As you can probably tell, I won’t be dressing up this post any more than it needs, so hopefully the photos speak for themselves! (Also I’m really tired and flying to Rome on Thursday and need to pack…)
This is literally just some nice photos I took in Inverness and the Highlands (and some very brief text). A few (four) have been edited, but the rest my camera simply worked its magic on. Enjoy!
Inverness
Our trip started off in Inverness for the Social Travel Summit. Inverness is a fairly typical small British town, offering the standard high street shops but despite this, it has a really lovely feel to it and I really enjoyed my time there. The weather was also pretty damn good.
Inverness Castle
Loch Ness & Urquhart Castle
We were treated to a boat tour to Urquhart Castle, situated on the banks of Loch Ness. Did you know Loch Ness is twice as deep as the North Sea? Me neither. It’s actually quite impressive. Urquhart Castle has some cracking views. Weather continued to be very good.
Entrance to Loch Ness
A Great British Rail Journey:
Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh
After the conference, we got the train to Kyle of Lochalsh on the West coast. This journey is considered one of the most beautiful in the whole of the UK. Pretty easy to see why. Weather still very good.
Eilean Donan Castle
First stop in the West (not counting our horrendous hostel) was Eilean Donan Castle. Beautiful castle, but slightly disappointing interior. Amazing views of castle and surrounds so well worth the journey. Weather still dry and sunny.
The village of Dornie was close by, which looked nice.
Isle of Skye
Then it was time for Isle of Skye, one of Scotland’s most popular destinations. We were based in the pretty village of Kyleakin (pronounced “Cull-akin”), which has some pretty ruins, Caisteal Maol. The weather was ok.
Kyleakin
Due to the difficulty of off-season public transport, we booked ourselves on to a great tour: Skye Tours, with local man and excellent tour-guide Marshall. THEN THE RAIN CAME!
First we saw the Cuillin Hills. Beautiful.
Then Portree. Charming.
Then the viewpoint where the Quiraing mountain ridge looks onto the Trotternish Ridge. Dramatic.
Quiraing
Trotternish Ridge
Quiraing
Then to Kilt Rock. Stunning.
And finally, the very foggy Old Man of Storr (just to prove to Vlad at Eff It I’m on Holiday that we also suffered from the weather…). Atmospheric.
Lasting impressions
The Highlands really did blow me away: the landscapes, the history, the people, the food – I loved it all. More to come in much more detailto try and do this beautiful place justice.
Thank you for literally making me search flights to Scotland. Actually, it’s been on my travel bucket list for ages (after all, I have a piece of land there, Lady Saana Jaakkola of Chaol Ghleann as I am!) 🙂
By the way, did you notice that I threw you a challenge last week? Yes, I’m sorry but… I’m not! 😀
http://www.livenowdreamlater.net/en/2016/09/21/weirdest-travel-memories/
You’ve been talking about Scotland for so long – you need to just GO! Those haunted houses won’t be around for ever, haha!
Thanks for the nomination but it looks like I completed your challenge about 3 years ago! http://continentalbreakfasttravel.com/2013/04/24/that-awkward-moment-when-most-awkward-travelling-experiences/ 😛
Looking good – I am desperate to do the Highland train journey and the Isle of Skye – though suspect I’ve already used up all my Scotland good weather luck in the Outer Hebrides!
I think you definitely did! It was a bit of a toss up between Lewis/Harris or Skye. If we could have guaranteed we’d have your weather, we would have 100% gone to Lewis and Harris – those beaches are just too good to resist. Skye was amazing though – it’s as if someone took Snowdonia and squeezed it onto one small island.
Your photos are so pretty, I hate you for having such a great weather, haha. Next time I’m going to the Highlands, I want to see Isle of Skye as well. I had the same thought about Eilean Donan castle, the interior was very underwhelming. We went in only because they was raining and freezing…
Skye was beautiful – it’s hard to believe there is so much packed into such a small island. I did think about you with the weather – we had 5 days of beautiful sunshine and one day of rain, haha. Still, the Highlands are meant to be gloomy, right?
Hahahahah – some places are just like that: no words needed. I could spend days just looking at photos of Scotland.
It’s so beautiful, isn’t it? Even the weather can’t affect it: to me, the cloud and mist and rain add to the atmosphere because that’s exactly what I imagine the Highlands to be like.
…not sure Vlad would agree 😛
I finally got to Scotland last week! And it was amazing in every way. Also it snowed every day I was there and it finally killed my 5-yo DSLR camera, so I have been going over your and Vlad’s blogs bc I remember both of you at some points had useful photography posts. And came across this ….oooh, Scotland [insert 10 heart-eye emojis]. I already want to go back.
Fantastic! Where did you go? Did you have a good time? I always think even bad weather really adds to the atmosphere in Scotland. Shame about your camera though 🙁
OMG I loved it – and I totally agree about the weather – as long as you’re dressed appropriately, it’s part of the essential Scotland vibes. We sort of circled all of Scotland it seems, from Crieff to Lanark, Ballater-Braemar, Balmoral, Lochnagar, Eilean Donan, all over Skye including Portree, hiking to Oldman of Storr and those cliffs and waterfalls, and finally Glencoe. I loved literally everything.
I am now entirely stuck on the camera situation tho, bc I want a ‘semi-pro’ one, but light enough to throw into my handbag for a walk-about (I had a Nikon with a 105 lens), but also I want to get cool pix (that’s the technical terms) but I want to shoot on automatic and not to spend a lot of time editing :))) Basically I dont want to do work but I want pix like you and Vlad have :))) Any recommendations?
Oh and also Loch Ness and Invergarry
Well I am very flattered you like my photos but Vlad’s are a whole other level entirely! I love this pictures. I was actually looking to buy a new camera this week, but in the end I decided to invest in a new phone instead, because the budget I was willing to spend just wouldn’t have stretched to a good camera, plus one or two lenses. Instead, I got the new Google Pixel, which apparently has a fantastic camera.
Hi John
just to say how wierd for me to see your picture of the old trawler the”Johan” in Kyleackin , as it was my home for 24 years when in Brighton marina , she is looking a bit sad now but perhaps the most approprate location to fade away. thanks for the chance to look , good luck with your quest.
Ali
Hi Ali, what a small world! How did you come across my photo? It looks like the trawler has seen better days but it’s in a beautiful little spot at least.