I have visited Scotland many times. The scenery and some of the places are simply epic.
On the 17th of May 2019, we took a seaplane flight from Loch Lomond
We went to Ackergill Tower just outside Wick in April 2016. It is an amazing place complete with checkered history and a layer of antiques. I was wowed – again!
We went to Oban for 4 days in July 2015. Here is a short video of our impressions
Impressions of Nevis Range Mountain Resort
When we were in Oban we drove up past Fort William to The Nevis Mountain Range Resort. It was a lot better than I had expected with a cable car taking you high into the mountains.
The Ardnamurchan Road
We went to Arisaig with the inention of going to Rum but when we heard of the Ardamurchan, a remote, wild and beautiful peninsula we just had to take the drive. We thought it was worth it.!
Arisaig is where the Road to Isles more or less stopped until 2011 when they completed the last stretch of the A830. It is remote but Morrar is even more wild, remote and impressive.
We spent ages discussing the options to get to Arisaig – drive, train or plane but end up with the drive-fly-drive option. You drive to Birmingham International – then fly to Inverness – then drive all across Scotland coast to coast before eventually arriving. Somehow, this seemed to make sense!
I was driving on the A82 on Thursday the 17th of October 2017 when this madman tried to end it all – the margin was incredibly tiny – I’ve never hit the brakes so hard or so fast. Thanks, Ford for giving the Fiesta great brakes.
Scottish Sheep
There were some sheep grazing the field way below our hotel in Arisaig. I do love a good timelapse and I think their behaviour is fascinating.
We went to the Glenmorangie Hotel just outside Inverness in May 2018 for a few days and wandered around. The northeast of Scotland around Inverness is amazing with great scenery and amazing wildlife. The beaches are brilliant and deserted. The roads are fast and almost empty.
On the 1st day, Sunday 13 May, we flew up to Inverness, picked up a hire car – a Peugeot 306 and drove to Fort George. This fort is a massive testament to English power. Following the 1745 rebellion, the government was not going to tolerate anything further. They built this massive structure to ensure the Scots stayed quiet.
We then went to our hotel where the meals are taken communally amongst a polyglot range of rich people. There were characters there including an eccentric Italian jeweller who ate in seconds and only drank Glenmorangie 10 year old. His “wife” must have been half his age. Three Japanese turned up late and fell asleep. There were thirteen at the meal so they put a stuffed lion on the table and served him scotch. There were horse riding ladies who were enjoying their widowhood. There were Americans who turned up in shorts, t shirts and work boots. There was a rich financier with his brand new Bentley.
Next morning, Monday, we drove to Dornoch and its fabulous beach before carrying on to Dunrobin Castle – a fairy-tale castle with a falconry display and a very quirky museum.
The next day, Tuesday, we were onto the Black Isle where we took a Rib out on the Firth Of Cromarty and saw the dolphins. On the Wednesday we drove into the epic interior of Scotland and then we visited the National Trust site of the battle of Culloden. It was on the Thursday that we took in the Hilton of Cadboll Stone before heading back to the airport and home. They hadn’t prepared the bill at the hotel and I did wonder for 10 days if would turn out to be a freebie – but sadly it didn’t.
Campbeltown
I had never met anyone who had been to Campbeltown. So we decided to go visit. I found a hotel which sounded as though it might be OK. It was Stonefield Hotel, Tarbert. The reviews were mixed but it was suitably expensive and frankly if we were going to go then it was the only place around that had even pretensions to be nice.
We caught a plane to Glasgow on Monday the 11th of June, 2018 and then hired a rather nice Mercedes C class car and motored towards the hotel. The video script below tells the rest of that tale.
We stayed overnight at the hotel. The views from the restaurant were stunning. However the midges were fierce and they were plastered all over the room and, especially the bathroom. I cleared them up and sprayed and sprayed the fly killer around the room. The midges meant that the window had to stay as firmly shut as possible (which wasn’t very) which in it’s turn meant the room was roasting. However, we survived and set off for the final leg of the journey to Campbeltown.
The road was stunning and the seas gorgeous and we arrived at Campbeltown before driving onward to Southend. As we drove into Campbeltown the outskirts are depressing but I was challenged on this view and put up a video on this which is also below. This is the end of the peninsula and the views were epic. We’d booked a rib trip and you can see that below as well. We then spent some time wandering around Campbeltown. They have just restored an art nouveau cinema and we spent our time drinking tea there before heading back to the hotel and the midges.
