Chronicle for 19 May 2012

We awoke this morning to a short bed, low ceilings, a tiny shower, however the sun is shining into our window and into our little room, so everything feels as if it is going to be alright.

As well as the tiny abodes that we are enjoying here at the George, they also have some well appointed opulent rooms on offer as well. Firstly we usually prefer to go budget and also the other rooms were booked out. It is obviously a popular place, perhaps it is the only place in this small town.

Being small however doesn't exclude this town from offering a castle and a historic jail. There isn't much more than that other than the hotel and an Indian restaurant. The castle is a permanent residence and so access is limited and the gardens are yet to meet their seasonal prime.

We are not too far away from where we started this journey in Stirling although that feels like such a long time ago. Looking back over the last couple of weeks it seems that we have complained a lot about our various accommodations. Perhaps we need to return to Europe and some of the dodgy places that we stayed in over there to remind us of just what the important things are. On the defensive side the accommodation on this side of the ditch is considerably more expensive than there and with that comes certain expectations.

After breakfast we commense a mosey around this little town and ended up wandering up towards the castle. It is a large building in the classic design that you would expect in a fairytale castle with a turret in each corner. It is built out of an interesting grey/green coloured stone. it really is impressive especially when you consider that it is someones private home.

On the way back we spotted some boys playing the local game of shinty. A game that we had explained to us as 'hockey for idiots'. From what we saw it is perfectly legal to raise you stick as high as you like and the ball can be hit the length of the pitch above everyone's heads. It seems like a recipe for smashed teeth and cheek bones.

We popped into the visitors centre and discovered that Inveraray was habitated by Clan Campbell and until 1743 all that it had to boast was a church, a tollbooth, a school, 43 taverns and over 300 herring skiffs.

Looking at the map we wondered where to explore today and we found a place just a stones throw from here that has a place name that just calls out to be visited, 'Rest and be Thankful'. It does make you wonder just how dire the diggs and offerings are there that even the town name tells you to stop complaining and enjoy it. So we headed in that direction.

We headed through 'Rest and be Thankful' without even realising it was there and perhaps we should be thankful for that. We then headed on through Tarbet and on down through Balloch travelling alongside Loch Lomond. This brought back memories of our trip up to Glasgow just before Christmas 2010. Whilst in Glasgow we took a train trip up to Balloch and a ferry ride out on Loch Lomond. At that time this whole place was under snow and ice. It was a rather different experience this time with the spring trees showing their spoils of fresh leaves.

We then stared heading towards Stirling where we began this journey, up towards Aberfoyle and through the Trossachs. A range of peaks that was visited by Sir Walter Scott and habituated by Rob Roy. The former instigated the beginning of tourism to Scotland. The later ... well history speaks for itself. He was the instigation of myths, legends, movies and hundreds of books and folklore.

We made a short detour to Loch Katrine. A very pretty loch and went for a two hour walk along it's length. there are various ferry rides from here as well as cycle rentals. We noticed that they also rent out the modern version of a PennyFarthing cycle. I would be tempted to give one of those a go. I suspect that they are more challenging then of a practical use.

From here we wound our way north and west through Lochearnhead, Crianlarich, Clifton, Dallmally, Cladich and home to Inveraray, all the while passing through glens, looking up at snow capped peaks, and passing along loch edges.

We are going to miss this country, we have loved it. We have loved getting back into hill country (something that we have missed so much), we have loved getting back to within sight and smelling distance of the sea, we have loved the lochs, the highlands, the colourful people that we have met and conversed with, we have loved the friendly and natural disposition of everyone and anyone that we have met. This is a wonderful place. We have been entertained by some of the experiences that we have had, and as with all of our journeys we have gleaned memories to last us for the rest of our lifetimes.

We will not forget the response of the woman in the Talisker Distillery when a very effeminate man wanted to take his little fluffy dog on the tour through the distillery with him, because the dogs name was Talisker. The look on the face of the rather staunch looking woman behind the desk said it all. She was thinking 'you have got to be kidding!'

Tomorrow we leave this fantastic part of the world and hope that we get to come back here soon.

Chronicle for 18 May 2012

We left our friends at the the Loch Leven Hotel this morning with mixed emotions. We still didn't manage to get a smile out of our waitresses however we don't hold them entirely to blame for that. We feel that this hotel is run with an iron fist and it probably isn't the nicest place to work. We get the impression that she hires people that are willing to work for next to nothing, and then puts them in client facing positions in which they don't feel entirely comfortable. We could hear and experienced their misunderstandings due to their English language being minimal. Despite this place being promoted with its chef service we suspect that it is some time since a chef of any repute has worked here judging by the food we were served the other night. We're not sure of any chef that would serve vege out of a frozen bag, the 'haggis parcels' that we discovered were really Haggis Wontons were stretching the 'Scottish Fusion' food a little too much towards the confusion end of the scale.

The large matron that runs this place tried to overcharge us considerably on leaving, despite this place being well overpriced for what you get anyway.

On leaving here we headed through Glen Coe and on through the hills towards Clifton, through Glen Lochy, across the top of Loch Awe, before arriving at Oban. This morning we had a white cloud cover, but no rain which has been nice. Much of this journey was spent driving through glens, valleys, and across tops, looking up towards the peaks often with the snow line peeking out just below the cloud level, giving us a teasing glimpse of what lay above. It was a wonderfully scenic trip.

