Journey 1
Thomas Pennant
Ledbeg
Why turn back here?
The now-abandoned hamlet of Ledbeg was the most northerly spot Pennant reached. It’s where he
turned back, giving up on his plan to reach the northern coast of Scotland.
Why?
Pennant had struggled through 20 miles of bog, rocks, and some of Britain’s highest mountains to reach Ledbeg. Once there, the locals told him the way ahead was no better. For a party that included horses weighed down with bulky scientific equipment, the news was decisive. But for a natural adventurer, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
Pennant wearily retraced his steps. But a failed attempt to restart the journey by ship in gale-battered Little Loch Broom merely frustrated him further. What should he do now?