i left Edinburgh on a 3 days Isle of Skye tour with Highland Experience tours. There were wonderful people on the tour as well as the tour guide.
On the way we saw the Jellies and Stirling Castle in the distance.
We then stopped at Loch Lomond which is referenced in the song You’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low road. It is a song about captured brothers where one must die and the other can go back to Scotland. It is a beautiful melody.
we stopped to take pictures at the sites most people seem to stop and do the same. No matter as the scenery is breathtaking and spectacular. These are along the way to Inverness.
These mountains are called the three Sisters: Faith, Hope, and Charity.
At the Glencoe visitor center we could see an original earth house that past Scots would build. All the materials were sourced within a mile of its location. I could also watch birds as I ate lunch. I ordered a hot dog with haggis on it. It was the best hot dog I have ever eaten and made in Scotland.
We stopped at the commando memorial. Commando training here in Scotland is pretty brutal.
Next stop was Loch Ness. Along the way we were told many of the stories, sightings, and research into Nessie. Loch Ness is narrower than I thought but is really long. All the Lochs are connected with canals to let ships cross from one to the other.
Finally we made it to Inverness, our home for two nights. I did not explore much, choosing instead to relax a bit.
On the second day, we travelled to Isle of Skye. A lot of driving with not much opportunity to walk. But we saw some beautiful scenery.
I tried to get a good picture of the red squirrel but caught him in retreat!
The weather was so calm that the water was like glass and gave great reflections.
We stopped at Eilean Donan castle. It was the site of the Highlander series as well as other movies. It was built in the 13th century and housed the Mackenzie clan and allies. Now it is privately owned. I chose not to go inside the castle spending more time touring the grounds.
The pioneers that climbed the Cuillins were John Mackenzie and Norman Collie. Their statue faces the Cuillins. I joined in putting my face in the river as it is to bring good health and longevity.
The next stop was Ported for some sightseeing and lunch.
Kilt falls. We were also on the lookout for dolphins and seals as we were in the coastline.
The Quirang was formed when basalt flows from volcanoes spread over the area in the peninsula and destabilized the weak sedimentary rock beneath causing landslides to occur until settling into the current placement. It is a very striking landscape.
On the last day, we left Inverness and visited Clava Cairns. A cairn is an ancient burial ground and these are dated at over 4000 years old. This one has an entrance to the center and was found to have been reused centuries later (after the original dead were no longer in anyone’s memory!)
We also visited the Culloden battlefield. It is a great site to learn about Scottish history. For centuries the Stuarts in Scotland challenged the English throne to restore Catholic rule from the Protestants (I was always intrigued by Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I). The bonny Prince joined the Jacobite clans with some aid from the French to try to take London. The final battle was here where a series of unfortunate mistakes led to their massacre. The history of both sides is laid out well in the museum before entering the battlefield. Red flags for UK and blue for Scotland are marked where the battle lines started. Rock markers for where the various clans fell and were buried in a mass grave can be seen. Some weathering makes a few difficult to read. There is also a memorial cairn on the site.
We stopped at Pitlochry for lunch. In earlier times, people from Edinburgh would come to this resort town to escape the city. I ate Cullen skunk which is a stew made of smoked haddock and potatoes.
We then had a walkabout in Tay Forest Park where some of the tallest Jack pines are found. Really beautiful.
In Perth, we stopped at a family run farm and restaurant. The have highland coo (cows) you can pet and feed. These highland cows are able to walk better than cows in the boggy Moors and can feed on all vegetation there. Because of this, they use these highland cows to cross breed with regular cows. They also have super fatty milk which is excellent for cheese.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Isle of Skye. It would be beautiful when the heather is in bloom but fall was a great time to visit. I really miss those gorgeous colors.