Our first stop in Oban was the distillery which has a great reputation and manufactures a very fine drop. Unfortunately we were a little too late for the tour and we weren't inclined to wait two hours for the next one. We did however manage to get a free tasting, free always being good.

Outside we found a waterside offering a gathering of fishing boats and ferries. Oban promises to be the fishing capital of Scotland and judging by the number of fish'n'chip shops and the quality of their offerings it is easy to so why they hold this promise. The ferries from here go to Mull, Jura, Islay, and many of the smaller islands around. Judging by the look of the ferries they are built to withstand some very heavy weather.

For all intents and purposes Oban sounds like a similar service point as Mallaig, however we found Oban to have a lot more energy and buzz to it. Perhaps this is because it is a lot more accessible, this also makes it a lot more crowded in high summer. Whatever the reason we found this to be nice place to hang out for a few hours. We finished our stay here having coffee and scones in the 'Oban Chocolate Company', a place that we recommend, not just because they serve great coffee, food, and lots of chocolate, but also because they treated us while we were there to the sounds of Bic Runga.

From Oban we headed south via the main road, past coves and through glens before heading north again to our destination of Inveraray. We found somewhere to park before finding our hotel, where we were told that the Pay and Display carpark was the only such carpark in town, all the others are free.

We are staying in the George Hotel, which is an old pub/hotel with quite a few rooms attached. We are staying in one of the detached rooms, amongst a rabbit warren of hallways, passages, stairs and little doors that you need to duck through. We have been in and out of our room several times and each time by a different route. It would be quite easy to get lost and never find your way back to where you came from. Perhaps next time we should leave a trail of peas. The room itself is simple and small, with a small private bathroom directly across the hall. Although it is all quite dated and looks like it needs a bit of an overhaul, it is all that we need, and less than half the price of where we have spent the last couple of nights and so it far more satisfying.

We had dinner at the hotel and we were very impressed with the food and at very reasonable prices. They also finished our evening with a live 'cover' band. All in all this is a great place. Tomorrow we go out and explore some more.

Chronicle for 17 May 2012

Dinner last night was an interesting affair, served in the hotel as part of the deal. We went downstairs at the appointed time and they were obviously not expecting us. Our aspirations of quality weren't too inflated. We were expecting 'pub grub' and we weren't disappointed, however it did do the job of satisfying us. At the next table there was a group of loud British Airways retirees who appeared to be doing an annual boys weekend remembrance tour and taking the chance to talk rubbish and flirt with the waitresses. Their endeavours were wasted however as the two waitresses were both east european. One of which seemed to speak no English, never smiled, and she appeared to depend on cues from what appeared to be her sister who was not much better.

Despite everything about this place, it has a great bath, a good shower, and a large comfortable bed. All of which we enjoyed last night. What more do we need, it's just overpriced and over promised.

We drew the curtains this morning to more of what we were experiencing last night, scotch mist. What we had in mind for today was dependant on the weather so we are still undecided.

After enjoying a full breakfast the weather still didn't look too promising and so despite our wishes we have decided on a little road trip, but before commencing we had a quick look at the gallery near the Loch Leven Hotel where we are staying. They had some nice work although nothing that we were minded to buy, partly because we are becoming mindful that we are running out of wall space at home to hang them, unless we start implementing a rotation system.

We have become aware on our travels around the UK that there is not a lot of good affordable art available unless you really look for it. There is an abundance of 'knock off' stuff that is overpriced for tourists and it is either mass produced or very amateur. At the other end is very expensive originals. There doesn't seem to be a lot in between.

From the gallery we headed around doing a circumnavigation of the loch that our hotel fronts on to, through some wonderful countryside. We then headed through Onich and caught the car ferry that took us across to Corran.  An interesting ferry that had its entry and exit ramps at 45 degrees to the hull. It made driving on and off a little different. We can only guess that this is because of the current running through here and the skew that it puts on the boat.

We progressed westwards through Strontian (where they first discovered the element strontium), Salen, and finally to Ardnamurchan Point Lighthouse.

The further west we went the narrower and rougher the roads became making a relatively short distance take in excess of an hour and a half to complete. Ardnamurchan Point is the most westerly point on the British mainland and as you may have guessed there is a lighthouse there, as well as another huge fog horn arrangement as we have seen previously. Inside there are a couple of huge old compressors with several air tanks the size of fuel tanks and big eight inch pipes leading around the building into the back end of the fog horn. They don't use these things these days but they must have been impressive in their day.

This is a pretty remote part of the country and very beautiful despite the rain. We do wonder what the inhabitants do out here as it is a long way along rough roads to get anywhere. The associated boredom was expressed to us by the resident dog that chased and tried to bite the tyres of every vehicle that came and left. Inside the little shop that was there, as is everywhere and at every extremity of these fair lands, we were offered the diverse and eclectic selection of goods that we see everywhere, ranging from a piece of caramel slice to a whoopee cushion. Perhaps they go together in their own way.

After spending some time there to look around we returned the way we had come, as far as Salen, before heading north towards Mallaig via Lochailort and then Arisaig.

Mallaig is the point where we had first planned to return to the mainland from the Isle of Skye. There is a car ferry that runs here from Armadale on the isle, however we changed our plans for various reasons. There are also ferries from Mallaig that run to Rum, Muck, and Eigg (all of which are small isles to the south of Skye), some of which only run in summer and depending on demand. Mallaig is also the end of the steam train route from Fort William. Reputed to be one of the finest scenic routes in the world.

