Travelling to Edinburgh - Wed 2 July

Bit of a slow drive because I was a bit ill with a cold. We stopped at a couple of places including the town of Aberdour and visited the Aberdour Castle. Vija loved the gardens there whilst I was taken with the massive 600 nest dovecot used to provide pigeons for the dining table in winter so I climbed inside for a bird's-eye (pitiful, isn't it?). We then set off to Edinburgh first crossing the massive Forth Bridge to get to our inner area hotel just south of the old town in Edinburgh. What a nightmare! Intersection after intersection was blocked for what seems to be some major project. We were diverted several times with no idea where we should be because of no useful signs for a stranger to the town. Our GPS was, of course useless. It updates regularly for traffic conditions but apparently not for long term blockages! I had to do some dicey manouvres a few times just to keep going in roughly the desired directed. This strategy actually worked and we ended up at our hotel. We were not the only visitors caught - we saw others pulling over, gather their breaths and trying to make sense of how to get to their destinations. We went out later after some rain and walked the streets of the old own and also got this photo looking up to Edinburgh Castle

Tuesday 30 June - Fort George

We started the day at Fort George near the village of Ardesier, a village of little significance other than for a rather bizarre but well-tended memorial to Queen Victoria (see it in the album). Fort George's construction commenced in 1748 as part of the process to maintain order in the Highlands following the ill-fated Jacobite uprising of 1746. The fort is of massive construction with substantial fortification and protection from bombardment and attack. Because of these factors, I need to rely on the photographs of others so please go to this website. The museum inside the fort features various memorabilia, weapons, uniforms, medals and captured items of the previous units having the fort as a home base. It is a great museum with lots of history. The big disappointent was that photography is not allowed. We then ventured on to Perth seeing some great highland scenery.

Monday 29 Jun - Fort William to Unverness via Skye

This was a long drive today and we really should have been less ambitious. We got some early photos of Ben Nevis and the Nevis Range and were surprised that it had snow on its sides. We then traveled inland to Loch Laggan (featured) and crossed over the Calendonian Canal after being force to wait as the swing bridge allowed two yachts to pass through the canal in front of us. We then ventured NW to Skye crossing at Skye Bridge and traveling some of the Isle (a small waterfall on the isle is featured here). Then it was back to Kyle of Lochalsh to photograph the rebuilt Eilean Donan Castle. We then traveled SE to Invermoriston on Loch Ness then following the Loch (see photo of Heather growing on road cutting) and later the Ness River onto Inverness again crossing the Caledonian Canal.

Sunday 28 June - Oban to Fort William

From Oban, we followed the coastal road to Fort William crossing three very impressive bridges over lochs on the way. The best way to describe the scenery is 'ruggedly beautiful'. The waters in these lochs are protected by island and mainland features and, in the absence of wind, quite placid other than where the outgoing tide caused bore activity in some of the narrow passages. Our favourite feature on the trip was Castle Stalker. It is more a fortified tower than a castle but the history connected with it (click here) is full of bloodshed and mayhem. Coming into Fort William by the beach front was amazing - every building was offering accommodation to visitors - bed and breakfasts, cottages, guest houses, inns and hotels. I am starting to believe that every second or third house in Scotland is a B&B.

Sunday 28 June - The Road to Oban

Leaving aside St Conan's Kirk (already posted), we have selected three images from this drive. The best part of the trip was that part down the Pass of Brander following the path of the Awe River. The scenary was beautiful but not that photogenic for a still camera. The views are of a narrow section of Loch Awe, a beached boat near Oban, and Dunstaffnage Castle south of Oban.

Sunday 28 June - Loch Lomond

We stayed just outside Glasgow and set off firstly for Dumbarton Castle. The amount of climbing needed to see it all quickly put us off so off we went to Loch Lomond whilst enjoying a light Scottish drizzle. These photographs were taken from the viewing point at Isulgas on the Loch. Scotland is far more friendly for motoring tourists. The do have viewing (lookout) points at various places and usually lots of parking and, very thankfully, the parking is free.

Sunday 28 June - St. Conan's Kirk

After Lomond, we were happily traveling beside Loch Awe heading towards Oban when we noticed this rather remarkable church built on the steep slope of the loch. Then we noticed that it was St. Conan's Kirk so a stop was obligatory. On a closer look, it was even more astonishing but its uniqueness is very well described in both words and pictures here at Undiscovered Scotland. To add to their pictures here are three of ours - a celtic cross memorial to Mrs Campbell senior, an "old man's beard" clematis growing on the kirk's gatehouse; and one of the six identical chairs in the semi-circle behind the altar table (for elders?). All our photos are also published in Picasa.