Author: jennymarj

When we left Applecross we had a plan. We wanted to visit the Applecross Photographic Gallery, we wanted to cross Bealach na Bà (Pass of the Cattle) and we wanted to be in Glendale, on the Isle if Skye, before dark.

Our Airbnb host in Ullapool told us to say hello to Jack at the Applecross Photographic Gallery. And being true to our word, we went in search of the Gallery, which as an added bonus, offered a free cup of coffee for the visit.

Jack was a little distracted when we called in to say hello. The World Cup Rugby match between England and New Zealand has begun and England had just scored. Jack was jumping up and down amongst his framed prints and assorted photographic paraphernalia.

He made us a cup of coffee but his heart wasn’t in it. England were in the lead. The coffee was cold!

We purchased a few of his photographic cards, gulped down the coffee and left him in peace.

We stopped in at the Applecross Inn and had a hot cup of coffee and a bacon roll (breakfast had finished but they took pity on us and rustled up a quick snack) and chatted with some of the other visitors. It was cosy and warm and we could have stayed longer.

The locals are obviously very polite and we happily acquiesced to their request regarding parking in the area. How could we not!!

We needed to get moving. we had a mountain pass to negotiate!

Bealach na Bà could look like this, depending on the season. We would have been happy with either.

For us, it looked like this!

And occasionally like this.

Had we have been patient we probably would have had a better view. Never the less, Grahame enjoyed the drive over Scotland’s 3rd highest mountain pass.

We called in at some castle ruins at Strome to take a few pics. We made sure we put the handbrake on properly while there.

And then it was on to the Isle of Skye. Saw our new car, but someone else was driving it!!

We drove to the Kyle of Lochalsh and the over the Skye Bridge*. ( There was a great battle there about 20 years ago!!)

Landscape beauty overload began immediately (not that it had actually finished!)

We drove straight to the main town, Portree and found somewhere for lunch.

Portree Harbour was so pretty. The colourful buildings on the waterfront reminded me of Porto. ( Mithyl, do you agree???)

I’m thinking this is a pretty good advertisement for this Fish and Chip shop!

We pointed the car north , and headed to Uig. It was a pretty drive, dotted with sheep, waterfalls and little harbours and a ….. castle(?).

The car then headed on a loop road in totally the opposite direction to what we had planned, and we found ourselves at the Quiraing, a “landslip” with some crazy rock formations.

Just as we arrived, the heavens opened and sleet and small bits of hail pelted down. It had been sunny five minutes earlier! We waited it out in the car and watched in amazement as this bride and groom raced for shelter. A spectacular wedding photographic session had been rudely interrupted. Talk about trashing the dress.

Five minutes later, a rainbow formed and the sun was shining again!

We had gotten ourselves a little damp at the Quiraing and went in search of a solution. We found the Flodigarry Hotel. It had one real deer, two fake deer, a nice bar and a family playing scrabble. Most importantly it had a nice fire which quickly dried off our clothes and got our circulation flowing again.

It was getting late and we still had quite a drive to the other side of the Isle. A little village called Glendale was our destination for the night. Time to move.

We still found time to stop for a few quick pics. Can you blame us?

We arrived in the dark, at our wee cottage in Glendale where we were welcomed by Brigitte and her little menagerie. We couldn’t see the view , but our little cottage was warm and comfy.

So, we achieved two of our three planned items for the today. Arriving in the dark, lost us a brownie point. Oh well.

* The battle of Skye Bridge : we watched a doco on BBC tonight (google it or watch on YouTube) which coincidentally was about the “new” bridge opened in 1995. It was built to replace the ferry, but it was one of those public/private deals and the American owners slapped a £5 toll on every car crossing. The locals weren’t happy, kicked up a huge stink, got arrested and charged, fought their convictions (some successfully), came up with lots of legal arguments, got arrested again, served time in prison and finally got the toll removed. It was all about the vibe!

We woke to snow on the peaks. Admittedly they were distant peaks, but I’m easily pleased. It was chilly down on the edge of the loch and the wind was blowing a gale. Once again the sun was shining. But we weren’t going to fall for that. We donned our 5 layers and headed off.

First stop today was Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve. It is the home of a mile long box canyon, which you can see from a suspension bridge that crosses the gorge. By the time we pulled into the car park and donned our jackets, the sun had disappeared and it had begun to sleet.

The suspension bridge was wobbly and the boards underfoot were slippery. The sign said no more than 6 people should be on the bridge at one time. I would have been happier if it was only one.

There was a short walk to a viewing platform further along the gorge, allowing us to see both the falls and the suspension bridge.

Driving further up into the mountains we came across snow on the side of the road and accumulated around park benches. My fingers were too cold to evenpick it up and make a snowball. And there wasn’t quite enough for a snow angel.