In essence Mallaig is a ferry port, a fishing port, and a train stop. When we arrived here almost everything was closed as most things around here are timed around either the ferry or the train and since neither was relevant at that time the town stood still. We had the impression that this is a town in waiting ... for either a boat or a train. We did however find somewhere willing to offer us a scone and a coffee, but only just.

We returned via the main road all the way to Fort William, which traces much the same route as the scenic rail and it is very pretty, looking out over peaks, glens, lochs, coves, and the sea. It was a beautiful journey and we can only imagine what it must be like without this pall of mist, cloud, and rain about. However even like this it does look a little ethereal.

When we got to Fort William we took a short drive down Glen Nevis looking up at the tallest peak in the whole of the UK, Ben Nevis at 1344 metres. A peak that attracts hillwalkers from all over these isles in their hordes and makes this town the Queenstown of the UK. As we looked up at her we were impressed with ... well we couldn't see much because of the mist, and we understand that this is the way that she often appears.

It was a cheap dinner in our hotel room tonight with hot chicken and bread rolls from the supermarket and a couple of items from the sweet department. Total expenditure, £7! Sweet!

Chronicle for 16 May 2012

After packing our bags this morning we were back on the road again, today we are leaving Skye. But first we headed south and then west towards a little place called Elgol. Once again this involved single track winding roads with blind corners and blind summits, passing places scattered along with a varying degree of frequency. At times they were every few hundred yards, at other times we had to make a dash and just hope that we didn't meet any oncoming traffic before the next passing opportunity. Fortunately there weren't too many times when we had to back up, although there were times when we had to make a hurried stop.

The scenery was as incredible as we had been led to believe, with high peaks and lazy lochs on all sides.

We stopped along the way at a shop that boasted to be a 'world famous' knife maker. It wasn't so much a shop as a farm house / artisans studio. He was truly an artist creating jewellery and hand crafted Celtic knives. Within the setting of high lofty ceilings, wrought iron chandeliers, with the peaks and loch just outside it really was an experience. We didn't buy anything as much as would have loved too as the prices were waaaay beyond our budget. Great too look at though. The only other customer there had just bought something and as they thanked him as they left he responded with 'thank you for letting me take your money from you'. Brilliant Scottish practicality.

What we found out was that this family of Duncan's has been making knives for generations tracing their roots back to the knife makers and gamekeepers for Robert the Bruce. How's that for a lineage.

We pressed on towards Elgol, which is a very small place with just a few houses and a schoolhouse which looks like it would probably hold about ten kids. This the end of the road in a very remote part of the isle and we get the impression that the lifestyle here is a little alternative. The only reason most people would come here is to catch one of the boats to view the wildlife. From what we read they have an astounding variety including Basking Sharks and Golden Eagles. It has been my dream since a child to see a Golden Eagle in the wild. However today is not my day as much as I would like to be, as I suspect you need to know what you are looking for as well as a good set of binoculars. On my ignorance I hadn't thought that this was their habitat.

From Elgol, we looked out across Cuillian Sound at Rum Island and Canna Island beyond, and then closer in the other direction the peaks on the Cuillian Ranges, the backbone of this isle, disappearing into the misty rain that we have become accustomed too.

We went for a short walk across the rocks that make up this shoreline to admire not only the impressive rocks but also the fabulous view.

On leaving Elgol we returned back along the road before making our way back to the bridge, and saying goodbye to this wonderful idle.

We headed from here inland towards Invergarry before heading south towards Fort William and our final destination near Glen Coe in a place called North Ballachulish.

We are staying in a hotel which is more expensive than our usual fare and hoping for something a little bit special. On arrival we confirmed that you never quite know what you are going to get, and also that the price does not necessarily reflect the quality of the lodgings. This place looks very tired and looks like it hasn't had any improvements made since the current owners moved in in 1999. Fortunately we have also found the inverse on our travels where the cheapest places to stay have given us the best experiences. They are all memories that we will cherish.

Chronicle for 15 May 2012

We awoke to another wonderful day in the isles. The sun is shining and the lambs are bleating, however we aren't silly enough to go anywhere without a really good raincoat.

We're heading down country today, or rather down isle. We had planned on getting to a pottery that we have had our eye on at opening time (10am), although it seems we have slipped into island time as we will be lucky if we get there before 11am.

Nothing here is very far away, it is about 50 miles end to end, and it is very difficult to get really lost as there are very few roads and they are mostly well signposted. The signposting is probably because the locals get sick of the tourists mistaking their driveways for main roads. Often there isn't much difference. Due to the single track ponderous routes, these short distances do take relatively long times, often being limited to 30mph with frequent stops for oncoming cars. On the plus side it does force you to slow down and enjoy the isle. It also encouraged a friendlier disposition with everyone giving each other a smile and a wave as they pass. There is no point in being in a hurry in a place like this.

As it transpired we arrived at the pottery at 10:30am but we had to wait for the resident potter to wander down and open his studio once he saw that he had a customer. He had some wonderful pieces available with strong colours reminiscent of Morris & James. Most of the work that we have seen here has been very pale colours which isn't really our thing. He told us that this was because most of the work here is stoneware rather than earthenware and you can't get the strong vibrant colours.

