Scotland trip Part 1 Gretna Green to Gairloch

 

Gretna Green (obviously)

 

Definitely in Scotland now

 

On the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond

 

Totally self sufficient in power (all the rain has to be useful for something)

 

Old church on the edge of another loch that they are trying to o up

Oban

Oban – beautiful little town with a really busy harbour – lots of ferries chugging in and out. I really liked it and wished I could have stayed longer (and a great fish restaurant for dinner as well)

Some of these places are old

 

A random ruined castle on a loch

 

Glencoe (no not the one near Mt Gambier) 

 

 

35 years ago I caught the train from Fort William to Mallaig and it made a huge impact because it was so beautiful. It was still just as beautiful.

I really wanted to stop at the Glenfinnan viaduct but you couldn’t get a park within a mile so just carried on. There are lots of places to stop on the road from Fort William to Mallaig and I pulled into one and just as I did the train came along

 

And it appeared in Mallaig a couple of hours later

Kyleakin – now forever etched in my mind as the 2nd worst Airbnb I’ve stayed at

 

Eilean Donan Castle

Heather just growing out of rocks

Lots of cemeteries by the sea – windy and bleak but beautiful

 

The bridge from Skye to the mainland – I caught the ferry over and bridge back

 

Now for the start of the NC500 http://www.northcoast500.com/

 

 

It took me a lot longer than that

 

Strathcarron to Applecross – the road wasn’t too bad but I don’t like heights and it was a bit scary up the top (and very bloody windy)

They had a sign saying the were the best icecream and I had the almond and apricot and it was fantastic – hard work to get back there though for another one

applecross ice cream

 

The road from Applecross to Shieldaig was some of the prettiest coastline I have ever seen – just beautiful 

 

My first coo

 

 

Sheep all over the road and one day a goat bounced onto the road in front of me and then just bounced away

 

Very windy – I thought Harvey’s ears were going to blow off