We took a little detour to Mellon Udrigle Beach. It was pretty pretty, but also pretty cold, so it was a “jump out, take a pic and jump back in again” type of stop.

At lunch time we called into a little cafe perched above Aultbea. The owner gave us a bit of a history lesson while we ate. This little harbour was a staging area for the Second World War shipping convoys carrying supplies around the North Cape of Norway to Murmansk in the USSR. Because Loch Ewe faces north it is much better sheltered from the prevailing westerly winds than other lochs along this coast.

Inverewe Garden and Estate was a great find that almost backfired. The wind was pretty wild when we arrived and we were disappointed to learn that the head gardener had closed the gardens due to the high winds. A group of about 10 of us were hanging around to see if he would change his mind ……. and he did.!! We raced for the entry to the garden before he changed his mind again. So glad we got to visit. It was great.

The gardens were created on a barren piece of land back in 1862 by some guy called MacKenzie. He planted large trees and shrubs to provide a wind break. Once this was achieved, he started planting exotic plants that seem to thrive in their own happy little microclimate. His daughter took over where he left off and then left the property to the National Trust of Scotland. Now it employs 10 gardeners who keep it well maintained and safe for the tourists.

The property is criss-crossed with a large number of walking paths, leading to stunning views, little ponds, art installations and areas designated to the plants of particular countries.

I loved these guys. Not sure what they’re made out of (some kind of vine, bamboo?).

Grahame must be feeling a little homesick.

We found a few other Australian Natives but the pièce-de- resistance was the little stand of Wollemi Pines.

The house provided a little respite from the cold and a little insight into the lives of MacKenzie and his daughter. The downstairs rooms looked cosy and lived in, even though they weren’t. There was a lovely sitting room, dining room, kitchen and library to peruse before heading back into the gardens.

But I particularly loved the flower arrangements.

Victoria falls, not THE Victoria Falls, was another opportunity to get out of the car and stretch our legs. It was a nice walk past the falls and then up to the stream above.

Grahame felt the need to add a rock to yet another cairn! Not quite as impressive as the last one!!

The views continued to be jaw droppingly gorgeous. So it was a slow trip as Grahame had to keep pulling over in order for me take yet another photo!

We had a choice as to which way we drove to Applecross: the Coast drive or the mountain pass. We chose the coastal way and will leave via the famous mountain pass tomorrow.

We arrived in Applecross around 5.30 and still had no idea where we were staying the night. We had sent a request to an Airbnb, but hadn’t had a response and most of the day we had no internet coverage so we weren’t even sure if the hosts had read our request. Turns out they hadn’t!!

We spotted a sign for Hartfield House Hostel, turned left and here we are happily ensconced in a rather large house on a rather large estate. We have a “wing” to ourselves, although there is at least one other couple staying here somewhere.

The receptionist recommended we walk to the “Walled Garden” for dinner. It was about a 20 minute walk down a country road, over a wooden bridge crossing the River Applecross, through the Applecross Estate, and past Applecross House.

Little did we know we would be accompanied by a stag walking down the road in front of us. He wouldn’t let us get too close, but he certainly wasn’t in a hurry to get off the road.

Dinner was delightful as was the walk home under starry, starry skies!

Unbelievable!!

We were sad to leave our little pod overlooking the sea this morning. It certainly rates as one of our favourite Airbnb’s of our trip. So cosy and warm …….and that view!!!

Our eyes suffered from sensory overload today. It’s been hard to pick the most stunning view as there was something wonderful around every corner. And there were lots and lots of corners. Suffice to say the scenery was stunningly stunning. Mountains , lochs, mountains , lochs, mountains, lochs and the occasional beach.

See what I mean!!

Oh and did I mention waterfalls?

We had four seasons in one day and sometimes they all happened at the same time. The sky was blue one minute, and the next minute a squall would come through and we’d sprint back to the car. Two minutes later, we were looking for our sunglasses.

The one constant, was a cold wind that kept us reaching for our beanies and scarves every time we got out of the car.

I’ve never seen so many rainbows in one day. I’m sure we were being followed by them at one stage. No pot of gold though.

Smoo Cave at Durness, a large combined sea and freshwater cave, was on our must see list for today. The large chamber was formed by the action of the sea, and the inner chamber from the freshwater running through the cave. The waterfall within reminded me of Natural Arch with the stream from above pounding down through a hole in the roof of the cave.

Just up the road was “Cocoa Mountain”, the most amazing chocolate shop in the world! After getting caught in a downpour when returning from the cave, a hot chocolate was very much appreciated. And a few little chocolates didn’t go astray either.