From here we headed to Dunvegan Castle the home of the Clan MacLeod. It was interesting in that it is still a permanent residence. Apart from the usual fare of swords and portraits this castle shows off Bonnie Prince Charlie's waistcoat and a lock of his hair. As well as the drinking horn from which each MacLeod chief, including the current one, on his coming of age must drink the half gallon claret contents in one go. The 29th chief John MacLeod in 1956 downed it in one minute 57 seconds without 'setting it down or falling down'. That set the scene for a wander through the gardens.

By the time we finished there it was time for our lunch appointment. We treated ourselves today to a 'posh lunch' at a restaurant called the 'Three Chimneys'. It was a brilliant restaurant in a fantastic setting. A fairly small place in a converted crofters stone hut. The food was amazing and the service was definitely upmarket. Although because of the setting it didn't come across as being pretentious. Definitely the poshest place that we have eaten in thus far, a special treat and well enjoyed.

Our next destination was Neist point lighthouse. After meandering along a series of single track roads we parked our car in the designated spot and began our descent down a series of steps that brought back memories of part of the track up Mt Egmont. We were kept company by the sheep and fresh lambs clinging to the side of the hill. Looking back in the direction that we had come from and forwards in the direction that we were going, we were confronted with great walls of rock with a short area of pasture in between. The rock on front of us we skirted around, although many climbed to its summit, and on the other side was the lighthouse station, by all appearances long since disused. On doing a quick circuit around it we saw that there was a huge old fog horn arrangement sticking out over the rocks. This also looked as if it was many years since it has seen service. We have heard of some of these discontinued fog horns that in their day created such volume that they shook the foundations of the rocks that they were mounted upon.

Looking out over the loch we saw clouds that made us pre-emptively head back to the car. Just before we got there is started hailing, no rain, just big lumps of hail. Fortunately this didn't last long before the blues sky returned. However we have been told to make the most of the fine weather today as the rains are forecast to return.

After further meanderings we finished the day at the white coral beaches for a walk. The beaches aren't really made of coral but they are certainly white, which is rather unusual in this part of the world. The white stuff seems to be predominantly made up of crushed shell to the consistency of sand. Having said all that the main attraction here are the seals. As we approached the beach a few of them popped their heads out of the water, interrupting their play, to watch us. Then as we made our way along the beach and back, they kept pace with us playing around in the water and then suddenly stopping to have a look and see where we had got to. Evidently this is not an uncommon practice here. What we didn't see here were any otters although we were hoping too, and we have been told that they frequent this spot too. We can only assume that they are very difficult to spot amongst the kelp, and it probably helps if you know what you are looking for.

As the sun started dipping we concluded that it was a fabulous end to a glorious day. Tomorrow we leave this isle, head back to the mainland, and tomorrow night we will be in Glencoe.

Chronicle for 14 May 2012

Oh what a beautiful morning. The wind has settled, the sun is shining, the lambs are gathering together in little gangs and running from one place to another before deciding where to run to next. Looking out onto the loch we watch a fishing boat crossing between the headlands. We're fed and watered and we're ready to head out into the great outdoors. It is a beautiful day and what a great place to spend it.

Our first stop today was the Talisker distillery, not Justine's favourite drop however I am rather partial. It is great to see these distilleries insitu, they all seem to have amazing backdrops of scenery and it gives us a greater appreciation of the peculiarities of their products. This is the only distillery on the isle and is typical of the products of the western isles in that it is more peaty/smoky than their Speyside cousins.

After leaving the Talisker distillery we headed to Portree. We paused here for a while to admire the colourful little houses and to have a wander around the town. To be honest we had expected there to be a lot more here. It really is a village, although interesting in its own way nonetheless. We finished our time by having lunch in a little organic food and gallery type place who's publicity proudly stated 'food with seats'. The food was excellent and the seats served their purpose adequately. The service was serviceable, we have started to get used to the 'island time' that runs here. Things happen when they happen, not only do they happen in their own good time, but we have never seen people physically move so slowly. We have also found that if you go into any shop, gallery, food store, or gas station, be prepared for a very very long chat. Absolutely no one will let you go easily. The only exception to this rule was the young woman behind the counter in 'food with seats' who although very pleasant and with a ready smile seemed so shy as to be unable to put two words together.

From Portree we headed north along the eastern side of the Trotternish Penninsula, stopping regularly to check out the sights. We seemed to be meeting the same people at every point that we stopped at, who appeared as if they were also taking advantage of the sunshine and fair weather that we have been served up today.

Towards the northern end of the peninsula we came across the graveyard that contains the grave of Flora MacDonald, the self same wee bonnie lass that helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape these isles in his time of need. She sounds like she was a feisty lass throughout her life and quite the local heroine.

We stopped along the way at a small gallery along the way, well it was more like the front room of a local artists house. An artists work that we have seen around the isle and admired. We were greeted by his wife, a very aged but spritely and chatty wee thing who kept us talking the whole time we were there. She only disappeared to take our purchase to her husband the artist, to wrap for us. When he entered the room we daren't look at each other for fear of the giggles. We wondered if this was the product of couples who live their lives at the extremities of these isles. He was very short and stooped, he had a full but wispy white beard that reached well down towards his belt buckle, but his movements were a little like a wind up toy soldier that is running out of puff, extremely slow and jerky, as if he was almost coming to a standstill. He was a lovely old man who was happy to see everyone, give them a warm smile and a firm handshake. He didn't have as much to say as his wife as we guessed that he adopted more of a listening role. What a lovely and interesting couple, they appear to be the perfect pair, and like all of the artists that we have met here just a little eccentric ... but in a good way. They were the kind of people that made us drive away smiling and what could be better than that.

