Tag: Scotland

Sunny warm weather is a welcome change after the last couple cold rainy days as we travel to Fort William. One of the vendors at the craft fair recommended we take a side trip to Elgol beach for the beautiful views. The scenery along the way was beautiful, particularly the mountains reflected in the loch and the sheep keeping the grass well manicured along the road.

Elgol Beach was nice, but it didn’t quite live up to the hype, mostly because cloudy skies muted the views. The weather changes so quickly you never know what you’ll get.

The car park was nearly full with people queuing up for Misty Isle boat tour promising “lots and lots of puffins”. A rocky beach led to a flat outcropping.

Wildflowers taking root in the crevices are a stark contrast to the stones and seaweed. It’s incredible how such delicate looking flowers can grow in these harsh conditions.

A tabby cat lounged in the front seat of a caravan parked in the lot. A woman who works at a food stand nearby said she’s been living full-time in the van for 7 years. She said the cat is perfectly content in the small space and that she walks him on a leash when outside. Uh, seven years in a tiny van with a cat?! No thanks.

We didn’t stay at the beach for very long. The clouds cleared as we drove back down the road toward Mallaig.

Our best meal yet was lunch at Red Skye in Bradford. Like many places in Scotland, the building the restaurant occupies has a long history. It was once a schoolhouse heated entirely by wood fireplaces that are still in use today. Our waiter said he occasionally has customers who attended the school as children and it’s interesting to hear their stories.

We enjoyed traditional Scottish foods like Cullen skink, a rich cream soup made with haddock, potatoes and onion, squat lobsters sautéed in butter and garlic, broiled salmon and some of the best bread we’ve ever had. Delicious!

We arrived early at the ferry terminal in Mallaig where we were booked for the 4 PM ferry to Armadale. As luck would have it there was room for one more car on the 2:00 ferry so we squeezed in between two cars, barely clearing the ramp.

We’ll spend the next couple days in Fort William. It sits just below Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom at over 4,000′ above sea level. This area is full of shops and restaurants and has lots of outdoor activities like hiking and mountain biking.

Ashburn House B&B sits on a hill overlooking Loch Linnhe, just a short walk from downtown. The house and grounds are beautiful with colorful flowers and shrubs. Inside is a bit of a mixed bag. There are six guest rooms but no common areas other than a breakfast room that’s only available for a hour or so each morning.

Dwight and Paige have a lovely, bright room overlooking the loch with views of sailboats and sunsets over the water. Our room with a “view of the back garden”, overlooked the parking lot and an old above-ground pool which matched the black crushed velvet decor reminding me of an off-strip Las Vegas hotel.

Paige: Our room was lovely and did not look like Las Vegas in the least.

In the evenings we carried a chair and a tiny tray table from our room over to Dwight and Paige’s and crowded around to play cards, trying not to make too much noise. Once, the lady next door came over and asked us to shut the door so she could sleep. Oops! Now I understand why there’s a bowlful of ear plugs in the hallway.

Breakfast was a pretty good but nothing super remarkable. A small buffet offered typical breakfast fare. The fresh fruit was great and a basket of fresh croissants on the table was a nice touch.

It was nice to have a relaxing day without any travel to rest and recover. We walked along the canal to browse the shops on High Street and checked out the West Highland Museum. We stopped for lunch at Ben Nevis Bar and sat on the patio overlooking the water. The sunshine felt great but the stout wind was pretty chilly.

One of the most interesting displays at the museum was a secret portrait created with a painting technique used by Leonardo DaVinci. The image is unrecognizable except when viewed as a reflection in a glass cylinder, thus allowing Highlanders to toast Bonnie Prince Charlie without fear of being caught.

After an afternoon nap, Riley and I were eager to check out one of the hiking trails. Dwight dropped us off at the Braveheart Car Park near the Cow Hill trailhead around 4:30 and agreed to pick us up at 6:15 in time for our dinner reservations at 6:30. The hike was a little over 4 miles round trip with just over 1000’ elevation gain. The loop started along a gravel road and quickly became a steep uphill slog through the woods. Trees blocked the view until finally opening up to fantastic views of Ben Nevis to the East and Fort William to the West.

