The road between Glasgow and Skye

We took a three day tour to the Isle of Skye of which two days were actually on the road between Glasgow and Skye.  There were lots to see on the road (even in the rain) so it was a worthwhile two days. The trip up was the first really bad weather we had - pouring rain.  Our driver guide John was excellent, entertaining us all the way - apparently, he prepped for his tours, getting music ready to go with the stories he was telling. Since he was close to our age, he chose all the right kind of music - we were singing along to John Denver and the Beatles, among others. The fun road trip went by quickly with stops whenever he could to show us the sights. We drove through the Glen Coe valley in the rain but he made it up for us by driving back the same way so that we could see the beautiful valley when it was not raining. 

This post included photos from the road trip between Glasgow and Skye on different days regardless of which direction we were going. I could see it would be an awesome drive either way as the road was very scenic, driving through the highlands. We also drove by and saw hikers on the West Highland Way, a long distance walking trail from north of Glasgow to Fort William. I could imagine it would be a wonderful way to through the highlands - if we were younger. It so happened that on the flight home we sat next to a Seattle man who had just hiked the trail - he said it was amazing.

We stopped by a few bridges and waterfalls, got fabulous views of the famous Eilean Donan castle and even had a short hike in the forest to get to one of the waterfalls - what a treat! It always amazes me how quickly the young people could race up a hill, no matter how many times I have seen them done it before. At our last stop to take photos of the gorgeous Glen Coe valley spread out before us, the driver gave us 10 minutes. That was enough time for these young people to race all the way up to the top of the hill, take their photos from their unique perspective and come back down. You will see from the photo how far up they went in 5 minutes. But Glen Coe is certainly an area that would be worth a separate trip.

The good thing about the weather was that there were always moments when we could stop and snap a few photos before it started to rain again.  We had lunch at Fort William on the way up and Fort Augustus on the way south. At Fort William, there was enough time for a sit down lunch at a local restaurant and a walk down main street to visit St. Andrew's before it started to rain. Thankfully, it was dry when we were on Skye and on the road back to Glasgow.

Practical tips: 
- Fort William is very touristy but the Hot Roast Company is very local and homey; we had a great lunch there of its specialty, roast pork. For the lunch special, you get a roast pork sandwich, soup and salad for a very reasonable price + they have great scones too!
- Fort Augustus, can't remember the name of the restaurant but it's the one with the umbrellas outside beside the lock. Nice sandwich and salad. Good scones there too! 
 


Glen Coe

The Three Sisters

This was the hillside that the young people only took 5 minutes to climb up, one of them was still up at the top there.

Stone bridge and white water near Glen Orchy

A short hike through the forest to get to a view of double bridges and waterfalls.

The bridge in front is still part of the highway.

Loch Ness (the dark spot was where Nessie popped up)

Caledonian canal locks going into Loch Ness (Fort Augustus)

Our first experience of a moor - you can see the wind at Rannoch Muur - wild and beautiful

Fort William Main Street

Stained glass window in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, formerly a Catholic Church

Bell Heather

The Eilean Donan Castle in its lovely setting on Loch Alsh seen from the hilltop

After the castle, we're almost at Skye - another 15 minute drive to the other end of Loch Alsh and the Skye bridge.

 

Next Post: Isle of Skye

Oz: Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are about a two-hour drive from Sydney.  Although it is accessible by train, bus and guided tour, we decided renting a car for the day was the most expedient.  It took a while to get used to driving in Sydney because, apart from driving on the "wrong" side of the road, one also had to get used to the narrow driving lanes, both in town and on the highway.  For us, this was the "rehearsal" for our extended driving tour in New Zealand.  Katoomba is the nearest town but we headed straight for Echo Point from where you can see the panorama with the Three Sisters in the foreground.  There are many hiking trails in the area, including a short one to the Three Sisters.  Scenic World is a park in the area with two cable cars.  It is a little touristy but a walk in the tropical forest is worth the price of entry as the trails are well-marked and points of interest clearly explained.


I was struck by the resemblance between this landscape and some of what we saw in China when we were in the Zhangjiajie National Park in Hunan Province.  I have included two photos below for comparison.

Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia

Zhangjiajie, China

Zhangjiajie, China

Blue Mountains, NSW

And doesn't this remind you of the Grand Canyon?

Pair of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos sharing a meal and the great view from their vantage point

The Three Sisters are over 3000 feet above sea level, but below it, is a tropical forest.

You can see the canopy from above.

The canopy from below.

It is a steep dive for the cable car

Giant Eucalyptus tree in the park

Giant termite mound, apparently home to a million termites.   According to the signage, surrounding it for hundreds of metres is a network of tunnels that the termites used to bring food back to the nest.

View of waterfall from the cable car

The Three Sisters at dusk