Despite weather forecasts predicting gale force storms across northern Scotland, we awoke to a sunny day, and set off early to the Loch district of Scotland.
Along the way we stopped at yet another castle (got to make the most of our ‘heritage pass’!!). Urqhart Castle, whilst a ruin, is setup as a full-on tourist attraction. You enter via the obligatory gift shop, then ushered into a theatrette for a brief film on the history of Urqhart Castle, then the screen lifts, and curtains open to a panoramic window, to reveal the castle ruins in all their glory, on the edge of Loch Ness… very stage managed, (but, adds Liz, very beautiful, situated on the water’s bank, spendiferous!!).
In 600AD St Columbus came to this spot from Iona to convert the local ‘pic people’ to Christianity. 600 years later life was not so peaceful and a castle was built to house the kings and soldiers.
The now ruinous castle, although very romantic looking, has a history of bloodshed – of fire and stone as the brochure puts it. The fights were many with the castle swapping back and forth between the Scotts and the English. Even a north tribe from Ireland had a go. The last army (1600s) to use the castle (think it was the English) blew up the gatehouse as they left so that it would be of no use to anyone else.
After walking around the castle (and up and down narrow stone staircases), and a few hundred photographs, we continued our drive south through Scotland admiring the scenery made by ice glaciers many thousands of years ago – leaving behind steep rocky mountains with the road winding along the valley floor – quite spectacular. We stopped at Fort William for lunch and dropped into the local internet café, of course.
We then drove on to Luss, and our B&B for the night, with a beautiful private lounge just for us, situated right on the very edge of Loch Lomond… however by that stage the rain & storm had blown in, so the views were grey and stormy.
