Day 14 - Durness - Thurso

31 July 2104

Accommodation – Mrs Murray’s B&B

Weather – very overcast opening to a clear fine day

Temperature – minimum 12 degrees top 16 degrees

Today was one of those magical days when everything came together so beautifully.  We had really wanted to travel to Cape Wrath so we were hopeful for clear weather.  Our first glimpse out of our B&B window revealed a very overcast day but we decided to have a go.

The ferry (read:  aluminium boat) left at 9am to cross the Kyle of Durness.  Lots of seaweed was evident but this is because there is a 5 metre tidal difference.  Once on the other side we were picked up by John the driver.  (There were also John the boatsman and John the lighthouse keeper:  they said they like to keep things simple!).

View from the pier...crossing to the other side to Cape Wrath.

The ferry!

The Cape Wrath area is designated an area of special scientific interest however it is also a military zone where live firings of missiles and bombs occur.  Red flags fly and sentries are posted if this is occurring. 

 The view northwards from Cape Wrath....towering cliffs and a haven for birdlife.

 

The lighthouse was built in 1828.  Many ships foundered here before it was built.

A long way down....raw beauty at its best!

 



Yes, we are travelling together!  Cathedral Rock can be seen in the background as it has a 'window' in its formation.

The bus ride takes about forty minutes and the driver talked us through the landscape, birds and animals.  He is an avid naturalist and photographer. 

The weather was significantly brighter and at the lighthouse side we could just make out the Orkneys and Lewis and Harris of the Outer Hebrides.

The Cape Wrath area is stunning and we stood and took in the breathtaking views of the 900 foot cliffs and distinctive rock formations.  There is a little coffee shop there and the driver told us that one Christmas his wife went to the mainland to get Christmas provisions and presents and she couldn’t return for five weeks because of snow and bad weather!  The cape is more northerly than Moscow so I can imagine that the North Sea can give its fair share of bad weather.  It is so far north that in October and November Aurora Borealis can be seen from here.

We returned to Durness, the most north western township in the UK, and then headed off to Thurso.  It’s a pretty drive following the North Sea as many of the small townships have wonderful sandy beaches/bays shielded by rocky cliffs.

The stone bridge over the Kyle of Tongue where we stopped for a coffee break.

 

We arrived at our B&B without any difficulties and Mrs Murray gave us the town map to explore this little place.  It is right on the ocean with an expansive white sandy beach, a harbour and ruined castle and church.  It has a long history.

The wide sandy beach of Thurso.

 

An evening stroll before dinner.....just across the river lies the ruins of Thurso Castle.

 

Dinner at Le Bistro, recommended by our host, was a lovely way to finish a very fascinating day.  Tomorrow we are hopeful the weather will last and we can explore the Orkneys.  Fingers crossed!

Day 13 - Isle of Skye - Durness

30 July 2014

Accommodation – Aiden House B&B

Weather – rain and drizzle all day with sun from 5.30pm to 8pm

Temperature – low of 12 degrees – high of 18 degrees

Today we left the beautiful Isle of Skye and headed to the top of Scotland.  The weather was poor so it was a good day to get a long drive in.

We followed the Wester Ross Coast Road which became a single track road for a few kilometres.  The countryside was barren, sparse and dotted with very few sheep.  The road turned out to be a good one after a few kilometres of the single lane road.

It became a passing parade of rolling hills, heather and lochs and we paused for the occasional photo.  There were very few villages on the way.  It took us three hours to reach Ullapool, a small fishing village on Loch Broom.  Boats leave here for the Outer Hebrides.  The village provides free parking which was a novelty and we wandered down to the port with our wet weather gear.  We found a great pub, the Ferry Boat Inn, on the waterfront and had a hearty meal of clam soup and panini followed by sticky toffee pudding.  The cooler weather brings on the appetite!

Bleak, bleak, bleak....Loch Broom with Ullapool in the distance.

Ardvreck Castle - the ruined castle built in 1659.

