Part 2: The Highlands
During a brief stint living and working in Ireland, I took a few unforgettable days to explore Scotland, starting with the historic streets of Edinburgh and then venturing into the wild beauty of the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. See Part 1 for the Edinburgh sites.
Into the Highlands
I joined my tour group for a trip through the Highlands and to the Isle of Skye. I took my tour through Scottish Tours (https://www.scottishtours.co.uk/ScotlandTours/Isle-of-Skye-Explorer).
The drive north from Edinburgh was long—about four hours—and the weather was rainy and foggy, much like Dublin when I left it. Along the way, we passed Stirling, with its imposing castle, and the William Wallace Monument (Mel Gibson in Braveheart).
We also drove through the town where Rob Roy once lived and was buried. Our guide recounted the tragic massacre of the MacDonald clan at Glen Coe by forces loyal to William of Orange. We stopped at Glen Coe for a quick, wet photo op.
The Highlands are rugged and mountainous. We passed by Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, on our drive.
Unfortunately, we hit road construction and were severely delayed by two different spots where traffic had to alternate through a single open lane. At one point, the driver considered skipping Urquhart Castle and the Loch Ness cruise and head straight to Inverness. Thankfully, the majority of us voted to stick with the original plan. After all, you should come prepared on a trip like this.
Loch Ness itself isn’t particularly picturesque, and at thirty-seven kilometers long, it’s no wonder the elusive monster remains hidden. Still, I couldn’t pass up the chance to see it. I explored the fifteenth-century castle ruins along the loch, albeit a bit quickly, before boarding the half-hour cruise.
The rain held off while I was at the castle but started again during the cruise, only to stop and give way to sunshine as soon as the cruise ended. No Nessie sightings, but I was glad to have experienced the loch nonetheless.
Inverness
We finally arrived in Inverness, which I found far less captivating than Edinburgh. I checked into the Ramada Encore, which was quite similar to the Holiday Inn Express I stayed in the night before.
It was pouring rain up here as well, a common occurrence in Scotland. The constant rain has been frustrating, especially when trying to sightsee.
The rain finally stopped around 8 p.m., so I headed out for a walk. I made my way up to Inverness Castle and then strolled along the Ness River Walk. “Inver” means “mouth,” and although Inverness itself isn’t particularly picturesque, the river walk was quite pleasant.
Along the way, I was approached by a woman who started speaking rapidly to me. She was commenting on the rabbits frolicking on the hill beside us, but when she realized I was American and walking alone, she warned me to be careful—according to her, Inverness has its fair share of “crazy people.” She even had her two young sons back up her claim. I thanked her for the concern and discreetly checked my belongings, just in case.
Despite a few odd or downtrodden people around, I didn’t feel particularly unsafe. There were plenty of people, including families, out enjoying the evening along the river.
Isle of Skye
The next morning, I headed to the bus station for my trip to the Isle of Skye. We were packed into a minibus, and two of us ended up sitting in the front next to our driver, George, who had also driven the previous day.
Sitting in the front turned out to be the best spot for taking in the views. George was friendly, chatting with me between the taped commentary. I was the only native English speaker on the tour, with fellow travelers from Asia, India, and possibly Central America. Everyone was friendly, and a few were even from the previous day’s tour.
Our first stop on the way to Skye was a quirky sightseeing spot—an old hotel with horses grazing in the front yard. One horse went from person to person, inspecting us for food, and when you had none, she quickly lost interest. We enjoyed coffee, tea, and cookies (I opted for hot chocolate and Scottish shortbread). We made several scenic stops throughout the day for photos, which was great.
It soon became clear why we were in a minivan. The roads to Skye were narrow, often only wide enough for one car, requiring one vehicle to pull into a passing nook when meeting another head-on. The roads were also winding, with plenty of ups and downs through the hilly terrain.
Unfortunately, the rain started around 11 a.m. and didn’t begin to clear up until about 4 p.m., wiping out most of our time on Skye. The heavy mist obscured the views, turning the scenic stops into battles against the elements—wind, pouring rain, and cold. I was glad I had bought cashmere gloves in Edinburgh; they certainly came in handy today. [Pro tip for Scotland: bring warm clothes and rain gear!]
Around 1 p.m., we stopped for lunch and some sightseeing at Armadale Castle on the Isle of Skye, home to the Clan Donald Center. Despite the pouring rain, I explored everything—the dining room, gift shop, museum, castle ruins, gardens, and ornamental ponds.
The site has historical significance, particularly in relation to Flora MacDonald, was married here. Flora is famed throughout the world for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie to flee Scotland after the Jacobites’ defeat at Culloden by disguising him as her maid.
According to the official website, (https://www.armadalecastle.com/) the gardens were originally laid out by Lord Macdonald in the early 19th century.
At the center of the Gardens sit the picturesque ruins of Armadale Castle (above), the former manor house of the Macdonald chiefs. I was able to walk among the ruins, although I don’t believe you can do that anymore.
By 4 p.m., the weather finally cleared, and the sun made a brief appearance, allowing us to do some actual sightseeing. We visited a beach, a spot offering free whiskey tasting. I tried whiskey for the first time—not my favorite, but not as bad as I expected.
On our way back to Inverness, we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle. According its official website website (https://www.eileandonancastle.com/ ), it’s situated on an island at the point where three great sea lochs meet and dates to the early 13th century.
We also stopped at a picturesque stone bridge with a nearby waterfall.
Finally, we also drove through some stunning mountain scenery, including the Five Sisters.
Highlands Tour & Return Home
The following day followed a similar pattern to the rest of my tour, with gray skies and intermittent drizzle throughout the morning and early afternoon. Our morning tour took us through some picturesque spots around Inverness on a double-decker bus, half of which was open-air. George was once again our driver. I learned he had served in Afghanistan before joining Scottish Tours just three weeks ago, which might explain his military-style haircut—a common sight among men here, even those who haven’t served.
I was the only one brave enough to sit in the open-air section of the bus at first, but I eventually moved downstairs when it got too cold, and I kept getting pelted by bits of tree and rain whenever George drove too close to the roadside foliage.
Our tour this date went to the Black Isle, a peninsula in the Highlands of Scotland, located north of Inverness. It’s known for it’s dolphin viewing, but the towns of Cromarty and Beauly are also located here.
We made stops in Beauly, where we explored some fascinating priory ruins, and Cromarty, a town full of old and beautifully restored houses.
Mary Queen of Scots and John Keats both supposedly visited Beauly.
The priory was established in the 1200s and some notable Scots are buried here, such as Hugh Fraser.
In Cromarty, we visited a thatched-roof house where their local hero, Hugh Miller, was born, a Gaelic chapel on a hill, and a monument to Miller overlooking the water, where dolphins and seals are sometimes seen (though not when I was present).
We also drove through the Black Isle and made an attempt to see dolphins. No dolphins or seals in sight, but by now, many of my fellow passengers had moved downstairs to escape the cold. I went back upstairs to the enclosed part of the open-air section to get away from the crowd.
After returning to the bus station in Inverness, I had a couple of hours of free time, which I spent browsing the shops in a local mall. The rain was starting to come down as I boarded the bus back to Edinburgh at 4:30 p.m., once again with George at the wheel. I bade goodbye to George at the Edinburgh bus station.
A lot of rain, a lot of cold, but I’m glad I was able to see some of the wilds of Scotland.