When my boyfriend and I decided to get a puppy, we were inundated with comments about how difficult it would be.
Most of the comments related to the fact that holidays and days out would be a thing of a past as having a dog ties you down.
But when a trip to Lochaber came up, we decided to see if we could take Luna – our six-month-old Labrador cross – on her first holiday.
To our surprise, there were plenty of activities to do in the area where man’s best friend was welcome.
Top of our list, however, was Nevis Range to try out the mountain gondola system – the only one of its kind in Britain.
It was originally constructed on the mountain of Aonach Mor as a way to transport skiers to the slopes and is also widely used as a short cut by climbers to the many challenging winter route.
However, the gondola is also a highly acclaimed visitor attraction in its own right, allowing sightseers to enjoy the scenic ride, while taking in the views – without the tiring hike.
After a quick check on the website, we discovered dogs were also allowed to enjoy the experience and made our way along to Lochaber.
Accompanied by my mum and dad, we tucked ourselves into the gondola and we were off.
It was quite scary at first, but shortly after the journey began, we all sat back, relaxed and took in the beautiful views.
The gondola takes you from 300ft up to 2,150ft on the north face of Aonach Mor, the eighth highest mountain in Britain.
Luckily the weather was on our side and we managed to see across the mountain and all the gorgeous scenery it has to offer.
Relaxed from our trip, we were eager to get walking. And we were not disappointed. There are two decent walks starting from the gondola top station – Sgurr Finnisg-aig and Meall Beag.
We went for Sgurr Finnisg-aig, the shorter of the two, which took us around 40 minutes, a great time for a young dog.
The walk leads you along a flat path in the midst of the mountain before climbing a short ascent, ending at an excellent viewing point which looks across the Great Glen and Hills of Knoydart.
It’s a great wee walk and enough to stretch your legs and get the heart racing. After a stop at the top, we made our way back to the gondola and once again were able to enjoy the views as we headed back down.
Luna definitely enjoyed the trip and was very relaxed on the gondola – evident from her snoozing all the way back down the mountain.
Nevis Range is a grand day out and has lots on offer to suit everyone; from high-wire adventures to cycling and forest walks. And best of all, you don’t need to leave the doggie behind.
Nevis Range’s gondola system is open all year round, weather permitting. There are many more activities available from high-wire adventures to ski-ing and snowboarding.
It opens from around 9am and closes at 5pm in the summer. In the winter, closing times vary due to daylight hours.
Tickets cost £11.50 (adult) and £6.75 (child).
For more information, visit www.nevisrange.co.uk