 

We did a little more souvenir shopping for the grandchildren and then we were off north again.  Just out of Ullapool is a lovely small village on a beach – Ardmaire Bay.  The temperature plummeted to 12 degrees and the mountains remained shrouded in cloud.  Just outside Inchadamph on Loch Assynt is the ruined castle of Ardvreck.  The 17^th century  castle built by the McLeod family is situated on a grassy islet with a thin peninsular. 

Twenty minutes out of Durness we went down to a single lane with the now common ‘passing lanes’.  People are very courteous and hold back and wave as we go past.

We arrived at Durness and what a real treat this little place is.  Our B&B overlooks magnificent cliffs, rolling ocean, sheep in the field and hopping rabbits!  What a view from our bedroom window.

I don't think I want to leave here!



The weather was starting to brighten so we drove down to the beach to the west of Durness.  Balnakeil Beach is a wide sandy beach with a path which can be followed around to Faraid Headland.  An old church built in the early 1600’s sits above the beach and is partially covered with ivy.  New and old headstones dot the grounds surrounding the old church.

The old church of Balnakeil.  It was built in the early 1600's and houses an old tomb.

The wide sandy beach of Balnakeil.....at last sunshine and it showed off the beach at its best.

 

It was on to the fascinating  Smoo Cave on the eastern side of Durness.  The freshwater outlet to the sea is particularly beautiful between the cliffs.  The cave’s history can be traced back to the Vikings and a midden of shells can be seen at the entrance of the cave.  A forceful waterfall drops from above and feeds into a stream out to the ocean.

Looking from the cave out to sea.

 The waterfall had a lot of force due to the heavy downpours over a few days.

Looking back to Smoo Cave from the hilltop walk.

It was time for dinner and we followed our host’s advice and went to the Smoo Cave Pub just up the road from the cave.  I tried the haggis scotch egg with mashed neeps and potato.  It was really delicious as the scotch egg had been deep fried.  I think I’ll need a cholesterol check when I get back after today’s calorific intake!!

Dinner!

 

Day 12 - Isle of Skye

29 July 2014

Accommodation – Cruinn Bheinn B&B, Snizort

Temperature – high teens

Weather – very changeable

It was our second full day on the Isle of Skye and we had to get some housekeeping done – the laundry!  The weather was bleak so it was a good day to retreat and do this.

We bought postcards and wrote to the grandchildren as we watched our laundry tumble dry....and we timed it perfectly as the rain really came down.

A walk down to the pier saw lots of people out for the day as a cruise ship had arrived.  To coincide with this a market was happening in the centre of Portree.  We wandered into a lovely shop and bought some presents for the granddaughters....can't wait to see them in their matching little kilts.

Looking across Portree Bay from the pier.

Portree is known for the colourful buildings housing many fine restaurants along Quay Street which leads to the pier.

 

On our walk along the pier we found several little restaurants and so we booked for the evening.  Already they were heavily booked and the only time we could get was 5pm.  Armed with this knowledge we only had coffee and cake for lunch so we were ready for our seafood feast.

The sun came out....view from the café over Portree Bay.

 

After an afternoon rest we headed back into Portree and walked the coastal circuit of 3kms.  It was an easy walk and well worth it as there are several interesting features to see.  Across the Sound of Raasay where the cruise ship rested in the harbour is the Isle of Raasay.  It is a large island and not far from Skye. The weather changed regularly from clear to mist, drizzle, rain and on the homeward stretch a headwind.  My photos below will tell the story of our walk.

The view back to the pier and the well known colourful buildings.

Sgeir Mhor in the foreground - a tiny platform of grass surrounded by rocks.  It is tidal and separates from the main island.  It was here Bonny Prince Charlie escaped to the Isle of Raasay (in the background) on 1 July 1746 disguised as a woman when the Jacobite rebellion failed.

 The beautiful cliffs of Creag Mhor in the Sound of Raasay.  The sun brought out its brilliant colours.  The large cruise ship was anchored in the sound with great views of this landmark.

 



Ten minutes later and what a difference....it would be romantic to suggest Scottish mist but in truth it was just plain drizzle!