We had decided to visit the island of Gigha (pronounced Geea) on the Wednesday and I made another video which you can see below. On the way back we took a drive to the east coast of the island out toward Skipness Castle. The roads are single track, and the views gorgeous but we are talking serious isolation here.
Finally, on the Thursday it was time to head back to Glasgow. There was a storm called Hector blasting away at us as we drove northward. We arrived at Inverraray Castle and surprise, surprise I made a video of that as well. Eventually, Flybe sent a big jet to pick us up and we arrived safe and sound in Brum.
The blurb said “Get close to basking seals and watch puffins (during the breeding season) fly around the boat on our core wildlife trip around Sanda Island off the Mull of Kintyre. Sanda is home to a host of seabirds, with porpoises and dolphins seen frequently on our journey. ” We saw some sea birds – no dolphins.
I wasn’t that impressed with the outing if I’m honest – we couldn’t hear most of the commentary and the guide spent most of the trip chatting with one of the guests. We never got close enough to see the seals or the birds.
It appears that the rib was sold on the 27th of June 2018 – we went on the 12th of June – so this was one of the last trips.
Learn all about Inverary Castle .
A brief extract from the 2012 Downton Christmas Special to tie in with my video on Inveraray Castle which is above.
We went to Ackergill Tower just outside Wick in April 2016. It is an amazing place complete with checkered history and a layer of antiques. I was wowed – again.
Corryvreckan On A RIB
We went out to Corryvreckan on a 2 hour trip on a SeaFari RIB in June 2016. Corryvreckan is between Jura and Scarba islands. We set off from a village called Easdale with a group of school kids on a jolly.
The whirlpools come and go and are not in one static place, despite rumours to the contrary. They do not suck down ships or men (or RIBS) but the water flows are really impressive. The rumour that it is the 3rd largest whirlpool in the world is just rubbish, repeated from blog to blog. There is no hierarchy of whirlpools in the world and these just form and disappear rapidly.
Folk Tale
According to tradition the Corryvreckan, or Coire Bhreacain, Whirlpool is named after Norse King Breachan. The King had to prove his bravery in order to marry a princess of the Isles.
Breachan anchored his boat in the whirlpool to prove his courage, using three ropes – one made from hemp, one from wool and one from virgins’ hair. On the third day of anchorage, after the hemp and wool ropes had broken, the virgins’ hair rope gave way and Breachan drowned. Legend states that the rope made from hair failed as one of the maidens had been unfaithful.
The Video
Trying to make a 2d image stand up against reality is difficult. I hope that I have managed to capture the essence of the flows and the power. Enjoy!
I Know Where I’m Going – The Film
Powell and Pressburger made a love story set in the Hebrides in 1945 called “I Know Where I’m Going”. It is now a cult classic. The climax of the film is the dash across the sea for our heroine to marry her intended. The weather is awful and the boat strays into the Corryveckran whirlpools before returning to the start of the journey. Our heroine then finds true love in the arms of our hero. Brilliant – honestly!
If my summary is too short you can read all about the film on IMDB here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037800/?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt
Anyway here is my extract showing the Corryvreckan sequence. The three people on the boat are the skipper and his boy who have been manipulated into taking the boat out on the fool’s errand and our heroine.
Mr Trump has poured a fortune into Turnberry Scotland and it is amazing. World class. We went in late September 2016. Pity no one else did!
Stonefield Hotel
This is the lift at the £200+ a night hotel – Stonefield Hotel. My wife wouldn’t get into it
Stonefield Hotel say on their website “Built in 1837, Stonefield Castle is a fine example of Scottish baronial architecture and still retains much of its original furnishings, wood panelling, ornate ceilings and marble fireplaces.
Beyond its interior splendour, the castle is set in 60 acres of woodland gardens, lapped by the shores of Loch Fyne. It is based just two miles from the idyllic fishing village of Tarbert, one of the most attractive villages on the Mull of Kintyre peninsula.
The hotel has 36 individually and tastefully decorated en suite bedrooms, with views over the gardens and Loch Fyne itself.”
