Steven and Victoria in The Scottish Highlands

 Yesterday we went to Iona.  Iona is the site of an ancient Abby and monastic community founded by St. Columba in 563. It is also said to be the burial place of the historic Macbeth. It was another very long day with a traveling to sight-seeing ratio that was too high. To get to Iona we had to bus to Oban (an hour), ferry to Mull (an hour) drive the length of Mull (an hour) and then ferry to Iona (15 minutes). But, like the day before, the scenery on the drive was spectacular (and different) which partially made up for the long day. And getting back to Ballachulish so late meant seeing the golden light of the setting sun on the peaks of the mountains as we drove home. Today we’re off to Stirling Castle before heading to Edinburgh and our last night in Scotland.

 Our bus driver once called this tour ABC - Another Bloody Castle. And yesterday we saw two more. First Eilean Donan which was lived in until 1977. Next we crossed the bridge to Skye and drove to Armadale Castle. “Armadale Castle was once the seat of the Macdonalds of Sleat, part of the mighty Clan Donald. Now a ruin, it sits in a dramatic position overlooking the Sound of Sleat and surrounded by 40 acres of magnificent woodland gardens.” The ruins are interesting enough but it’s the gardens and museum that make the place worth visiting. I liked both places but we spent an awful lot of time on the bus to get to and from them and did’t have as much time as I’d have liked in either. The bus time was partially redeemed by the fact that it was through the most spectacular countryside the whole time. But still too long. So, independent travel, or group tour? When Victoria and I traveled independently, we always saw these group tour buses, but never thought of ourselves as tour people. B...

  Karen, Phil, Carolyn Suzanne, Janet, Sandy, Geoffrey Myrna, Joanie,Barbara, and Janelle Kevin, Patti, Birgit Donald, Susan, Mark Eva, Elizabeth, Marilyn Louis, Susanne Birgit and Stevie

 Yesterday was spent traveling from Strathpeffer to Ballachulish. We stopped in Fort Augustus for lunch and a cruise on Loch Ness. Fort Augustus is on the Caledonian canal which links Scotland’s west and east coasts. Here there’s a series of 5 locks to get boats to or from Loch Ness. We arrived here at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel in Ballachulish relatively early yesterday afternoon. It’s incredibly gorgeous here. Today we’re up early for departure to another castle and then the Isle of Sky. To tell you the truth if our bus had mechanical difficulties and we had to just stay here for the day while it was being fixed, I don’t think I’d be too heartbroken. It’s gorgeous here and it looks like there’s some good hikes. Of course we could stay here on our own, but I really do want to see the Isle of Skye.

 We transferred to a new hotel in the western highlands. This picture was taken from our hotel room window.

 Yesterday we set off for Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. At a rest stop along the way we saw these fine looking fellows: “Once one of Scotland’s largest castles, Urquhart saw great conflict during its 500 years as a medieval fortress. Control of the castle passed back and forth between the Scots and English during the Wars of Independence. The power struggles continued, as the Lords of the Isles regularly raided both castle and glen up until the 1500s. The last of the government troops garrisoned here during the Jacobite Risings blew up the castle when they left. Urquhart’s iconic ruins remain, offering glimpses into medieval times and the lives of its noble residents” We got there around 11:00. I heard rumors later that there were tourists in Scotland who were NOT there at the same time we were, but I don’t believe it. (Seriously, the bus parking lot had 20 tour buses parked and we got the last empty bay).  Our instructor Barbara. Here we’re at the visitor center a couple hund...