A Bloody Good Start to Scotland

And so we headed north into Scotland! I can say now with certainty that my Scottish accent has not improved one bit, even with a week in this enchanting land now under our kilts belts (queue Juliette nodding her head fervently in agreement). Nonetheless, our first impressions here have been that Scotland is unlike anything we have ever seen. From driving through the highlands to the lochs and forests, every day has brought different views and adventures as this land has tested us in ways not experienced yet this trip.

Take our first two nights in Fort William, for instance. Against the advice of paranoid friends and family, we stayed in an old gypsy wagon perched directly adjacent to Loch Eil. Rain streaming from every direction, we pulled into the drive that evening not knowing what to expect. Our concerns were quickly realized during the hostile greeting from the tribe elders where they promptly put a curse on our car. Just kidding- we were warmly met at the gate by the lovely couple that lived up the hill! They showed us around the campsite which included a fire pit roaring despite the rain, a portable bathroom, open covered trailer that served as a kitchen and seating area, and the gypsy wagon itself. We never found out the whole story of the wagon, but it was cozily heated and warmed on arrival and would serve as a good shelter for the next two nights.

Though absolutely beautiful, Scotland seems to be pretty unforgiving in the fall (more on this later). It rained all night and into the morning with only a few breaks but we were able to capture a great picture of the surrounding area.

Our agenda that day was to travel the 20 miles into Fort William to catch the Jacobite Steam Train to the port of Mallaig. This is a Scottish heritage train still run by coal and steam and has the unique route that passes over a Roman viaduct more commonly recognized as the route taken by the Hogwarts Express! In case you haven’t figured it out by now, we are pretty big HP fans and we planned on visiting plenty of these sights while in the UK.

This was a great relaxed trip where we enjoyed the scenery and got to know some of our cabin companions before reaching the fishing village of Mallaig almost two hours later. With only an hour to catch the train back, not much to do in town, and in need of some food, we grabbed a quick bite at the Tea Garden Cafe (including traditional Cullen Skink- smoked fish soup) before braving the rain and getting back on the train for the return trip. I indulged in my first scotch of the tour while Juliette sipped a butterbrew hot chocolate.

Unfortunately the Ben Nevis distillery in Fort William had already closed, but we spent that afternoon exploring the Old Inverlochy Castle and Fort William city center where we even saw a bit of sunshine despite the cold and rainy day. This sunshine may or may not have been amber in color, 80 proof, and enjoyed in a dark corner of the Ben Nevis Pub. We retired that evening back to the campfire and gypsy wagon where it was quickly becoming apparent that our clothes were just not warm enough for what was ahead!

Isle of Skye

Now the Isle of Skye turned out to be a formidable opponent. Despite an incredibly scenic drive (which included an unfortunate two hour detour) we soon learned how unforgiving a landscape this can be. In fact the first photo below from Talisker Distillery pretty much sums it up:

Our Airbnb digs for the next three nights was the Cowshed Hostel in the small northern town of Uig. We had a small pod with a great view and basic amenities (but limited wifi and hot water). A warm shower would have been a nice luxury after the showerless gypsy wagon and against the backdrop of the bone-chilling, howling Skye wind and rain. Despite some sleepless nights in the cramped pod, we were determined to prevail!

Skye certainly has its charm and is a remarkable playscape for outdoor enthusiasts. We will definitely need to return better equipped. We spent most of our two days there driving around and disembarking for a quick hike here and there (before getting our butts handed to us by the cold winds and flailing back to the car). Our favorite time spent was at the Talisker Distillery, exploring the north part of Skye (and stumbling upon the best hot chocolate at a tiny-house community cafe called Single Track), and hiking the trails to the fairey glenn and fairey pools. Check out some pictures of our adventures below.

Talisker Distillery: One of three whisky distilleries on the Isle of Skye. Known for their traditional approach to producing scotch whisky

Delicious (and much needed) hot chocolate at Single Track after visiting the Skye Museum of Island Life

Exploring the picturesque Fairey Glenn and Fairey Pool trails below: Both of these areas had some very unique geological formations

In the evenings, we made dinner in the hostel common area and even managed to make passable (though fiery) pork tacos with homemade tortillas! We also spent time getting caught up on our blog, drinking scotch, and watched the movie Skyfall, which took place in the Scottish highlands.

Then just like that, to a mixture of sadness and some relief, our time on Skye was done and a trip to the much more populous city of Edinburgh was in order!

-GP