paperwork was preferable to a soaking. He was not a bad judge. The ford at Auch was no longer fordable. So, inspired by the engineering feats of General Wade and his successors, I felt the drier prospect was to use the high-level construction kindly provided by ScotRail to cross the raging Allt Choillean, before rejoining the approach path at a point above high-water mark.

Secure in the knowledge of the passenger timetable from Glasgow to Fort William, I embarked on a rather airy and somewhat slippery military two-step across the girders. Unfortunately, my knowledge did not extend to the movement of goods traffic, though I developed a clearer understanding of these arrangements as I reached the halfway point on the bridge. To me, at least, life seems to be full of these Macbeth moments when retreat or advance appear similarly inconvenient. On this occasion, I decided to stand still. For those interested in such matters, I can confirm that there is sufficient space between the grab-rail and a swaying goods wagon to accommodate a fairly ample girth. I can also report that Beinn Mhanach is not a particularly exciting hill, which in the circumstances was quite a relief, and upon my return I found that the waters, not to mention my courage, had sufficiently subsided to encourage a knee-deep crossing.