It took an hour and 12 minutes to get to the top so we only had about 30 minutes to get back to the car park. Riley led the way through a sheep pasture to shortcut the loop. I’m glad I wore my Xtra Tuf boots because I could feel the boggy ground trying to suck them off as we trudged through. Back on the trail, we made better time but I was worried we wouldn’t make it in time. The return loop was much prettier and a little shorter than the climb up. I called Dwight a few minutes before we were due to let him know we were still a ways away and that they should go ahead without us rather than miss the reservation. Paige gave the restaurant a heads up and was assured it would be fine if we were a few minutes late. I was happy when we finally turned a corner and saw Dwight and Paige in the car. We arrived only 2 minutes late for dinner so all was well.

Paige: I had a very interesting dinner which was a browned chicken breast over horseradish mashed potatoes and green beans. It was topped with a haggis cake which was very tasty. Imagine me eating haggis! I must say we’ve had some very interesting dishes here, many of which we had never heard of. Dwight, Riley, and Chris were more adventurous than I, but we all managed to have a variety of foods. The ubiquitous chips (french fries) managed to show up at practically every opportunity but they were consistently good as well. Sandwiches are a little interesting. If you order a cheese and ham (not ham and cheese, thank you), you get exactly that. Ham and cheese on bread. Nothing else. They will bring you condiments of little packets called sachets of ketchup, mustard, mayo, malt vinegar for your chips, and brown sauce which is a little like Worcestershire sauce.

The restaurant has beautiful views of the mountain a pastoral countryside. It was especially picturesque at sunset.

We knew the sunshine wouldn’t last very long so we got an earlier start on the day heading first to an ancient burial ground on St Columba’s Isle near Skeabost.

The cemetery is on the site of the Cathedral Church of the Bishop of the Isles from 1079 to 1498. Graves from that time are now evidenced only by irregular stones covered by soil and thick moss making the ground uneven.

The path from the car park lead to a long wooden bridge then into a rolling, green carpet of grass and moss along the banks of the Snizort River. The stone effigies are fascinating.

Dwight mapped out several stops along the drive, hoping to see as much of the Highlands as possible while we’re here. Google maps and a road atlas provided a wealth of information.

There are two types of roads on the Isle of Skye: “A” roads and “B” roads. “A” roads are similar to many secondary roads back home; wide enough for two cars, sometimes without lane markings and easy to navigate. “B” roads have no need for lane marking because they’re one lane roads with strategically placed turnouts to move aside when encountering vehicles coming from the opposite direction. These winding roads run through miles of hilly terrain populated by hundreds of ewes and their lambs grazing at the edge of the road.

Google maps are especially helpful in identifying interesting local landmarks along the route. One of these is the Glendale Corn Mill. The star review said, “A cute old mill which the farmers on the isle brought their wheat.” The drive to the mill took us down a long, winding B road. It’s fair to say Dwight didn’t particularly enjoy the drive though the scenery was beautiful.

A gate blocked the road about 20 yards from the final destination. There were no signs and the gate was latched with only a rope looped around a post so we decided to open it, drive on through and close it behind us. We’d encountered several gates meant to keep sheep out in different places we’d visited so we felt this was a similar situation. We drove up the last hill past a small house where a “crusty old Scotsman” was standing in the fenced yard. As we approached, the man walked forward and gestured to roll down the car window. Paige lowered the window and greeted the man. He asked where we were going and Dwight said “We’ve come to see the mill.” The unsmiling man looked at us blankly. After a few seconds he said in deadpan, “How exciting.” We couldn’t help but burst out laughing! “We are so sorry sir, but Google brought us here.” His mood brightened enough that he got his son to move a truck that was blocking the narrow drive so we could get a bit closer before walking to the mill. It had certainly seen better days and the tell-tale remnant of its past was the large rusted wheel on the side of the building.

We stopped on our way out to thank our new friend and his family for allowing us the access. Dwight told him, “blame Google”, he replied, “#&$ TECHNOLOGY!” We were right that the gate was there to keep the sheep away…fishing the sea had been his vocation and the two arm crutches he braced himself with attested to a life of hard work. Their family’s cottage overlooked the bay. Just across the driveway from the cottage was a comfortable park bench, with a small table and steel firebox in front of it, all facing the sea he had spent years on providing for his family.

