6 Caberfeidh - Fort William, Scotland

High St. Fort William

 Today was a travel day with benefits.  We have been travelling by bus recently.  Last year, the Scottish government started a bus fare cap of £2 (less than $3) on any trip in the Highlands to increase bus usage and decrease cars. So our three hour bus ride cost the two of us about $5.  The views from the bus were spectacular (we probably should have taken a picture, but we can always just take one off the web!)

We dropped our bags and sought out lunch around 2:00.  This, of course, is problematic.  We will not be particularly hungry by dinner time.  Fort William is a smallish town with a population of 6,000 but is the base for all sorts of highland activities including sightseeing and hiking.  The main street is pedestrian only. By 7:00 when we were finally hungry enough, all of the restaurants had long lines.  We found a table at a fast food bar (you have a table number, order at the bar, and they bring you the food).  

We have scoped out tomorrow’s dinner place, and should be better prepared for it.  We have a little train trip planned.  We’ll see how it works out.

Royal Hotel - Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Fairy pools

 Today was our nine hour tour day.  As you might expect, nine hours in a van bus with a dozen other strangers could cause a little angst.  Our little entourage had a family of four Germans (the eldest son slept the entire way), four Americans of unknown origin, three Chinese and us. The driver was a four rosette chef before becoming  driver/tour-guide. These could be the ingredients for a B-rated movie.

Our first stop was the “Fairy Pools.”  There were three or four other tour operators with exactly the same route.  We all had 90 minutes here, to hike down a trail bespeckled with waterfalls. The waterfalls were voluminous due to previous rains,

Kilt Rock

Apparently they dry up once or twice a year when the sun comes out!  At this point, we get the obligatory chase scene where the deranged driver goes sixty miles an hour down a one lane road with lots of oncoming traffic. Back to the 90 minutes to tour Dunvegan  Castle and Gardens, the home of the beloved or dreaded MacLeod clan.  More chase scenes. A brief scene with Highland Coos, followed by a graveyard scene. A few scenic vistas, a few more scary moments and we’re back in Portree for dinner.

We got to see parts of Skye, we would not have been able to see.  We might choose a different driver/tour-guide.

Tomorrow, we take the bus to Fort William.

Royal Hotel - Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

 

Breakfast is included. The Scottish Breakfast has Bacon, Ham, Sausage, Black Pudding, Bean, Pancakes, Fried Tomato’s, Mushrooms, and an Egg. I thought some of those would be either/or’s but they were all ands!  I’m just a little ill.  Smart Deb had fruit!

According to some official internet source, we have had 8.72 mm of rain in the past 72 hours, so if you go hiking expect some muddy conditions!  Yup, we had muddy conditions, wet bushes, and slippery rocks. Then we had drizzle, and then real rain.  It did not make our hike that enjoyable, but we did climb to the top of Ben Chracaig which had some spectacular views.  Deb was a trooper, but was not her favorite day in Scotland.

Even with our rain gear, we got pretty wet, including our waterproof boots.  Once we got back to the room, we changed into some dry clothes and waited for the rain to stop. It didn’t, we found some soup for lunch, went to the hotel pub and played cards, went out for a drink, ate dinner.  And then the rain finally stopped for awhile.  

Since our boots are wet, and the trails are even muddier, tomorrow we are going on a tour of Skye.  The only one I could find lasts 9 hours!  

Royal Hotel - Portree, Skye, Scotland

 

Bridge to the Isle of Skye

Today, we travelled from Inverness to Portree, on the Isle of Skye.  You can either go by train to Kyle of Lochalsh and take Citylink bus to Portree, or you could just get on the same bus in Inverness instead. The train was much more scenic than the bus, and we had a two-hour layover in Kyle for lunch.  We were looking for a light lunch, but the meals were MASSIVE! Soooo, no dinner.

At the hotel, the receptionist plopped out some laminated instructions.  If you want your room tidied, you must put a towel outside your door!  Suitcases are not to be put on the beds.  Okay then!  The room has a nice view of the harbor.

Portree

pint of Guinness at the West Highland was my dinner.  Deb finally ate her tangerine sometime during the day (she got the tangerine as part of a packaged lunch over a week ago).

Tomorrow we’ll probably do a hike, if it’s not raining.

Highland Apartments - Inverness, Scotland

 Today we do a Nessie watching cruise.  This is a day fraught with danger!  We are taking a Jacobite Cruise to find the Loch Ness Monster.  The cruise leaves from a rural location in the Scottish Highlands. We did get off at the right stop…phew!  We didn’t find the monster…phew!  

It would be impossible to spend more than thirty seconds in the Highlands without hearing about the Jacobites. The Jacobites were supporters of the exiled Catholic Stuart King James VII of Scotland.  We don’t know if they were the good guys or the bad guys.  “It’s complicated.”  But every time we see a castle ruin, it turns out that the Jacobites had something to do with it being blown up!

After raining in the morning, the sun came out and we walked along the Caledonian Canal and the River Ness back to Inverness.  Dinner was Bangers and Mash in a Scottish Pub with a guitar and violin playing Scottish tunes!

Highland Apartments - Inverness, Scotland

 Laundry Day.  We have a wee little washing machine and a wee little drying rack.  She has done several loads and there are clothes drying everywhere.  So it’s time to do some exploring.  Inverness is not very large but it has a great vibe.  Plenty of pedestrian only streets, a Victorian Era covered Market and plenty of gritty pubs where you  can buy a pint and listen to some local musicians. Lunch was bangers and mash and a McClucken.

Dinner was Indian, the food was excellent, but we were the only ones there.  Awkward! (Or maybe romantic?)

Kings Corner

Tomorrow, a cruise boat on Loch Ness.  I guess it’s going to be sort of like a whale watching cruise.  Who knows, we might get lucky!

*When we lost our dominos we bought some Chinese manufactured playing cards.  The blurb with the cards was clearly a direct translation from Chinese but I was stuck with “Its feel and quality is obviously larruping” Larruping is an obsolete old west cowboy term for “excellent”.   Go Thesaurus!

Highland Apartments - Inverness, Scotland

 

View of River Ness from our apartment

We have made it to the most northern point of our trip.  An easy travel day with no problems.  We were sent a code via email for access to the building and to the apartment that would activate at exactly 4:00.  We arrived in Inverness about half an hour early so we stopped at a tavern and watched the end of a soccer game until it was time.

Okay, there was one small problem.  On the first floor of our apartment there are two restaurants, one a Scottish pub and the other a pizza style Italian restaurant…best of both worlds?…a pizza with haggis, blood pudding and mozzarella cheese toppings.  Well, ya gotta try everything, at least once!  And probably, once is enough!

Tomorrow is laundry, and a little exploring.