A lot of today’s drive was spent on what was called “Single track roads”. The roads were only wide enough for one car but there were passing bays fairly evenly spaced along the way. If you met a car coming the other way, one of you would stop in the bay until the other passed. There was lots of “thank you” waving between drivers.

There’s a lot of sheep in Scotland and we got to see our fair share today. Mostly on the roads. They wander wherever they please, without a care in the world. Cars don’t seem to bother them in the slightest.

We called into a village called Lochinver because we had heard it had a great pie shop. They even have a mail out system to anywhere in the UK. ( I should have asked if they’ll send to Australia!). It was lunch time and we had almost recovered from our earlier chocolate overload, so in we went.

Lochinver itself was a pretty village with a stream emptying into the ocean.

After filling up on pies, we made a quick detour to the Highlands Pottery Shop. There was some nice stuff there but we enjoyed the ceramic stuff outside much more than the expensive stuff inside. The ceramic armchair wouldn’t fit in our bags, so we had to leave it there. Grahame was keen for the car!

We arrived in Ullapool around 4.30 pm and had a quick look around before driving a little further to our Airbnb for the night.

The Ullapool ferry services the town of Stornoway in the Hebrides Islands taking around 2 1/2 hours. Maybe next time!

See what I mean by Scenic Overload?

The Airbnb view was a wee bit underwhelming. Not because it wasn’t spectacular, but because we couldn’t see it. The weather was a little bit Scottish! But we are still not complaining.

Jackie, our host, showed us photos of the view looking out her window towards the Orkney Islands. She also showed us photos of the Northern Lights from the surrounding area. Absolutely stunning. Alas we did not see them either!

The new tartan umbrellas came out of their covers today, only to be put back in again. The wind was blowing them inside out at John O’Groats.

After the obligatory selfies, we drove up to Duncansby Head lighthouse dodging the sheep as we went.

The lighthouse itself wasn’t very exciting but the ten minute hike across the field to the Duncansby sea stacks was well and truly worth it.

We drove past two important houses on our way to our next stop. One was the Airbnb where we spent the night and the other was the Castle of Mey, once owned by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Camilla and Charles use it when they are in the area.

One was open and welcoming, the other was closed for the winter!

So far the route of the NC500 is pretty much hugging the coastline. There are so many pretty little inlets and coves along the way. This one caught our eye. There were seals bobbing around in the cove and one or two lolling on the rocks.

Dunnet Head is the most northerly point of mainland Scotland and Grahame was keen for a visit.

The lighthouse keeper must be the eternal optimist. As if the washing would ever get dry, or not end up in Iceland!

Speaking of Iceland, this is Grahame waving to John and Jude, who are currently there.

When not hugging the coastline, our route took us past lots of little lochs, green pastures, ruined buildings and some not so ruined!

Grahame spotted a sign for a Scottish Monument and veered off onto a side road. Why not? The Monument was St Mary’s Chapel built in the 12th century. Getting to it was an adventure in itself.

We traipsed through the paddock, past a ruin, across a bridge, and through another paddock.

Grahame placed a rock on the cairn and we high tailed it cross country back to the car.

The scenery continued to amaze us and the sheep kept wandering all over the road.

Our last stop of the day was at a little place called Bettyhill. There was a tiny museum to see. It was based on the Highland Clearances, the eviction of tenant farmers by their landlords back in the early 1800s. That explains all the ruins everywhere!!

It had a Pictish standing stone in the cemetery dating back from somewhere between the 6th to 9th century.

But, arguably the highlight of our day was the view from our cute little Airbnb pod just outside the village of Tongue. Imagine waking up to this every morning!!

The “pod” had underfloor heating and was as cosy and warm as can be. While the wind howled, we hunkered down for a great nights sleep!

We started the day at Culloden Moor Battlefield. Those Jacobites were really on a hiding to nothing! If you’re gonna pick a fight with the English, I’d recommend Murrayfield or Twickenham, not Culloden Moor. It’s not a very pleasant place. It’s cold, windy and as it’s name suggests a wet, soggy, boggy moor. Mind you it wouldn’t have been pleasant for the English either, but they were a little better watered, fed, armed and organised.

It was overcast and windy and cool but still not r*#ning. As added insurance, before stepping out of the interpretive centre onto the moor, I purchased two umbrellas! Tartan ones, of course!

We checked out the highland cows before wandering the battlefield.

Leanach Cottage was originally built in the early 18th century and has a heather thatch made from that growing on the battlefield. I don’t think it would be very warm or comfortable either. It was used as the field hospital by the English during the battle.

Up until recently it served as the original Visitor Centre until the new centre was built. The new one is all whizz bang and high tech, and well worth a visit!

We walked through the battle fields with the wind howling under a threatening sky. What an eerie place!