 

We timed our walk to finish in time to be ready for the restaurant booking.  Both of us had seafood – trout and salmon.  As we sat there many people tried to book or dine at the restaurant but were turned away.  It pays to book very early……this includes accommodation and I’d advise at least three months ahead to avoid disappointment.

The Isle of Skye has a lot to offer.  There are countless walks to take in the beautiful scenery and many outlets for the many crafts made on the island. 

Fresh trout for dinner.....the grand eating tour of Scotland continues!!

The view from our B&B over Loch Snizort Beag.  The accommodation has been wonderful and you can't complain about the view!

 

Tomorrow we have the long drive to Durness on the northern coast of Scotland.  The adventures continue.............

 

Day 11 - Isle of Skye

Day 11 – Isle of Skye

Accommodation –  Cruinn Bheinn B&B, Snizort

Weather – overcast and dry

Temperature – top of 19 degrees

As the weather was not looking good for tomorrow we took the chance of a walk to the Old Man of Storr an iconic geographical symbol of the Isle of Skye.  The weather was looking threatening however we decided to set off. 

The walk starts at the edge of Loch Leathan and is described as steep forest paths with rocky mountain slopes.  The ascent is 300 metres in 1.8kms.  The guidebook describes the first part of the walk as woodland however the whole area has been decimated and we could hear chain saws.  Apparently the woodland was exotic coniferous trees and they are replacing the whole area with native trees.  It felt like we were walking through a sawmill!

The path was v.e.r.y. steep…possibly because I am not fit.  However, no one passed me so I couldn’t have been too bad.  The unfortunate aspect of the walk was the low cloud and I wondered if it was worth all the effort as the reports from walkers coming down was that if we sat long enough we might see The Old Man of Storr.  Three steep slopes and two plateaus later I was standing 50 metres away from the large rock and I could barely make it out.  Funnily, the photos make it look much clearer than we could see in reality!

A real pea-souper!

 

See what I mean?  I'm surprised it came out this well! 

The view of the Old Man of Storr as we drove away.

 

We then started a driving tour of the northern areas of Skye.  The villages are very tiny and the houses are white with steep slate roofs.  At the Kilt Rock Waterfall two girls were dressed in kilts, one playing the bagpipes and the other a kettle drum.  The rocks are named as they appear like pleats on a kilt.  The cliffs fall directly into the sea and we luckily saw them in reasonably sunny conditions.

 

The Kilt Rock and Waterfall on the north eastern coastal road of Skye.

On the way to Uig - sparse and beautiful.

 

The Isle of Skye is very busy in summer so at lunch time we couldn’t find a park at Uig -  a harbour for ferries to the outer islands.  We eventually sat with our lunch in the car overlooking the pier from a distance.  After another scout around we found a park outside the Uig Pottery shop and browsed their wares.  Skye has so many talented craftsman producing jewellery, paintings, pottery and weaving.

I had an Empire biscuit after my lunch - now don't be rude!  It's two biscuits joined together with jam, white icing and a lolly on top.

After Uig the sky was brighter and road wider.  Generally, the roads are one lane with passing places.  At times I have my heart in my mouth when someone comes speeding along.

From Struan we traversed the island back to our accommodation.  The rolling hills are sparse and a contrast to the coastal route.

We passed small villages like Struan on the coastal path.

We decided to stay in our accommodation last night.  There comes a time when travelling that you feel is that all you do is eat!  So, it was a night in with a cuppa and watching the athletics and swimming at the Commonwealth Games.

 

 

Day Ten - Fort William - Eyre, Isle of Skye

27 July 2014

Accommodation – Cruinn Bheinn B&B, Eyre

Weather – wet giving way to a sunny and clear afternoon

Temperature – top of 20 degrees

And so onwards to the Isle of Skye:

Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,

Onward! the sailors cry;

Carry the lad that's born to be King

Over the sea to Skye. 

Well, the weather gods threw everything at us in the morning including rolling mist, rain and smatterings of sunshine but by midday we had clear and sunny skies for the rest of the day. 

Not too far out of Fort William is Spean known for its woollen mill and the statue of the Commandoes which has commanding views over Loch Lochy and the rolling hills beyond.  During World War II Winston Churchill set up the elite military unit which became known as the Commandoes.   The soldiers were recognisable by their distinctive green berets. 

