West Highlands and Isle of Skye - a Scottish road trip
After a year and a half, I came back.
It's impossible not to return to her.
She is one of the most beautiful I've ever known. If not the most beautiful.
She’s so captivating, in every aspect. She will even move you to tears. She’s utterly beautiful, regardless of her mood.
After just two short visits, I’m certain - it takes time to uncover all of her faces.
But you want to come back. And I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before I give in again.
Scotland
In July, I booked tickets - for myself and my parents.
The plan was simple: show them a piece of the world that’s my absolute favorite.
Since I carry 50% of my father’s blood, following his example, I crafted our travel plan, down to the second.
We had relatively little time and big appetites.
And yet, in those four days, I managed to make such a itinerary, that I was almost sure I’d make my parents fall in love with this beautiful land - and that they’d return home happy and fulfilled.
Day 1: Edinburgh - Loch Lomond - Wee White House - Glencoe - Fort William
We meet at the airport in Edinburgh.
A bit of stress came from a KLM airline strike the day before, which disrupted over 100 flights, and it was unclear how it would affect my flight from Amsterdam.
Even though we're flying from two different places (my parents with Ryanair from Gdansk, Poland), we manage to synchronize perfectly. We pick up the car and hit the road.
Destination: Fort William, with stops in Luss on Loch Lomond (taking the A811 via Stirling) and Glencoe (A82). According to all the info I have, this is the most scenic route through the West Highlands.
The real views begin on the A82. I won’t even try to describe the feeling of driving a winding road, with nothing but mountains stretching to the horizon. Ma-gni-fi-cent!
Just before Glencoe, we stop at the Wee White House and The Three Sisters. Both spots are worth at least a few minutes of quiet contemplation.
When you think Glencoe, you picture the White House (also called Lagangarbh). It's an iconic little cottage at the foot of Buachaille Etive Mòr, a top destination for photographers heading to Fort William.
The Three Sisters (with a much larger parking area) offers not just a roadside photo op, but also hikes from 4 to 12 km. We passed on the hiking, but a longer stop was enough to soak in the view of the Sisters.
Final stop: Fort William.
A town I knew from my first trip to Scotland. It was from here I began my nighttime hike to Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak, over a year ago. This was also where, after returning from Nevis, I had a delicious vegan haggis at The Crofter pub.
We didn’t climb Nevis this time, but I took my parents to The Crofter.
They had fish & chips, I had haggis on a baked potato. High hopes, no dissapointments.
Tip: Fort William is also a great place for a big grocery stop before heading north (Morrisons is open until 10 PM).
Day 2: Glenfinnan Viaduct - Morar Beach - Mallaig - Armadale - Quiraing - Portree - Breakish
After a delicious breakfast (full Scottish at our accommodation Stobahn Guest House, which I highly recommend - super friendly owner stole our hearts), we set off toward Mallaig.
About 30 minutes from Fort William, we stop at the Glenfinnan Viaduct - this is where the famous Jacobite steam train passes twice daily.
Initially, I wanted to surprise my parents and put them on the train in Fort William, then pick them up in Mallaig. But it turned out that steam trains weren’t so exotic for them - they’d ridden one as children in our home country, and again during a trip to Croatia (if I remember correctly).
If you're a Harry Potter fan and want to ride The Jacobite, don’t be discouraged if tickets online are sold out.
About an hour before departure from Fort William, you can still buy tickets at the platform. Price might be the only deterrent.
The train ride is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, but it's worth remembering that the road to Mallaig runs nearly parallel to the railway.
And by car, you have nearly unlimited freedom to stop wherever you like.
We stopped for a short walk at Morar Beach (worth it!), then sped off to Mallaig.
We had enough time for lunch and a walk around the town before boarding the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry after 2 PM. By 3:15, we were in Armadale, on the Isle of Skye.
Tip: It's best to book ferry tickets well in advance.
Parking in Mallaig is limited, but with a ferry ticket, you can check-in immediately and leave your car in the harbor.
That day was supposed to end with a short drive around Skye and a sunset at Talisker Bay, but the weather was too beautiful to waste. Forecasts predicted heavy rain the next day.
So, we drove north to Quiraing instead.
The idea of seeing this island highlight in rain and strong wind didn’t appeal. This way, we made it just in time for a beautiful sunset.
On the way to our accommodation, we waved at The Old Man of Storr - sadly, only from the road, as it was too late for the hour-long hike (which most likely would be too demanding for my travel companions btw).
A quick grocery stop and a short walk around Portree, and off to bed.
We stayed in Breakish (at Pabay View - a lovely little house with several bedrooms).
Day 3: Talisker Distillery- Oyster Shed - Talisker Beach - Dornie
Just as the forecast said, it started with a heavy rainfall from the early morning.
We had to find an alternative to wait out the downpour and make use of any weather windows.
The perfect solution: Talisker Distillery - the oldest whisky distillery on the Isle of Skye.
They offer not just tours of the production line (book it in advance) but also tastings. Perfect for warming up, as long as you're not driving.
After the degustation - time for lunch.
Tip: If you're near Talisker and your diet allows for seafood, go to Oyster Shed.
As the name suggests, it’s an old shed where you can get (according to my mom) delicious fresh and baked oysters, plus fish and chips and plenty of seafood. Or just chips (not quite what I aimed for, but hey - it was about my parents' enjoyment, not mine).
After lunch, we drove up the road to Talisker Beach.
The views on the way were like a dream come true - mountains wrapped in clouds and electric lines stretching along the road. Music to my photographer’s ears (eyes?).
The cherry on top: a weather window that let us walk to the beach (about 1.5 km from the parking lot). There we found black volcanic sand and stunning views of the bay.
Accommodation: Hotel Dornie, in the town of Dornie - a charming old building right by Loch Long.
Day 4: Dornie - Pitlorchy - Edinburgh
I started the day with a walk around the village, and honestly had a hard time getting back in time for breakfast. Just look at this place.
My parents fell under the spell of the mists drifting over the mountains and swirling around Eilean Donan Castle, too.
But soon we hit the road - heading south on the A9 to Edinburgh.
The first stretch, up to Pitlochry, is scenic and serves as a kind farewell to the Highlands before entering Perthshire.
Pitlochry - one of the region’s most picturesque towns - is definitely worth adding to your itinerary.
Then it was just dual carriageway all the way to Edinburgh. We returned the car at the airport and headed into the city.
I’ll spare you the details here - the city, while beautiful with its majestic hills and castle, didn’t do it for me.
In fact, it overwhelmed me.
Of course, if you're a fan of highly touristic cities, Edinburgh has a lot to offer.
But after 4 days in the peaceful quiet of the Scottish highlands, surrounded by pure nature, the city's hustle completely wore me out.
We stayed at Ibis Budget (good option for a stay in between the city and the airport), nearby the tram stop and accessible by Uber.
The next morning, I dropped my parents off at the airport gate, and with a heavy heart headed to mine (our flights were almost synchronized).
One last look at the mists hanging over the Highlands - and I knew I’ll be back soon.
All pictures in this article were made with my trusty travel buddy, beloved Fujifilm x100V.
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