Even though it took an unexpected turn, we all agreed that Glendale Corn Mill was the most memorable event so far and well worth the drive. I’m sure we’ll be retelling and laughing about the crusty Scotsman for a long time, and just as sure that he will tell about the naive visitors who wanted a look at a decrepit mill and his backyard.

Dwight gladly relinquished the driver’s seat to Riley who was equally happy to take it. The only thing more stressful than driving a B road is sitting in the backseat.

We stopped to check out a local craft fair in Glendale on the way to Dunvegan. Artists and vendors offered jewelry, handmade bags, knitted sweaters and other items including several photographs of the aurora borealis. He said he’d taken it just a few days earlier but it’s dark enough to see them for only about an hour and a half each day. The sun rises around 5:30 am and sets just after 9 pm.

A steady rain set in as we continued on to Dunvegan Castle. The forecast indicated it’d continue through the afternoon so it was good timing for the castle tour but not so great for walking around the gardens.

Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the ancestral home of the Chiefs of the clan MacLeod for 800 years. Flora MacDonald lived there for a time after returning to Scotland when her son in law, Major General Alexander MacLeod was the clan chief.

The Fairy Flag of Dunvegan and the story behind it was one of the more intriguing artifacts on display. “Probably from Syria or Rhodes and woven of silk in the 4th century AD, legend has it that this sacred clan banner has miraculous powers. When unfurled in battle, the clan would invariably snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. “ Aside from ensuring victory in battle, its magical powers also include curing cattle diseases, increasing fertility and summoning herring into the loch.

There are differing versions of the origins of the Fairy Flag but all agree that the magical powers only work three times. My favorite is the Fairy Tower version. “One night when there was a feast being held at Dunvegan, a nurse put the Chief’s son in his cradle in the Fairy Tower and joined the party in the Keep. The baby became restless and kicked off his blanket, whereupon a Fairy came to comfort him, wrapping him in a silken shawl. When the nurse collected the child and brought it down in his fairy robe, the room became filled with the sound of unseen singers singing the Fairy Lullaby.”

Exiting the castle into a steady rain, Riley and Chris wanted to see the garden which was a little disappointing because a) it was raining and b) our visit was about 2 weeks too early for the blooms to be out. They spoke with one of the gardeners who told them that there would be a literal carpet of bluebell flowers. Dwight and I opted to forego the garden for a sheltered space.

Paige: Next was our highly anticipated lunch at a place called The Three Chimneys. Reservations were required and the restaurant was certainly the fanciest place we had been. It was a fixed price menu and we each had our choice of a starter, a main, and dessert. £75 per person which was expensive for us but we justified the splurge. Little did we know. I will only describe what I had. For the starter, an asparagus tart, twice baked strathdon blue soufflé for the main, and a pecan praline parfait. The waiter advised that they had special wines paired with each dish and did I want a “flight”. I said sure thinking it would be a small pour just for tasting purposes. Au contraire. It was a full pour so I had a full glass of wine for each delicately curated dish. I passed on a third glass with dessert. We were also asked if we wanted potatoes to go with our picturesque plates. Yes, please, we said.

Our bill should have been £150 plus the cost of the wine I had and Dwight’s beer and one glass of wine. Our bill when converted to dollars was over $300. We were charged for water, for the potatoes and £2 for charity??? Whew! We paid, of course, like it was no big deal because we are very used to having the finest. We got back in the car and laughed at our foolishness and decided we would eat a bit more modestly for the duration of our trip which wasn’t hard.

The rain didn’t deter us from checking out Neist Point Lighthouse. I’d say the weather added to the dramatic landscape with steep cliffs, wind and waves. Paige opted to skip the walk out to the point. Dwight, Riley and I zipped up our rain jackets and tromped through the bog. The views were spectacular!

The path you see in the distance led out to the lighthouse. We opted to hike to the cliffs on the opposite side instead.

I nearly dropped my camera when I leaned over near the edge of the cliff. I’d tucked it into my rain jacket to keep it dry in the wind and rain but didn’t zip it up securely. That was a close call!