A powerful tribute to the commandoes outside Spean.  So many never made it back to their homeland.

The morning drive was a misty one....this is in Glen Shiel.

 

 

We drove past the large Loch Cluanie which was very misty and through Glen Shiel a road abutting the Five Sisters (mountains) to Loch Duich.  The day had now become clearer and as we rounded a corner the stunning castle of Eilean Donan came into view.  It sits on the headland of three seawater lochs:  Duich, Alsh and Long. 

The view from the carpark....we could hear the piper!

 

The castle is described as the most romantic castle in Scotland and as we got out of the car a piper was playing – a young lad with his bagpipes was busking.  It added such a great atmosphere to the visit that I think Tourism Scotland should pay him!  Eilean Donan has a very long history and has seen many battles for its possession.  The castle lay in ruin until the early 20ty century when the McRae family restored it into their family home.  We spent a pleasant hour wandering through the rooms.

The enterprising Scots lad.  The bridge behind leads to the castle and it is used by pipe bands marching over the bridge at special celebrations.   

 

 

 On the way to Plockton we drove through the village of Duirinish and met some highland cattle.  This photo was taken behind the car door.....I could see the size of those horns...however, they seemed pretty tame.

  

Plockton was a recommended visit and we weren’t disappointed.  It was already nearing 2pm so we ducked into the local pub and enjoyed a shared platter of smoked seafood prepared by the pub itself in its own smokehouse out the back. 

The tide was out and Plockton still looked exquisite.

 

The Skye Bridge we travelled over has produced some controversy but it certainly makes visiting the island much quicker than taking the boat.  The drive to Portree is a beautiful one and we wanted to stop many times to take photos while the sun was shining.

Skye really turned it on with the sunshine.

 

Our accommodation at Eyre is 10kms out of the main town of Portree as it was difficult to find three nights in a row for our stay with the summer vacation in full swing.

In Portree we took ages to find a place for dinner and eventually we settled on waiting 45 minutes for a restaurant.  We returned fifteen minutes early to find that many other diners had resorted to sitting outside with a drink and perusing the menu.  Seating was at a premium so we sat with a Canadian couple and enjoyed their company until ……. MIDGES!  OMG…..they started as little bites and by the time we entered the restaurant thirty minutes later I had nearly gone demented!!  It was a lesson learnt:  always take the midge deterrent.  Our host in Northumberland, Stuart, had provided us with the cure-all – Avon Skin So Soft.  Next time we go out this cream is going to get a thorough workout or I’m going to wrap my scarf around my head and look like a real lunatic!

 

 

 

 

 

Day Nine - Fort William

26 July 2014

Fort William – Westhaven B&B

Weather – overcast giving way to rain

Temperature – top of 20 degrees

What a difference a day makes in the weather.  We looked over Loch Linnhe from our bedroom window and could see a the day was overcast.

We had a full day to explore the area so we headed to the gondola ride north of Fort William.  Even though the day wasn’t sunny we still had reasonable views of the area looking down onto the town.

Overcast views from the top of the gondola ride just outside Fort William.

 

We were going to take the train to Mallaig however after talking to our B&B host he suggested we drive and take a stop at Glenfinnan to explore the area.  Local knowledge steered us in the right direction once again and we were glad we did this as we were able to walk the 4km round trip starting at Glenfinnan Railway Station.  We saw the Jacobite steam engine which had pulled into the station and then we walked through the woodland, up a slope overlooking Loch Sheil and onto the path to view the viaduct featured in the Harry Potter films.  The Glenfinnan viaduct has twenty-one arches and is a picture against the green fields seen through the arches.

An outstanding view of Loch Shiel.

Heading to Hogwarts!

 

As we emerged onto the road to the visitor centre and the statue to Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonny Prince Charlie) the weather turned and some light rain started coming down.  It was a further one km back to the car however the weather fortunately held off reasonably well until we were back at the station where we had started.

A statue to commemorate Bonny Prince Charlie and the  unsuccessful Jacobite uprising in 1745 to restore his father to the Scottish throne.

