Dialog - Schottland

Our round trip of Scotland. Starting in Aberdeen, our journey took us alongside the north coast over to Loch Ness, through the northern highlands to Ullapool, over to the Isle of Skye, by ferry to Mallaig, past (and ontop of) Ben Nevis, via Loch Lomond to Edinburgh, and finally back up through Cairngorms National park to our start- and endpoint.

On our last full day, we took off in the morning from Dundee, heading north into Cairngorms National park. Crossing over a pass road, we descended towards Balmoral, the Queen's summer residence in Scotland.

Along the coastal route between the Firth of Forth (and its landmark railroad bridge) and the Firth of Tay (also with a railroad bridge with a story to it), we came past St. Andrews, home to the third oldest University in the English-speaking world (and where Prince William obtained a degree).

Our visit to Scotland's capital city was unfortunately overshadowed by drizzly rain. Even without good weather though, this city is still beautiful! We went inside the Scottish parliament and walked up the "Royal way" all the way from Holyrood to the Edinburgh castle (best thing is the view over the city).

On our way from Fort William to Edinburgh, we crossed over the Highland Boundary Fault at Loch Lomond (known from the song "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond"). After a short hike along its shoreside, we continued our trip, passing Glasgow eastbound on M8.

Starting from Fort William at about sea level, we started our hike towards Great Britain's highest mountain (1344 meters). The summit was unfortunately completely covered with rain clouds and with temparatures near to freezing point, we only stayed there very shortly. In the evening, it felt really good to put our legs up on the bed. The muscle ache stayed for two more days:)

When we arrived in Fort William, we strolled around the downtown area, found a place to eat (they make the best cheeseburgers in town!). After dinner, we went over to the train station to watch The Jacobite steam train arrive.

We took the ferry over from Armadale on Skye to Mallaig, the western endpoint of the West Highland Railway, where we stopped over shortly. Taking the scenic "Road to the Isles", we enjoyed great views of the Sound of Arisaig, crossed over a pass and curved alongside lochs down to Fort William, our destination. The route runs in parallel to the Mallaig Extension Railway, whose Glenfinnan viaduct is known from the Harry Potter movies.

On our second day on Skye, we took a small detour to a small village on the southern tip of the island called Elgol. With a clear blue sky, the sun shining and a steady breeze, our two-hour hike alongside the cliffs was one of our vacation's highlights.

The first day on the island took us along route 87 into sunnier weather through Portree, the largest town on Skye, to our destination, Uig. After checking in to the hotel, we decided to take the small one-track road once around the northern tip. We were rewarded by astonishing views in a fantastic scenery. For the dinner, we went to a small place in Portree's harbor for more fish & chips.

On a drizzly day, our journey continued through the northern Highlands towards Ullapool. Sitting outside in the cold and windy weather we enjoyed freshly made fish & chips like real Scots!

Staying at the awesome Ballindarroch Country House, we toured Loch Ness and its surroundings, heading southwards from its location near Inverness towards Fort Augustus, where we crossed the Caledonian Canal, and back up north on the opposite side, past the Monster Center, and with a detour to the Glen Affric for some hiking. Loch Ness unfortunately is only a big lake.

Driving alongside the scenic route on the north coast from Fraserburgh, we took a brief detour down a steep hill into the small fishing village of Pennan. Its rusty red telephone box plays a role in the 1980s movie called "Local Hero".

On our way north, we came by Slains Castle, a ruin sitting on the cliffs and right off A975. Scotland is full of abandoned castles, churches and houses like this.

Starting from the airport, we picked up our rental car, and started out (on the left side of the road!) towards the downtown area, where - after checking in to the hotel - we walked around exploring the area. We spent the second day mostly at the beach, walking along the high sand dunes, breathing in sea air and enjoying the sunshiny weather. On the morning of our third day, we started northbound, visiting old Aberdeen on the way.