We returned home down the western coastline admiring the view, contemplating the geography of the land, and keeping a wary eye on the ominous looking clouds that have dumped their loads on us a couple of times this afternoon. We arrived home, once again casting our eyes towards the loch (Loch Snizort) hoping to see some of the seals and otters that we have been told frequent this area. We haven't had had any luck yet, perhaps tomorrow.

Until then we have been entertained this evening by watching the fresh lambs bouncing about and chasing each other to the four corners of the field before returning to the safety of their mother's undercarriage.

Chronicle for 13 May 2012

We woke this morning to the heavy rain as predicted and lashings of wind. When we say lashings of rain we mean that the rain is flying nigh on horizontally the only variable being the direction. A good day for a sleep in. They told us yesterday that the showers last evening were the first that they have had here for five weeks. We should have come here last week. Never mind, we have our Macs, which is more than what the poor little lambs outside our window have.

Regarding our accommodation it is a converted loft space in one of the many whitewashed stone cottages that we have been seeing in this area. The interior is very batch like, that appears as if it has been refitted with fixtures and furniture of the flat pack Ikea variety, including a square toilet seat that seems to be the fashion at the moment. We agree that sitting on them makes you feel a bit like a wombat, in the sense that you feel as if you should be doing square poos.

It has big Velux windows fitted along one side looking out over the couple of fields leading to the Loch edge. It is a very pleasant place to stay in a very quiet part of the country.

We have been surprised with how populated the isle is, although there is still plenty of space to go around with not only room to swing a cat but room to be beyond shouting distance of your nearest neighbour and large tracts of barren inhospitable land in between.

We left the house late today only because if we stayed in we knew we would get a little cabin feverish by the end of the day. The rain was still lashing down in a near horizontal manner with the force of the wind throwing the rain in our faces so that it felt like hail.

We took a meandering route around the isle admiring the crazy wildness of it all. We couldn't admire the view as most of it was obscured. Our mission was to seek out the art galleries that were open. It seems there is a strong Methodist contingent which insures that much of the isle remains dormant and shut on a Sunday. Each time we exited the car our prime objective was to reach shelter before being lifted of the ground and unceremoniously deposited by the wind.

Our tour around the isle involved lots of little single track roads which either ended in dead ends or perhaps the track deteriorating to the point of thinking that there had to be an easier route. We did experience the interesting sight of a waterfall instead of plunging down, it was being whipped up into a vertical plume of water much like a geyser by the wind.

We asked if this sort of weather was normal and we were told 'usually only in winter'. We were also told that we are at the same latitude as Stockholm here, a fact that we hadn't realised.

After enjoying the lengthy deliberations with the locals everywhere that we stopped we were reminded of a story; two professors of language met. The Spanish expert challenged the Gaelic expert to find an equivalent for the term 'mañana, mañana.' The Gaelic expert thought for a while and then stated that there was no word in the Gaelic language that expressed that sense of urgency. This was exactly the sense of time that we have experienced when talking to people here. This is island life and they really do have all the time in the world.

By the time that we arrived home the rain was lifting and the sun was starting to appear intermittently. The wind was still enough to blow you backwards, but we have the sense that tomorrow is another day.

Chronicle for 12 May 2012

I don't know why we got so excited about the shower it was more of a dribble, but we should have known when the toilet didn't have enough pressure to flush the paper away. The bed was nice and soft, but wee. I spent half the night with my foot on the floor to stop myself from falling out of bed. However that could have had more to do with Justine taking the lions share and me not having the heart to disturb her.

Apart from that this a wonderful place with a great atmosphere and the sun is shining!

We had another big cooked breakfast this morning (although there was no black pudding and haggis included). This will be the last for a few days as we will be self catering for the next few days which is just as well we are both starting to feel a little 'blobby'. However our justification is that with a big breakfast we can skip lunch.

We had a good talk with our hostess this morning who has done some extensive travelling herself. Such a lovely lady and a wonderful host.

We started our day by buying supplies for the next few days and then hit the road. We had a very full day today, starting by heading north towards Ullapool via Braemore. We stopped at Ullapool for a short time and spent some of that time avoiding some of our guests from last night. Ullapool is a small town that gives the impression that it was once a fishing village which has turned its hand to tourism with its little whitewashed houses and outdoor market.

On leaving Ullapool we headed back to Breamore then north around the coast towards Loch Ewe. Looking down the Loch we learned that this was the base for the Arctic fleet during the second world war and according to the accounts, the loch was so full of ships that you could step from one vessel to the other and make your way all the way to the opposite shore.

We then headed south via Gairloch and Kinlochewe and then west towards Shieldaig, south towards Lochcarron and then on towards Auchtertyre. Once there we went along the road the few miles to Eilean Donan castle. This is the classic castle of the Scottish postcard fame. Sitting out slightly from the shore protruding out into the loch presenting its best side for the cameras, of which there are plenty. Unfortunately we got there too late to have a look inside, but we did have a look around the surrounds.

We then headed back west towards the bridge across to the Isle of Skye. The bridge is a large humpbacked affair which from what we have heard has only been open for the last four years or so. We have been told that the isle isn't the same now that the bridge is there, however we expect that the benefits (particularly with tourism and everyday convenience) outweigh the detriment.

