Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

Today, our tour schedule was changed due to impending bad weather. We brought the trip to St. Andrews forward by one day resulting in the following programme:

• Departed Inverness about 08.45am and drove round to Benromach Distillery at Forres calling in briefly at Nairn Golf Course.

Inverness Town Centre

Nairn Golf course

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This morning, we departed Broadford on Isle of Skye promptly at 9.00am and drove across the Skye Bridge through Kyle of Lochalsh to Eilean Donan Castle, home to the Chief of Clan Macrae. Unfortunately, the Visitor Centre and Castle were not scheduled to open until 10.00am so we consoled ourselves with photographs of this iconic site in the morning sunshine and then moved on, tracking Loch Duich to Invermoriston.

Eilean Donan Castle in Sunshine

Eilean Donan Castle in Silhouette

At Invermoriston we availed of a brief stop to view/photograph an ancient and picturesque bridge at Invermoriston Falls.

Invermoriston Bridge

Next we moved on up the Great Glen to Castle Urquhart where stopped to view the famous loch from this excellent vantage point which is of historical interest in its own right. We also had a spot of lunch at the Castle Vistor Centre.

Castle Urquhart

Our next stop was Drumnadrochit to view the Loch Ness Monster, well sort of! 

Loch Ness Monster

 Then on up to Inverness, capital of the Highlands and on to our next stop at Culloden Battlefield.

Culloden is an iconic site and important part of Scotland’s history. It was here in 1746 that the forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie were finally defeated by the Hanoverians under General Cumberland. Here there is an excellent Visitor Centre.

Culloden Battlefield

Our final stop was the Clava Cairns, a prehistoric site dating back about 4000 years comprising burial cairns and associated stone circles.

Tour Group at Clava Cairns

Finally, we checked into our lodgings at the Royal Highland Hotel. Tomorrow,we have an early start in order to cover a full itinerary including St Andrews.

Loch Lomond

This morning, our group left Glasgow on schedule at about 9.15am, suitably refreshed and recovered from jet-lag of previous day. Reports of good food at the Argyll Hotel. continue reading…

This morning our tour group arrived on time at Edinburgh Airport. We departed the airport about 10.30am and proceeded to transfer to Glasgow via Mini-Coach and then as follows:

• View and photograph a small herd of Highland Cattle at Pollock in central Glasgow.

Highland Cow

• Visit the world famous Burrell Collection which was donated to the City of Glasgow. This a wide ranging collection of art and artifacts dating from the ancient Egypt to medieval Europe. Here we had a spot of lunch. As we were coming out of the Collection we encountered a couple of well turned out Clydesdale horses pulling a small cart.

Ming Vases at Burrell Collection

• House for an Art Lover. Located close to the Burrell Collection. Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh  at turn of 20th century but not completed until 1996. Close by is a very well maintained and colourful garden which we were also able to visit.

Garden at House for Art Lover

Inside House for Art Lover

• Glasgow’s historic Cathedral, which dates from the 13th century and is dedicated to St Mungo.

Glasgow Cathedral

• A quick visit to Glasgow’s Necropolis, featuring many grand monuments to the great and good of Victorian Glasgow.

Glasgow Necropolis

Finally, the group retired to their hotel (Argyll) for an early night and to recover from the long and tiring journey to Scotland. A fresh start tomorrow when we head into the Highlands.

This morning, I collected a mini-coach group totalling 15 persons from central Glasgow and then proceeded as follows:

Ben Lomond and Loch Lomond

• Fisrt stop at the quaint and colorful heritage village of Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond. Here we viewed the immaculate cottage gardens together with vistas of Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond (mountain).
• Next we headed north tracking Loch Lomond then to Tyndrum and the desolate Rannoch Moor to the rugged scenery of Glencoe where we stopped for a photo shoot. Main stop was the visitor centre at Glencoe where we availed of some lunch before continuing north.

Glencoe

Glencoe View

• Our next target destination was Castle Urquhart on Loch Ness via the Great Glen. This was a nice trip in fine weather.
• Upon arriving at Castle Urquhart we spent about 1 hour admiring the castle and associated Loch Ness scenery which was quite impressive in the afternoon sunshine. Quite a few tour boats on the famous loch also.

Urquhart Castle

• After completing our visit to Loch Ness we doubled back down the Glen to Spean Bridge from where we turned into central Scotland and across to Dalwhinnie and the Pitlochry. Unfortunately, our journey was impeded by a long line of motorcyclists from Germany who were trundling along about 40mph.
• After Pitlochry, we turned right to Aberfeldy then, following the River Tay to Kenmore where we availed of a brief stop and then on, tracking Loch Tay, down through Killin to Crianlarich, Loch Lomond and eventually Glasgow . Here we parted company with fond farewells after a long day in the Scottish Highlands.

This evening, my theme is Highland Dancing.

Highland Dancing

Highland dancing dates back about 800 years with origins in folk dancing. As will be seen from this video, this activity requires a high level of athletic fitness and stamina. There are links to classical ballet. Ladies participation dates from around the turn of the 20th century. continue reading…

View of Castle from Gardens

Balmoral Castle, Scotland

This evening, my theme is Balmoral Castle and Gardens which are located near Braemar in the Highlands of Scotland. Balmoral Castle is owned by HM the Queen in a private capacity having first being acquired by Queen Victoria in the 19th century. The Royal Family holiday here during August when the castle and grounds are closed to visitors. At certain times during the summer the grounds are open to the public plus one room (the ballroom) of the Castle.

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This evening, I am posting a collection of images taken during my recent trip to Cawdor Castle which is located in the north of Scotland, near Inverness. At this time of the year, gardens all around Scotland particularly lush and colourful and a delight to visit.

Scottish Thistle at Cawdor

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Corgaff Castle

This evening, my theme is Corgaff Castle which sits isolated on the hills at Strathdon on the northern edge of the Cairngorm Mountains. This castle has an illustrious history:

• Tower built in 16th century.
• In November 1571 besieged by Adam Gordon of Auchindoon. Castle was burned together with defender, Margaret Forbes and twenty seven occupants.
• Used as a mustering point by the royalist Marquis of Montrose in 1645.
• Torched by the Jacobites in 1689.
• Mustering point in 1715 for clansmen supporters of the Earl of Mar.
• Torched by Hanoverians in 1715.
• Used as an ammunition store 1745-6 by Jacobite army but seized by 400 redcoats.
• Post Culloden (1746) the castle was used as a garrison for 50 Hanoverian soldiers.
• In 1820s and 1830s used by Government forces as a base to clamp down on illegal whisky distilling.

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This evening, my theme is Dunrobin Castle, an imposing edifice situated some 12 miles from Dornoch in the Highlands of Scotland.

Dunrobin Castle

Although Dunrobin can trace its history back to 1275 AD with subsequent additions in the 17th and 18th centuries, most of the building which exists today dates from the mid 19th century from a French style design. This is the largest building in the Highlands with 187 rooms and a richly furnished interior which is open to visitors.

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