The Countries of the United Kingdom

Day 5 – Plockton to Loch Ness to Inverness

We’re collected from our accommodation for the short drive to the famous stronghold of Eilean Donan Castle. Then, we travel east, taking in the
stunning views over Loch Duich and the Five Sisters of Kintail. We continue to Loch Ness for lunch and the possibility of spotting ‘Nessie’.

Half an hour south of Loch Ness we stop in the village of Spean Bridge and join a new bus for the continuation of our tour to Orkney. Our guides will help us transfer our luggage and introduce us to our new travelling companions. With our new crew, we continue north following the Great Glen travelling the entire 23 miles of the famous loch. We arrive at Inverness, where we’re dropped off at our accommodation.

The evening is free for us to explore the ‘Capital of the Highlands’.

Overnight – Inverness

I don’t remember the name of this place but it’s delightful, made to achieve the Fairy Glen feeling of its surrounding, and it’s special to Keith, so he brought us here for a morning coffee and sweet treat.

Windy and Keith. All the Rabbie driver/guides wear traditional kit on transition days. We all cheer.

I’ll have to ask our fellow travelers for a picture of Billy during one of these days since I Failed to take one:(

This is Eilean Donan Castle. We came by on another day with better lighting, so I’ll write about it later.

Here we are in the village of Fort Augustus at the southern end of Loch Ness.

What you see here in Fort Augustus are the “locks at Loch Ness,” referring to the 60-mile Caledonian Canal waterway which runs through the Scottish Highlands from Inverness in the northeast to Fort William in the southwest. Since Loch Ness itself sits elevated above sea level, the system requires a set of canal locks to lift and lower boats as they pass between the Canal and the Loch.

It was amazing to watch but we didn’t have enough time to see even one lock fill. That’s one downside, some of these crowded stops are so short it takes a big chunk of the time to acquire lunch and achieve a comfort break.

The full tour was 17 days broken into 4 parts. The first part was a Whisky Tasting Tour that we did not take. We did the other 3 parts and changed companions twice since all the segments were available individually. Two people did all 4, and 5 more of us did the last 3, if that makes sense, so for us, we were 7 for the whole tour. And to add to the confusion, we had Keith for our first and third segments, and Billy for the second.

Sounds like it shouldn’t work but actually it was good, everyone was delightful and the transitions went surprisingly well.

This is the Spean Bridge Mill Café in the village of Spean Bridge referenced below talking about the Commando Memorial.

“…the Commando Memorial. In 1942, the Commando Basic Training Centre was established nearby at Achnacarry Castle. The harsh, unpredictable weather and mountainous terrain of Lochaber provided the ultimate test for recruits.

“Fresh volunteers, elite soldiers from Britain, the United States, France, Poland, Norway, and other Allied nations would arrive at the Spean Bridge railway station after a grueling journey. They immediately had to load their gear onto trucks and complete a brutal 7-mile speed march to Achnacarry Castle in full kit (weighing 36 lbs) while carrying weapons. Anyone failing to finish in under 60 minutes was immediately sent back to their regular unit.”

We’ve been walking around in these hills and I’ll tell you a 7-mile speed march, carrying heavy things, in one hour, is A LOT.

“…the New Mercat Cross memorial (also commonly referred to as the Unicorn Pillar), in the heart of Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. Unveiled in 2003, it stands 37 feet tall and is made from rich Scottish sandstone and Aberdeen granite.”

The unicorn represents “the Royal Connection” while the circling falcons represent “the Industrial History”. I got the picture from the bus, it was quite arresting, too bad we were on the move.

Ask AI “why are there so many monuments around the Scottish highlands” and you’ll get a very interesting essay.

We ate dinner here.

We’ve been eating breakfast at the B&Bs every morning, then depending, we either eat one more substantial meal as soon as we arrive back from the day’s adventures, or we share sandwiches around lunch time and something light later in the day. I’ve been enjoying local mussels, it’s a specialty, and over the two weeks I’ve had them maybe four times, and another specialty is local salmon that I’ve also had many times. Every place claims to own the title of The Best Fish and Chips but Windy avoids fried foods and I could eat only so much fish and chips so was unable to make a of study of The Best.

But whitebait! Fried whitebait has been my favorite treat of all.

Leanne and Elma are among the group leaving – thank you Leanne for the pictures!

Hey guys hey guys lookin’ good!

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Day 4 – Plockton to Skye to Plockton.