Once on the isle we passed through a series of small townships (Sligachan, Portree) before we finally arrived at our destination of Knott, which is near Treaslane on the westerly side of Loch Snizort Beag.

Before we talk about our destination we should say some more about our journey. It was a stunning day and the scenery was amazing. Driving through valley floors looking up at the hills on each side with snow dusted across their peaks. Driving up through elevated narrow single track paths with frequent passing bays for the oncoming cars. Often surrounded by the most inhospitable landscape that you can imagine with only the occasional sheep as evidence of life. At times we were surrounded by lichen covered trees, at other times it was nothing but heather and rocks, looking up at the shingle strewn slopes. Other times we spent skipping from one lochside to another. It really has been an interesting day.

Once we reached Knott we were introduced to our hosts and looked out over the farmland the short distance to the sea. Watching the sheep and their lambs and wondering if we will get to see any seals and otters as the previous occupants have done.

It started raining as we arrived, we just hope that the weather warning signs that we saw on our way here don't come to fruition ('heavy rain warning for Sunday'). We also got introduced to the local custom, no washing is to be hung outside on a Sunday. However if it is raining that will be an easy choice anyway.

We are looking forward to exploring this isle over the next few days.

Chronicle for 11 May 2012

We had an Interesting conversation this morning with our fellow guests in the breakfast room. They were telling us about their kids careers, their travels due to his work, how they spent several years working and living in various parts of Africa, including within the shadow of Mt Kilimanjaro. They finished the conversation by telling us he 'had to work tomorrow'. It was then that we discovered that he was a minister. I hadn't thought of priests and ministers regarding what they did as work in the the same way that we do. So many questions and not enough time to ask them.

We left Dulnain Bridge (near Granton-on-Spey) and headed south west towards Spean Bridge. Initially we travelled via the main roads admiring what we could of the snow capped peaks through the rain. This really is a beautiful part of the world.

Once we reached Spean bridge we started heading in a more north easterly direction alongside Loch Lochy until we reached Fort Augustus. We stopped here for a while to stretch our legs as the sun had decided to make an appearance, but also to admire the stepped locks leading up to Loch Ness. As you can imagine the 'Nessie' trinkets abound here, but we were more interested in the locks which raise and lower the boats a total of 13 metres before sending them out through a swing bridge (road bridge) and into Loch Ness.

From Fort Augustus we took the scenic route along the right hand side of Lock Ness admiring the view along the way, until we reached the Pub at Foyers, which lies at the head of the path that leads down to the Falls of Foyers. We had been led to believe that this was a very steep climb ('not mountaineering but very steep') and was a good 15 minute walk, well it was neither. We also read accounts of the likes of Wordsworth who waxed lyrical about the sight of these falls. Although impressive they don't warrant the hype. Although to be fair it may have lost a lot of its power due to the Hydro take off. It was a nice walk down a stepped path to an impressive waterfall. It is however an interesting spot where there can be found Silka Deer, Roe Deer, Pine Martens, Otters, and Red Squirrels.

We continued on to the head of Loch Ness to Dores which is the home of the Dores Inn, it is also the home of a little caravan in the inn carpark which has a sign on it saying 'Nessie-Serry Independent Research'. This is the home of a dedicated Nessie hunter. Aside from that this is a great vantage point to look down the length of the loch.

We soon arrived at our destination Inverness and checked into our B&B at a record early time of 4:30pm. Neil would be impressed. He told us before leaving NZ for Europe that we should always be checked in before 4pm. We have never yet managed to do that. He also told us that the mediterranean was dead (re: fish) we proved that wrong too. However he did give us a lot of very useful information as well.

Back to our accommodation, lovely hosts (again), lovely room, and a shower!

After checking in we went for a walk along the river before finding dinner. Once again we were impressed with the level of service within the service industry (nothing is too difficult) up here and wonder why it is so different south of the border where the attitude generally seems to be, if I make eye contact with you then I will have to serve you, which means I will have to do some work (heaven forbid!).

For now, it it back to our bed, a nice soft bed! Why do we get the best places at the places that we have booked for the shortest length of stay.

Chronicle for 10 May 2012

We woke today to rain which lasted all day in varying degrees of intensity, but before we headed out there we commenced our day with a bath. It does seem a little odd starting our day this way but we find that that is the only washing apparatus available in many of the places that we stay in the UK. Not something that we have got used to yet. Walking in to inspect the rooms it all looks very quaint having a separate private bathroom down the hall with a large old style bath taking centre stage in the middle of the room, but 'quaint' doesn't quite cover the reality.

Over breakfast we weren't treated to the company of the red squirrels this morning, they must be trying to keep out of the rain as well.

Due to the rain we decided that today should be an indoor day. What better way to enjoy the indoors than by sampling the countries finest whiskies. During the course of the day we drove around the area calling in at a couple of distilleries along the way. The first was the Glenfarclas distillery where we did a tour. We are quite glad that we chose to do a tour there as it is one of the few family run distilleries and a lot of the process is still done in a fairly manual manner which was good to see.

The other distillery that we stopped at for a tasting was Macullans. A nice whisky that we have drunk from time to time over the last few years so it was nice to see where it is made. We also got to see the house whose image appears on all of their labels.

From here it was on to Dufftown, supposedly the centre of malt whisky country and certainly the centre of the Speyside whisky region. We paid a visit to the Whisky Shop which sports a stock of hundreds of single malt whiskies, and offers tastings of most of them.