Riley and Dwight walked ahead of me on the way back as I took a few more photos. The muddy path was getting wetter and slippery from the rain. My feet slipped out from under me and I landed on my but then rolled backwards, soaking my entire backside. Wet and dirty, I hurried to catch up. Apparently I wasn’t the only having trouble, Dwight also slipped and went down on his knee, then slipped toward the cliff. I’m glad he didn’t go far and even more glad Paige wasn’t there to witness it. I knew it would upset her. Of course my suggestion to not tell Paige wasn’t heeded. Riley was blurting it out before I could even get the car door shut. So much for listening to me. Thankfully it all worked out fine and we had another great story to tell.

Ready to explore more of the highlands, we were eager to pickup the rental car and start our driving journey. Dwight and Riley had been mentally preparing for driving on the left by paying close attention to the traffic and our drivers since we arrived in Inverness. Intersections are the trickiest part, especially the ubiquitous 2-lane roundabouts.

Dwight was first up so we all pitched in with helpful reminders for the first few minutes. Stay on the left. Follow that red car. Left, Left! Under normal circumstances backseat driving isn’t recommended but he assured us it was welcomed. He did great, aside from hugging the left shoulder a little too tightly at times. After a bit, things relaxed and we all enjoyed the gorgeous scenery unfolding around us.

Paige: Dwight did very well although a bit nervous. It was helpful that he had 3 back seat drivers. He wasn’t too bothered.

Eilean Donan Castle was the first stop on our route. Originally built in the 13th century, it has undergone four reconstructions. The island it sits on was occupied as early as the 7th century. The first structure provided protection from Viking invaders. The castle later played a role in the Jacobite uprising.

Today, the castle includes interesting artifacts and replicas of the kitchen and living areas as they were when it was last used as a residence. We were impressed with the working wood fireplaces that even now heat the massive stone building. The narrow winding staircases with steep steps required sure footing to navigate. I can’t imagine doing it while wearing a wide hooped skirt and tight corset as they did. Not to mention dealing with all that in the tiny privy tucked into a corner.

All that medieval history made us hungry. Dwight and Paige researched and planned the driving routes ahead of time and knew of a restaurant close by that would be perfect for lunch. Unfortunately the research didn’t account for it being closed on Sunday. Undeterred, Riley googled and found the Shellfish Shack not far down the road. It looked as its name suggests with a couple picnic tables alongside. Paige looked longingly at the full service restaurant just behind it (that didn’t open until five o’clock), while we looked over the menu board at the shack. Mussels, langoustines, crab claws, oysters, scallops and squat lobsters were displayed in bowls at the back of the shack. Riley asked the young fellow taking orders how the mussels were and he said he didn’t know because he doesn’t like seafood. The other fellow working there joined the conversation and he also doesn’t eat seafood. We decided to find somewhere the staff will actually eat the food.

We did have a nice lunch of wood fired pizzas and venison nachos at Cafe Sia a little further down the road before continuing on to our next accommodations in Portree.

Along the way, we stopped in Sligachan to see the statue recognizing Norman Collie and John MacKenzie, renowned Skye mountain climbers. Dwight and Paige posed in front of the Sligachan Old Bridge.

Portree is the largest town and capital of the Isle of Skye in the inner Hebrides of Scotland. The town is quite picturesque with gorgeous water, lush vegetation and very narrow streets. Our duplex has amazing views of the Sound of Raasay and the Cuillin from nearly every window.

We were taken aback when we first arrived to see building materials blocking the driveway and a partially demolished/partially constructed deck between us and the lock box holding the house key. There had been no mention of this in the VRBO listing or subsequent conversations with the host so Paige was not a happy camper. We all stood back when she whipped out her phone to find out more about this and to express her disappointment. Appeased by the manager’s apology, we settled in for the next few days.

Paige: I did not go full on b**ch but I was not happy. The accommodation was good inside. Who cares that we had to vault into the property. Okay, that’s not true. The interior was fine. We have 4 bedrooms although we only use 2 with en suite baths. I was sure I heard footsteps going up the stairs last night and when no one admitted to it, I guess this place is haunted. Which I normally hate but whatever. I am a hardy Scot.