 

The weather turned on us now and we drove through rain to the lovely little village of Mallaig.  Coronation Chicken was on the menu so how could I pass up something so British and wash it down with a cup of tea!

Coronation Chicken.....created for Queen Elizabeth's coronation banquet in 1952.  It consists of cold chicken, curry, egg mayonnaise, herbs and occasional raisins.....served with crisps!

 

We strolled the fishing port ducking in and out of the shops before we headed back to Fort William.

A wet day but Mallaig still looked idyllic!

 

As we had a late evening booking for dinner we had rest time in our room.  Travelling can be tiring!

Fort William is a busy area for tourists which meant tonight the only booking we could get at the well-known Crannog Seafood Restaurant on Loch Linnhe was 9.15pm.  So, at my normal bedtime when I am usually reading a book I was reading a menu and settling into fine dining for the evening.  It was well worth the late night booking as the food was delicious and the view as the sun set on the loch was stunning....and we didn't see any mad Scotsman swimming!

 

 

 

Day Eight

25 July 2014

Balmaha, Loch Lomond – Fort William, Argyll

Accommodation - Westhaven B&B

Weather – hot and sunny

Temperature – 30 degrees

Scotland is really turning on the weather for us.  By the time we left our B&B it was already in the early 20’s.

Our hosts at Balmaha wake up to this every day!

 

It was a day of following lochs over to the coastline to Oban.  As the day was perfect weather wise we had glimpses of mirror-like reflections in the lochs.  We stopped for a bit of a break at Inverarary on Loch Fyne which was bustling with tourists.  The town is as neat as a pin, floral arrangements everywhere and many quality tourist shops.  There is a great little gallery, The Stable Gallery, with lots of work by local artists.  It’s well worth a visit.

The Stable Gallery at Inveraray

 

Traffic into Oban was slow however with the one way system now in place it took us directly to a Park and Pay just a street behind the waterfront.  It was time for lunch and we chose a fish and chip shop.  My meal was delicious and I was going to share with David however when mine arrived I knew mine was the best choice….not to worry, David ate what I couldn’t!

Adding sun to a beautiful harbour makes a perfect photo of Oban.

 

A creamy sauce accompanied the mussels from the Isle of Seil.....yum!

 

Oban was at its prettiest in the wonderful weather and it was hot as we walked to the pier.

The route to Fort William is via the Argyll Coastal Route and we followed Loch Clevens to Loch Linnhe which Fort William nestles on.  The B&B we chose looks over the loch with views to die for. 

As there is always lots of daylight we set off to find out information about Ben Nevis and some walks.  The information centre had already shut but some locals gave us the good advice to see the north face of Ben Nevis while the sun was out as a large portion of the year the mountain top is in cloud.

How lucky were we to see Ben Nevis like this!

 

Boats on the canal just above the locks of Neptune's Staircase.

Looking down on the eight locks.

We headed to Neptune’s Staircase which is just out of town and forms part of the Caledonian Canal.  The North Face was very clear and even though there have been high temperatures there was still a little snow on the sides.

There are eight locks on this part of the canal and it’s a wide canal which takes one and a half hours to traverse.  The difference in height is 19 metres at the staircase and there are 29 locks on the 96.5km canal.

It was dinner time and we found a park above the wide mall on High Street.  There were a lot of people thinking the same thing but we eventually found a pub, The Grog and Gruel, which took a booking for a table while we sat downstairs and enjoyed a refreshing drink.  The  pub was very warm but most buildings don’t cater for the heat here.

On our late evening walk the sun was setting and a Scotsman came up and asked if we had a plastic bag which I did (be prepared!). We walked on to the pier restaurant to make a booking for late dinner tomorrow evening and when we next saw him he had walked down into the loch and was tying his possessions into the bag.  He then set off swimming across the loch!  As the night darkened we could see the silver stream of his wake as he neared the shore on the other side.  I hope he made it....I think we've met our first mad Scotsman!

Darkness descends on Loch Linnhe....somewhere out there is a mad Scotsman!

As we have two nights here we are off to do a little exploring of the area tomorrow.