From here we returned back home to Dulnain Bridge. Finishing the day by sneaking Indian takeaways into our room to consume. Although there is a very good restaurant service offered downstairs, the price is a little outside our budget, or at least there are other things that we would rather spend that money on.

Tonight we will spend our last night on this extremely hard bed, and hoping the hot bath in the morning will soak those pains away before heading towards Inverness. Until then we will get wafted to sleep by the aromas of leftover curries.

Chronicle for 9 May 2012

We had breakfast this morning whilst watching the red squirrels in the garden. There are a number of squirrel boxes set up in the trees and the squirrels were doing the circuit via the circulatory route involving sprinting up the trees, scampering amongst the branches, leaping across the voids and just managing to hang on before descending down to recommence their feasting at the next box of nuts.

Our first destination today was the Highland Wildlife Park which is associated with the Edinburgh Zoo, however the wildlife park is one of these drive through affairs and it covers a fairly large acreage. It has areas devoted to a number of animals such as a small herd of Bison, a group of Przewalski's Horses, Elk, Musk Ox, Reindeer, to name just a few. Then we progressed through the walking part of the park which included animals such as the Amur Tiger (the two females are currently courting favours with the newly imported male), Artic Fox, Scottish Wildcat, European Wolves, etc. They specialise here in endangered cold climate animals which considering where we are makes sense. However it does seem a little odd to see a couple of Polar Bears lolling around in a grass paddock.

During our second circuit in the car the Bison decided to stand in the middle of the road and refused to budge. There isn't a lot you can do when several tonnes of grumpy muscle decides to block your path, except just wait for them to move aside in their own good time.

We spent quite a bit more time at the park than we had anticipated but it was well worth the visit, with many of the animals displaying their springtime young.

After doing a bit of a scenic route through the back ways and byways we made our way to the Dalwhinnie Distillery and had a brief tasting. As with everyone that we have encountered up here, the staff were more than helpful, and we walked away with not a bottle of Dalwhinnie but another recommendation, and a sampling passport each for many of the other distilleries in the region.

Back on the road we took the long road home having a picnic dinner by the Loch looking across the water to the snow capped munroes. It was snowing earlier today with the snow sitting at about 700m (we have been told). Half way though our dinner, the lovely evening turned into Scotch Mist and the tops of the mountains disappeared from sight. We took the opportunity to drive up the mountain road to the base of the funicular that takes you further up the mountain. It was closed for the day but we were able to look down on where we had just been enjoying our dinner. The end of another great day in the highlands.

Chronicle for 8 May 2012

We had a leisurely start this morning, starting the day by heading into Perth. After parking our car and having a short wander through the town we we faced by the local parking wardens. The parking fares are very cheap, but being 6 minutes late we were almost nabbed with a £1000 fine! We managed to scrape away with that ... just ... and headed out of town very promptly.

Whilst in Perth we went into a small art gallery run by a guy who was severely outnumbered by woman around a table which we found out was an artist circle. Very entertaining. It was debatable who was running the show.

Heading north we found ourselves travelling through countryside very reminiscent of New Zealand. Large areas of farmland surrounded by high hills and mountains of a greater scale than we have seen anywhere in the UK until now. Some parts reminded us of Central Otago, other parts Tongariro, and others could be anywhere in the central farming districts. We were now within the boundaries of the Cairngorms National Park. What continues to surprise us is that working farms, private land and farmland are included as part of the National Parks.

As the land became steeper, the vegetation became sparser to be replaced largely with heather and the ski lifts became more prolific, we found ourselves heading towards Balmoral Castle. The summer residence of the Queen (she spends 10 weeks per year here) is situated in a most impressive landscape. In fact, that is what had the greatest effect upon us throughout the visit. This place really is stunning. We learnt that the only month of the year that gardeners can guarantee that there  will not be a frost is in August. However despite the odds against them they must produce produce for the table during her visit. It is interesting to see the back drop and subjects that we have seen so many times in the royal portraiture over the years. And for the record, the ballroom at Balmoral isn't nearly as big as what the photos would have you believe.

After leaving Balmoral headed through more of the National Park landscape via single lane roads, either winding and climbing or descending at equally alarming rates. We even managed to see a grouse that we disturbed fluttering off into the heather.

We arrived at our destination of Dulnain Bridge, not far from Granton-on-Spey, at another old manor house. We decided not to have dinner in house as it seemed rather posh and definitely out of our price range. Instead we headed into town and enjoyed a delicious venison casserole served by an overworked Hungarian woman.

Chronicle for 7 May 2012

After a hearty breakfast we left Anstruther and our wonderful hosts this morning, heading for Perth.

On our way we stopped at several of the little harbourside fishing villages (Pittenweem, St Monans) meandering along village by village towards Kinross alongside Loch Leven.

We caught the ferry, which was more of a dingy, out to the island in the middle of the Loch to admire the remains of Loch Leven Castle. This was where Mary Queen of Scots was incarcerated in 1567 before she devised her escape. We couldn't help but be impressed by how small the island was and also how cold and miserable it could have been. One woman on the ferry was saying how atmospheric and romantic she thought it was, to which she got a resounding "If you say so!"

From here we headed north of Perth to Dunkeld where we first admired the Cathedral, half of which is in ruins and the other half is operational as a church. Amongst other tombs within the church is the tomb of Wolf of Badenoch, who took his revenge on some of the nearby towns by burning them to the ground when they excommunicated him for running away with his mistress and bearing a number of children with her.