Today is a very flexible day as we explore the Isle of Skye. There are many possibilities depending on the weather, and our driver-guide will use their local knowledge to decide on the best day out for the group.
We may ascend the Quiraing along Trotternish Ridge and be rewarded with spectacular views. Alternatively, we could drink in the scenery at Loch Corruisk or drive through the dramatic Red Cuillin to the little hamlet of Elgol.
We return to our accommodation in Plockton in the late afternoon for a free evening to explore the village.

Overnight – Plockton

Looking one way…

And the other, toward the Skye Bridge, It spans across Loch Alsh, running from the mainland village of Kyle of Lochalsh to the small island of Eilean Ban (visible under the bridge on the right side), which then connects over to Kyleakin on Skye. The historic Eilean Bàn Lighthouse is just visible beneath the main arch.

Opened in 1995, the bridge made it possible to visit Skye without using a ferry, greatly reducing the time involved in getting there and greatly increasing the number of tourists. There are so many tourists driving rental cars that poor Keith spent an awful lot of time sighing. It’s true though, left hand roads and so many of them are single-track, it’s tricky to know the rules and even trickier to obey them. (“Single-track roads are narrow, two-way lanes wide enough for only one vehicle at a time, relying on side pull-outs called passing places to let traffic move in both directions.” I have some pictures for later.)

Everyone was comfortable, a nice way to travel if the itinerary is well planned (it was), you get a good guide (we did), and companionable fellow travelers (they were).

I mentioned before how we made a lot of stops, to see a sight, and to use a toilet. I don’t remember all the names and over these many days I didn’t always do the activity which often involved steep, slippery ‘walks’ to very high places. Still since the weather was so good it was easy to have a good time no matter what I did.

And we had almost no rain the whole rest of the trip. Amazing. What was the activity? I don’t remember!

How far did I walk?

Did I even walk past the sign?

This is the harbor of Portree, the main town on the Isle of Skye. It’s rare to see colored buildings so this really caught my eye.

The main square in Portree where all the tourist buses gather.

Built between 1850 and 1854, this is Portree Parish Church, a congregation of the Church of Scotland.

Rabbie’s seems to be one of the most evident tour companies around. I hadn’t noticed a women driver/guide yet so I asked Kieth if there were any and he said there are a few, so I found one and I asked her and she said there are many. I’m including this picture to illustrate how my hair mirrors the hair of my favorite, the hairy coos (the Highland cows) found primarily in the Scottish Highlands. There are some on Day 2 and many more to come.

Whisky whisky whisky it’s The Thing and every worthy place has a distillery. Below represents Windy and my only tasting although others in our group drank a lot more whisky than we did.

Exit Through the Gift Shop.

The real go-getters who were ready to challenge themselves with the steep and slippery hike to the Fairy Pools went on ahead. We lazy bones came here instead, not far from the main (single-track…) road.

The Glamaig mountain, located in the Red Cuillin range here on the Isle of Skye (although I’m not 100% on this…).

A beach stop.

Our Don, outside my window.

Including the bikers…seems to be a throw-your-arms-in-the-air kind of day.

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 we 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.

Coos! Whenever we see these Highland cows the whole bus cries out, Coos! Highland cows are not milked commercially or even used for meat. They’re like house pets. I think my out of control hair makes me totally look like a coo.

Day 2 – Oban to Mull to Iona to Oban.

Today we have an early start, beginning the day crossing on the ferry to Mull for a chance to explore dramatic coastlines and wild beauty. We take the small ferry to Iona, the birthplace of Celtic Christianity, and ancient burial ground of Scottish Kings. Here we can visit the historic abbey with its intricate carved crosses in the churchyard, or explore rocky headlands and sandy coves.
There’s an opportunity to take a small boat for an optional trip to the island of Staffa and view the dramatic basalt columns immortalised by Mendelssohn in his Hebridean Overture “Fingal’s Cave”. (Staffa trip costs approx GBP £40, payable locally). We then return on the ferry to Oban for our second night.

Overnight – Oban

The view from the front steps of the B&B where we are staying. The second B, the Breakfast part is stretching it a little since we get a small box of a few cold things to eat in our rooms.

On the ferry to Mull. The program says we’re going to explore dramatic coastlines and wild beauty, and it was gorgeous, but mostly a long drive to the next ferry that took us to Iona.

Lismore Lighthouse that appears on many souvenirs.

Arriving at Iona with our first view of the legendary Abbey, founded by St Columba in 563.