The lines of the troops at the Battle of Culloden are marked with red and blue flags. The red flags mark the line of the government troops whilst blue flags mark the initial line of the Jacobite troops before the charge.

The Battle of Culloden Memorial Cairn is prominent on the landscape and is circled by stones indicating where various clan groups fell.

The umbrellas worked and the r#*n stayed away. We could have spent longer here but we had the North Coast 500 to explore. Today was Day 1 and we needed to get moving if we were to get to John O’Groats by tonight.

We headed off along the A9 and it wasn’t long before we took our first detour to the Black Isles just north of Inverness.

The scenery was already stunning (and continued to be such for the whole day).

After the doom and gloom of Culloden, we thought we needed something completely different. Fairy Glen Waterfall fit the bill perfectly. Sadly, we didn’t see a unicorn! Or a fairy!

We made a very important discovery while sitting beside the waterfall….. Money DOES grow on trees!!!

And so do mushrooms!

Our next stop was Dornoch. It was lunchtime and there were a few things worth seeing.

The Cathedral was lovely, both inside and out.

Dornoch has a gruesome claim to fame. It was the last place a witch was burnt in Scotland. She was tried and condemned to death in 1727. There is a stone, the Witch’s Stone, marking the alleged spot of her execution, sitting in the front garden of the last house in Carnaig Street. It felt a bit weird walking up to someone’s front gate to take a photo of a rock!

From the stone, you can wander two ways. Either onto the Royal Dornoch Golf Course, or the beach.

Just up the road a bit is the beautiful Dunrobin Castle. It’s the current home to the Countess of Sutherland, Head if the Sutherland Clan.

It sits above the gardens overlooking the Dornoch Firth.

The interior was impressive. The tartan carpet worn in places, particularly at areas in front of the windows, where generations of Sutherland’s stood to admire the view. It had a real “lived in” feel.

As long as “lived in” means living with stuffed animals, museum like rooms and all the family trinkets and paintings out on display for fee paying tourists to ooh and ahh at.

After a wander through the gardens and a quick game of croquet it was time to move on.

We had two more stops planned for the day and it was getting late.

Carn Liath is a Bronze Age broch or roundhouse ‘castle’ which sits by the side of the A9 overlooking the sea.

We had one more stop. But we missed it! Which was just as well as the light was fading.

We arrived at our Airbnb after dark, so we missed seeing the view. The hosts assure us we will be impressed.

Day 1 of the North Coast 500 gets a big tick.

‘Twas a bit chilly this morning. But it was indeed sunny and that’s two days in a row Scotland! Thank you!!

A bit of an unglamorous start to the day… 1 1/2 hours in a laundrette!! We were getting desperate for clean clothes, so sadly this was a necessity. However the lively Scottish lady running the place was happy, cheery, and entertaining (at least we think she was, we only understood half of what she said). Time flies when you’re having fun!

Grahame’s family descended from these parts, so it was time to do a little exploring! We headed to Broxburn, then Uphill and Bathgate. All places we had heard of over the years.

We had a few addresses but weren’t overly successful as streets no longer existed.

We visited a few cemeteries and found a few Marjoribanks headstones. We thought the Martha Marjoribanks one might have been Grahame’s aunt who died here before the family came to Australia. We found the gravestone but the facts didn’t add up.

We did spot quite a few names of possible relatives and names that have been incorporated into the family such as Walker, Lynch and Ballantyne.

Grahame’s mum had a placemat that had this set of buildings on it. (We think! ). She had asterisked one as a family residence. Should have done a bit more research!!!

Being canal folk now, we couldn’t go past Falkirk without stopping off at the Falkirk wheel. An imposing structure, it picks up a big bathtub full of water containing a canal boat, rotates, and deposits the bathtub and its contents higher on a different canal. The 24 metre wheel replaces a flight of 11 locks which would take almost a half day to negotiate. Now the process takes about a couple of minutes.

It was time to head north to Inverness. Our plan is to drive the North Coast 500, a route around the north of Scotland, over the next five or six days before returning to Edinburgh and our flight home!

The route starts and finishes in Inverness, but we will adapt it slightly and see what happens.

The drive north was spectacular!! The autumn colours in the forests, the stark bleakness of the bald hills, the fast flowing streams and rivers, the dark stone cottages clumped together, the sheep and cattle grazing in green, green paddocks, an occasional waterfall, walking trails leading off into the distance. And SNOW!!

We arrived at our Airbnb just outside Inverness in time to see a young deer grazing in the paddock outside our bedroom window.

We walked down to the Culloden Moor Inn for dinner. A distance of about 2 kms. And yes it’s next door to the Culloden Moor battlefields. Didn’t see Jamie Fraser ( Grahame has his eye out for Clare) or any of the other Jacobites. Maybe tomorrow.