After stocking up with groceries at the co-op, we went down to the waterfront for dinner. The Lower Deck was one of the few restaurants open. It’s a tiny little place with almost as many people waiting in line outside as there were seated inside. The weather was clear but the temps were cool and very breezy. The wind off the water was more than Paige and I could stand so we waited in the car while Riley and Dwight stood outside like popsicles for nearly an hour.

Inside was so warm and cozy! The food was almost worth the wait, but not entirely. The scallops were delicious but the calamari was disappointing. They could have been mistaken for frozen onion rings you might get at a fast food restaurant. Dwight’s mussels were not a savory as he expected but Paige’s fish and chips were good. Either way, we left warm, full and happy.

Sunny weather the next morning promised a good start to our driving tour of the Highlands. We drove north on A855 in a big loop around the peninsula then down on A87 back to Portree. We stopped at several places along the way, each turn revealing breathtaking views. It’s just an incredible drive!

The Skye Museum of Island Life provided an interesting example of island life in the 18th century.

The crofters house was very interesting. 3 rooms which were the keeping room/kitchen, parents’ bedroom and the children’s room with two beds. There used to be three beds because there were 10 children,

Kilmuir Cemetery is located on the site of a 16th century church though no trace of St Mary’s church remains. The most interesting grave marker is a late medieval effigy of Angus Martin, or ‘Angus of the Wind’, The nickname came from his habit of going to sea no matter what the weather.

Another notable grave is that of Flora MacDonald. She’s best known for spiriting Bonnie Prince Charlie out of Skye following the battle of Culloden. She set out in a boat with the Prince disguised as a spinning maid “Betty Burke” allowing him to escape to France while his followers were captured and executed or forced into exile.

Flora emigrated to NC, and spent a number of years near Wilmington before she returned to Scotland.

Rain set in just as we completed our sightseeing plans for the day. It worked out perfectly since Dwight planned the drive to end with a visit to Skye Brewing Company in Uig. After lunch at Bakur Restaurant on the waterfront we walked over to the brewery. We were disappointed to find there wasn’t a tap room of any kind, only a gift shop. We settled for an afternoon browsing Portree shops and a beer at the Isles Inn.

Riley walked over to the bakery just down the street, arriving just as they closed. He looked so pitiful standing outside they let him come in. He came out smiling carrying a box of fresh donuts. Back at the bar, the bartender was amused when he asked if they had milk and Riley was equally thrilled he did!

Although milk needs no cheers, we toasted “and justice for all” as Margot deems the perfect toast.

After returning to the Lower Deck for dinner since we could not get in anywhere else, we returned to our accommodation for the evening. We are looking forward to our day tomorrow touring Castle Dunvegan.

Long travel days are never the most enjoyable part of the journey but they are necessary, especially when you choose your airline tickets based on price rather than itinerary. Somehow I never seem to learn that lesson.

It all started in Chicago when the gate agent noticed the late boarding group designation on our tickets for the nearly full flight to London and saw that we hadn’t checked any bags. No, we intentionally packed lightly so that we could carry our luggage and not have to worry about whether it would get to Scotland when we did. She was convinced there wouldn’t be space left in the overhead bins by the time we boarded and insisted that we check our bags “free of charge” to Inverness rather than hold up the boarding process by having to do it later. I tried to resist but she wasn’t impressed by my reasoning. She allowed Riley to keep his duffel bag even though my roller bag is EXACLY THE SAME SIZE. Ok, lady. Whatever. Paige, Dwight and I reluctantly surrendered our bags and hoped for the best.

It actually was nice to have fewer things to lug onboard, but I was still a little annoyed when I saw an empty overhead bin above our seats. We settled in our cramped cheap seats and tried to get a little rest during the long flight. Riley and I were near the back of the plane in one of the few rows with two seats. It was cramped but at least we didn’t have to share the small space with anyone else.

The sunrise above the clouds was a beautiful way to wake up just before landing in London.

I was pretty tired when we arrived at Heathrow but it felt good to stretch and move as we followed the other 300+ passengers to Customs for a round of screening. Neither Riley nor I thought about the toiletries stuffed in his backpack as we loaded up the bins for the security screening. With TSA pre-check, liquids don’t have to removed from bags so in my sleepy state I didn’t give it a second thought. Oh, but I should have. None of that matters when you’re outside the US.