We decided not to do the extra boat ride to Staffa, 50 minutes there and 50 minutes back in rough water on a small boat for one hour at the island, Everyone who went was glad for the experience and everyone who didn’t go was glad to be feeling well. Iona is a small village with a few shops and most importantly catering to the pilgrims coming to the Abbey.

From wikipedia = “The Iona Nunnery was an Augustine convent of nuns in the Inner Hebrides. It was established sometime after the foundation of the nearby Benedictine monastery in 1203 by Ranald, son of Somerled. Bethóc, daughter of Somerled, and sister of Ranald, was first prioress. The ruins of the nunnery stand in a peaceful precinct adjacent to Iona’s main (and only) village, Baile Mor. They form the most complete remains of a medieval nunnery extant in Scotland. After the Reformation, the priory was dissolved and reduced to a ruin.”

Several hotels on the island advertise their organic gardens. You can see large greenhouses in the background.

Dunsmeorach, a historic property that served as the private family home of Lorna and the Reverend George MacLeod. I like how this path looks.

This Abbey’s claim to fame. “Iona Abbey (and its adjacent historic cemetery, Reilig Odhráin) is traditionally reputed to be the final resting place of roughly 60 kings, including 48 ancient Scottish monarchs, 8 Norwegian kings, and 4 Irish kings, though specific individual graves from the early medieval period are no longer identifiable.”

The Abbey from the site of the burial grounds.

Another WOW, one of the harpists we saw at the Fringe is here to play a concert!

We are back on Mull, heading home, to find The Three Lochs situated in the glen of Glen More. The three individual lochs are:

• Loch an Eilein (the farthest loch in the background)
• Loch Sguabain (often referenced locally or maps as Loch Ellen, the middle loch)
• Loch Àirde Glais (the closest loch in the foreground)

We had four ferry rides this day. Oban to Mull to Iona to Mull to Oban.

Duart Castle, a magnificent 13th-century clifftop fortress located on the Isle of Mull.

“Day 1 – Edinburgh to Trossnachs National Park to Oban

Travel north past Stirling Castle and to the region of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. You venture through the impressive
mountains of the West Highlands and the magnificent whitewashed 18th-century town of Inveraray, home to the Campbell Clan and the Duke of Argyll. We will spend the afternoon in the heart of Argyll before arriving in the bustling town of Oban for your two-night stay.

Overnight – Oban” (The driver/guide, Keith, advised they pronounce Oban as OH-ben.)

I’ll start each day with the itinerary from Rabbie’s although we did often make variations from The Plan.

We met up with the group at the Edinburgh Bus Terminal, the bus arriving a little late, 15 minutes or so, and then we were off without any problems.

With Stirling Castle in sight…

…we pulled off the road for a photo-op.

Rabbie’s did a good job with scheduling what they call ‘comfort breaks’ meaning you can find a beverage, a snack, and a toilet, and I don’t remember the names of all these places but I’ll try. Below is such a place.

Luss Parish Church, “a picturesque and historic house of worship located in the conservation village of Luss, Scotland, nestled inside Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.”

An arm of Loch Lomond…

…and a peek at the Loch itself. We are forbidden from saying Lake, oh no, we must say Loch properly or Keith will ignore us.

The High Road and the Low Road, you can look up the song and its unusual meaning that none of us could guess.

“By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond
Where me and my true love spent many happy days
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond”

St Conan’s Kirk, overlooking Loch Awe in the Argyll and Bute region, built between 1881 and 1930.

This was fun from AI: “Because the designer was self-taught and let his imagination run wild, the building is a stunningly bizarre blend of styles—including Norman, Gothic, Saxon, and even Scottish Baronial architecture.”

Arriving into Oban in a light rain, lighter than rain, heavier than a shower. We went to a museum later in the trip where they had a display listing 8 different Scottish words for rain. I’ll point it out when we get there. Notice the distillery, a place isn’t a place without at least one distillery, and the coliseum-like folly at the top of the hill.

Some members of the group found themselves gathered together at a bus stop waiting for our ride to the various accommodations. Thanks Violet for taking the shot. We were 15 guests and at each place we had an overnight, Rabbie’s spread us out in 3-4-5 different B&Bs and hotels.

I’ll delete this post as soon as I can add a few days of the tour. It’s always one thing or another… and tonight, the 22nd, when I actually have a couple hours or so to work on putting the story together, the internet doesn’t work in my room and now I’m standing at the reception counter where the wifi works. Sigh. I’m just going to go to bed which is probably the best thing anyway!