Of course no visit here would be complete without taking the short stroll along the river Tay to admire the last standing oak of Birnam forest of Shakespeare/Macbeth fame. However standing may be a stretch as it is being propped up on several sides with sturdy posts. But considering its age we think it deserves a bit of support. A huge old tree with a hollow centre. And to think that this area was once covered with specimens like this.

We finally made it to our destination of Perth tonight and checked into our hotel, a grand old building that appears as if was once a manor hall. Greeted with the hospitable service that we have become accustomed to north of the border.

Chronicle for 6 May 2012

Full Scottish breakfast in the sunshine gave us the promise of a great day. However as we sat in the car about to leave the image in the rear view mirror was one of huge black clouds. Our first stop to get some photos was habourdside in Anstruther. When the rain started as we headed towards Crail.

By the time we got to Crail the rain had turned into hail. We had a look at a couple of galleries and potteries by which time the rain had stopped. We had a quick look around the harbour and then headed into a small gallery on the way out. We got involved in a deep and meaningful discussion with the resident artist about printmaking, advertising, and artistry in general. It took some time to tear ourselves away as they seemed inclined to want to talk.

Our next stop was St Andrews where we went for a wander around the Cathedral ruins before heading towards the Old Golf Course. Once again the rain drifted in and we sought refuge in the inn. But it was when we went for a walk along the beach that we discovered that it can rain, hail, and sunshine simultaneously here.

We finished the day having dinner at the Dreel Tavern, where James II stayed for a night during his incognito tour of his realm and was reportedly carried across the Dreel river on the back of one of the local lasses.

The tavern was one of the typical Ye Olde places that has a door that you need to duck through, ceilings that prevent you from standing upright, chunky furniture, huge fireplaces, and the smell of urine that seems to pervade them no matter how clean they really are.

When I asked the barman which of the local ales that he would recommend I was told that they had had a busy weekend and so they only had two ales left, one wasn't to his taste and the other he wouldn't recommend. Despite that we had a lovely dinner.

Chronicle for 5 May 2012

We woke up this morning to brilliant sunshine, to the sounds of birds, and the squawking jibber-jabber of fellow guests down the hall. Regarding the weather we are hoping that this is an indication of how our holiday is going to be.

After an excellent breakfast we wandered up the road the few yards to Stirling Castle. We ended up spending most of the morning there exploring the complex arrangement of rooms, hall, passages, nooks and crannies.

After seeing everything that we could and enjoying a nice coffee and cake, we headed over to the site that we had been admiring from the castle ... The William Wallace Monument. Sitting on the top of the hill looking down, it is very impressive. After a short walk up the hill, and the the climb up the 246 narrow, tight, spiral stairs that make up the staircase, we admired the view from near the top. We were surprised to hear someone complaining about the lack of wheelchair access within a 120 year old building. However it is probably a fair point that they should have been told about the lack of access before being sold the ticket and climbing the hill to the monument.

Leaving Stirling we headed out towards the Kingdom of Fife via the coastal road. The first part of the journey made us wonder why it was called the coastal route when all got to admire was industrial sites with no sight of the sea. However this soon changed and we enjoyed a delightful drive looking out over the Firth of the Fourth on the fifth of the fifth.

We arrived at our destination of Anstruther and checked into our B@B (spindrift). A wonderful place with hospitable hosts and a plethora of whiskies available for our pleasure. Which after a short walk down the road to the best 'fish and chip' shop in town, we sat down with the whiskey menu to decide upon which to enjoy first. This is going to be the beginning of a beautiful journey, a journey that I could well get used to.

Tomorrow St Andrews, which is just up the road, but that depends on how the moods take us.

Chronicle for 4 May 2012

Today our holiday begins. Tonight we will be in Stirling and who knows what the road today will bring. We like these exploratory adventures. Off to the land of bagpipes, oatcakes, and elevated vistas.

We didn't leave as early as we had hoped and got 'locked in' on the roads leaving London. After a couple brief stops we stopped at Durham and had look around the cathedral. We had been told that it was one of the top cathedrals in land. We thought that it was very large, although a little 'chunky' looking.

Leaving Durham Justine received a call to say that someone else was using her EFTPOS card. Card cancelled first day of our holiday!

Crossed the border into Scotland through to Stirling, and our first impression at 8pm on a Friday night is that each of the few people around in the streets was pissed.

We found a great little eatery for a simple dinner. Great service with a smile. A cafe run by a couple of delightful polish girls. Rings bells of remembrance of our first breakfast in Dublin. That was a hotel also run by Poles however delightful wasn't the way we remembered them. Such a contrast to tonights hosts.

Negligence

It's been a while since I posted here, and there are a number of reasons why this has been. However it has been pointed out to me rather directly that as this blog is essentially a record of our travels I should at least keep the records of our travels up to date. And as such where are the records of our trip to Scotland last year? So for anyone who may or may not have been reading this I do apologise, as I did to the person that raised the question.

The following few posts are the posts in question. If you have read them already, so be it, if you have not, here they are.

What this exercise has highlighted for me is that in reading over these posts today (yes they are still unedited, so please accept them for what they are, a daily record of events and experiences, as a stream of consciousness) it recalled for me what a great time that we had in a wonderful part of this country. Those days will be recalled as part of the 'good times' that we have shared.