We weren’t the only ones either. Nearly all the passengers ahead of us were queued up at the end of the conveyor belt looking anxiously at the ever growing line of trays diverted for additional screening and glancing at their watches as the minutes ticked by. Riley and Dwight’s bags were in that long line of trays and we had a short connection for the flight to Inverness. Paige and I watched and waited, as a security agent motioned to Riley and they went to another screening area around the corner. I followed to see where they were going, passing the departure board to see the progress of our flight…Boarding…Last call….Closing.

When Riley was finally reunited with his bag, I looked back around the corner but didn’t see Dwight or Paige in the crowd of passengers still at the checkpoint. We went to the gate, simultaneously wondering if they had made the flight and thinking about what we’d do now. I was surprised to see the gate agent waiting to scan our boarding passes. Hallelujah, a miracle! We rushed down the jetway, boarded the plane and scanned the passengers to find Dwight and Paige. They weren’t there. Riley told the flight attendant we had two more in our party and she assured us they would wait. We held our breath until they stepped into the plane.

After a short flight, we arrived in Inverness at last. Exhausted and relived, we sat on a bench as luggage tumbled onto the baggage claim conveyor belt watching passengers collect their bags. When the bags were all gone, we sat waiting with a handful of other unfortunate travelers. I guess the baggage closed on time even though they held the flight for us. Mixed blessing after all.

Fortunately our bags arrived the next morning so I didn’t have to wear Riley’s boxers all day. Our flat was quite nice with plenty of room to spread out and not too far from shops, bars and restaurants.

Rested and wearing fresh clothes, we spent the day exploring Inverness on the hop on hop off tour bus, taking photos of highland cows and enjoying traditional Scottish dishes and local beers.

Overall, the weather has been better than expected. It’s been fairly cold in the morning then alternating between brief showers and blue skies and warm sunshine during the day.

On our last day in Inverness we took a Rabbie’s Tour to Glen Affric, Culloden and Clava Cairns. We had a great experience with Rabbie’s when we went to Edinburgh last fall. I highly recommend them for small group tours if you visit Scotland.

Clava Cairns is a 4,000 year old cemetery. At around 2000 BC a row of large cairns was built, three of which can still be seen today. A thousand years later the cemetery was reused and new burials were placed in some of the existing cairns and three smaller monuments were built. It’s incredible to walk among these structures built by human hands so long ago. It’s hard to comprehend, really.

This place was also the inspiration for Craigh Na Dun in the Outlander book and tv series. I watched several women pose for pictures reaching out touching the standing stones. It would have been hilarious if they’d vanished right before my eyes!

Culloden battlefield is very interesting to see in person. The April 16, 1746 battle between the British government and the Jacobites lasted 40 minutes with devastating results. 1,300 men were killed and 1,250 of those were Jacobites. Following the battle, Jacobite prisoners and suspected I sympathizers were executed or exiled. Kilts, tartans, bagpipes and the Scottish language were forbidden in the effort to eliminate the clan system, changing the culture of the Highlands forever. The museum exhibits were excellent and provided perspectives from both sides, allowing greater understanding of the conflict. It was sobering to walk through the battlefield with flags marking the flanks of both sides and knowing how devastating the battle was.

Sunshine appeared just in time for lunch outdoors at a little deli in the village of Beauly. It’s amazing what a difference in temperature the sunshine makes when you’re sitting outside.

The afternoon was spent at Glen Affric, walking along moss and rocks through an ancient Caledonian pine forest and along the Affric River. The scenery on narrow road to Glen Affric was beautiful. We saw lots of sheep and baby lambs in fields along the way as well as the occasional highland cow.

Tomorrow we’ll leave Inverness and start our driving journey to the Isle of Skye.

Paige: After returning to Inverness, we decided to eat dinner before we left the business part of the village. We did not have reservations but we were so lucky to get a table. Outside. The table was outside and it was bout 40 degrees outside. We had lunch outside. Again with the outside. The young woman said oh no, we have heaters and blankets for you and I can even bring you a hot water bottle. She provided all of those things and our dinner was wonderful. We are now hardy Scots and we can do anything.