Fort William, Cow Hill, and The Wildcat

We woke up to a blue sky. It was a bit chilly but otherwise the perfect day for a hike. Our original plan was to hike up Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. However, for assorted reasons, we couldn’t have a whole a day in Fort William. We, therefore, decided to hike to … Continue reading / view photos Fort William, Cow Hill, and The Wildcat

Stornoway, Unilever, and a German frigate

We had the morning to look around Stornoway before leaving Lewis and Harris to take the ferry back to the Scottish mainland. We started at Lews Castle. It was built by James Matheson in 1847 and then bought by William Lever (Lord Leverhulme). These two Victorians had a noteworthy influence on the island. In 1844, … Continue reading / view photos Stornoway, Unilever, and a German frigate

The Butt of Lewis and Dùn Èistean

Cath was feeling under the weather for our final full day on Lewis and Harris, but she told us of a scenic walk at the northern end of the island, taking in the Butt of Lewis. It was a short walk, about 6km, but the 50-70kph winds made it seem longer. During the walk, we … Continue reading / view photos The Butt of Lewis and Dùn Èistean

Deers, cows, and Harris Tweed

We were back on the road again, being driven around our friend in Lewis and Harris. Two items were on the agenda for the day: a shopping trip to Tarbert (where we had landed a couple of days ago) and a hike. We first went to a shop selling Harris Tweed, which the island is … Continue reading / view photos Deers, cows, and Harris Tweed

Bothies, brochs, and standing stones

We were lucky to be staying with Cath, who lives on the island of Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. For our first full day, Cath drove us around the island. It was beautiful and I kept wanting to get out of the car to take photos. I was happy when we did a … Continue reading / view photos Bothies, brochs, and standing stones

Old Man of Storr and Fairy Glen

When I woke up after our first day in Scotland, I stepped out of the shepherd’s hut in Broadford and was greeted with this beautiful sight: Before sailing to the Outer Hebrides, we had two places we wanted to visit on our drive to the ferry port. The first place was the Old Man of … Continue reading / view photos Old Man of Storr and Fairy Glen

Isle of Skye

Going to experience the breathtaking beauty of Scotland is becoming an annual event. Two years ago, we went to a deserted island, Shuna. Last year, we went to the stunning West Highlands, starting in Kingussie. And this year, we’re exploring the Isle of Skye and Outer Hebrides. As usual, we took the sleeper train from … Continue reading / view photos Isle of Skye

Leaving Loch Torridon

For our final full day in Scotland, we headed to Loch Carron, where we found the ruined 15th century Strome Castle. This area, now deserted apart from the odd tourist, was once a thriving town with a ferry port. The following day, it was time for our homeward journey. We drove to the Beinn Eighe … Continue reading / view photos Leaving Loch Torridon

Eagles, ticks and drawing

On the previous day, Cath and I had driven through Inveralligin, north of Upper Loch Torridon. One of our guidebooks had a walk not too far from there and the terrain was sufficiently flat for Helene to join us on the walk. So, we drove there. The walk had good views across Loch Torridon. When … Continue reading / view photos Eagles, ticks and drawing

A stroll from Lower Diabaig

The day started with us watching the Queen’s funeral. It was an unprecedented event in our life times: the death of a monarch. As we watched, we observed that the Queen had reigned for our entire lives. Regardless of whether you supported a republic or monarchy, it was difficult not to be moved by the … Continue reading / view photos A stroll from Lower Diabaig