Day 3 – Oban to Glencoe to Fort William to Plockton.
We ramble north along the west coast around Appin, passing the impregnable Castle Stalker. Next, we head to the gorgeous Glencoe, one of the most famous natural landmarks in all of Scotland. This beautiful area boasts steep slopes and photogenic peaks. Your driver-guide may reveal to you the tragic tale that’s haunted this valley for over 300 years. We then venture through Fort William and under the shadow of Ben Nevis, which at 1,344 meters is the highest mountain in the British Isles.
We continue through the Great Glen, a natural fault in the earth’s crust that runs through Scotland. As we drive through tranquil glens and alongside shimmering lochs, we pass dramatic mountain vistas, including the Five Sisters of Kintail, and the stunning Eilean Donan Castle, with opportunities for photo stops and short breaks along the way. Our overnight destination is Balmacara (actually Plockton). Enjoy a peaceful evening in Balmacara, surrounded by loch views, woodlands, and mountain scenery. Wander local trails, visit Balmacara Estate or savour a hearty meal at a nearby inn or pub.
Overnight – Plockton
Leaving Oban we took a detour up to the McCraig’s Tower for the view.
Castle Stalker, “globally famous for its appearance in the classic comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), where it was featured as the “Castle Aaaaaaaaarrgh”.”
This painting was in a café and I especially appreciated the Hairy Coos (aka Highland Cows), and the deer.
In Glen Coe (I’ve seen references to Glen Coe and Glencoe), “looking across the River Coe toward the towering mountain ridges that flank the valley. In the middle-left distance, you can spot the iconic, lonely Lagangarbh Cottage, a historic white crofthouse sitting right at the foot of the dramatic Buachaille Etive Mòr mountain.”
Here to experience the Glencoe Visitors Centre that highlights exhibits on the infamous 1692 Glencoe Massacre.
Rabbie’s runs ‘nearly 100’ vans around Scotland and with many overlapping itineraries you will find a situation like this from time to time, Rabbie’s vans gathered to breed.
Gaelic Rain Terms Highlighted
- Stealladh: Downpour
- Ceòban: Misty drizzle
- Fras: Rain shower
- Smugadaich: Spitting
- Smùid: Very fine drizzle
- Marcach-sìne: Squall rider or spin drift
- Boinnealaich: Rain droplet
- Gathan-dubha: Black beams or darts (referring to dark shafts of rain)
This comes up often: “What are the Key Differences Between Irish and Scottish Gaelic. While both belong to the Goidelic (Gaelic) branch of the Celtic language family and share historical roots, they are separate, mutually unintelligible languages. In Ireland, it is pronounced “GAY-lik” (referring to the language as Irish). In Scotland, it is pronounced “GA-lik” (referring to it as Gaelic).”
Elma and Leanne on a trail in Glencoe’s National Trust for Scotland
This is Fort William where we made a quick stop for lunch. “..as the main gateway to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, making it an incredibly popular base for hikers, climbers, and mountain bikers. The town’s railway station is the starting point for the Jacobite Steam Train (widely known as the Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter films) which crosses the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.”
We didn’t have much time to grab lunch. We were walking down an alley and this door seemed to lead to a restaurant, so we went in and got some food. I remain quite amazed that went in that door at all.
Eilean Donan Castle, near the village of Dornie. The castle sits on its own small tidal island right where three great sea lochs meet: Loch Duich, Loch Long, and Loch Alsh. There are sea lochs and fresh water lochs but you have to know to know the difference – we couldn’t tell by looking.
Originally built in the 13th century and completely destroyed in 1719, this is a 20th century reconstruction, appearing in many movies, most famously in Highlander.
There was a bit of a kerfuffle over our rooms here in Plockton, involving a death in the family of our proposed host, and we being advised that we would be sharing a room despite that we booked separate rooms. This did not go over well but what with one thing and another it got settled and for the second of our two nights in Plockton, this was the view out my window and Windy got a bathtub, so we were both glad for that, the best rooms we had on the whole trip.
