Scottish Tour Guide's Blog » Highlands

Visit Strathspey Steam Railway, Visit Scotland

catswhiskers — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:58:17 +0000

Strathspey Steam Railway, Highlands, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on the Strathspey Steam Railway which operates on a 10 mile length of track between Aviemore, Boat of Garten and Broomhill, near Grantown -on-Spey. Steam trains run between April and October over part of the original Highland Railway which passes through stunning mountainous scenery of the Cairngorms taking in moorland, woods and sweeps of the River Spey. There is a buffet car on most trains.

Tour Highlands, Tour Scotland

catswhiskers — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:30:08 +0000

Cairngorm Mountains, Aviemore, Scotland

This morning, we departed our lodgings at Ballifeary Guest House, Inverness after breakfast and drove south to our first stop at Aviemore. This small town is located in the Cairngorm mountain region and is popular with hikers, birdwatchers and outdoor enthusiasts. We had coffee at a high elevation restaurant which offorded superb views over the snow-capped mountains. Our visit coincided with the scheduled departure of the Strathspey Steam Train from Aviemore which was an added bonus.

Next we drove down the A9 to our next stop of Dunkeld with a photo stop for Blair Castle en-route..At Dunkeld tour guest played his Scottish Small Pipes in the Taybank Pub which itself is a popular music venue. We also had a light lunch here. After a short walk around the centre of Dunkeld we continued south to our next destination of Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s top visitor attractions.

We visited all main aspects of Stirling Castle including Great Hall, Royal Chapel and Kitchens. The recently restored Royal Apartments were of particular interest with assistance from actors in period costume.

After departing Stirling Castle, we continued south to our final destination of Edinburgh but first availing of a light meal at the Granary Pub on Leith’s popular waterfront.

Final drop-off was neraby where we exchanged fond farewells at conclusion of a fascinating 10 day round Scotland tour with emphasis on the Outer Hebrides.

Tour Sutherland, Tour Scotland

catswhiskers — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:58:36 +0000

Ullapool and Loch Broom, Scottish Highlands, Scotland

This morning, we departed our Ullapool lodgings and then drove a few minutes north to a vantage point for a landscape photograph of Ullapool and Loch Broom. Then we continued as follows:

Tour Wester Ross, Tour Scotland

catswhiskers — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:27:05 +0000

Common Seal, Dunvegan, Scotland

This morning we depaerted our Tarbert, Harris lodgings early tro connect with the 7.30am ferry to Uig Skye. On arrival at Uig we proceeded as follows:

Tour Barra and Uist, Tour Scotland

catswhiskers — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:29:02 +0000

Castlebay, Barra, Scotland

This morning, we arrived at Castlebay after an 11 hour crossing from Oban on the Scottish mainland.This journey had taken twice the normal time due to delays caused by severe weather conditions.

Visit Glencoe, Visit Scotland

catswhiskers — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:40:15 +0000

Oban Harbour, Scotland

This afternoon our tour is experiencing a 7 hour delay due to adverse weather conditions which has disrupted ferry crossings to the Hebrides. Consequently we are facing an unplanned sojourn in Oban on the west of Scotland.

Tour West of Scotland, Tour Scotland

catswhiskers — Sat, 12 May 2012 21:39:26 +0000

Ben Lomond, Loch Lomond, Scotland

This morning I collected guests from Argyll Hotel in Glasgow and then headed north-west visiting the following sites:

Loch Lomond where we stopped to photograph a snow-capped Ben Lomond.

Visit Strathpeffer, Visit Scotland

catswhiskers — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:48:12 +0000

Strathpeffer, Highland Region, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on the town of Strathpeffer in the Highlands of Scotland which is situated N.W. of Inverness, near the Cromarty Firth.

Strathpeffer is a very impressive small town which derived its prosperity from a sulphurous spring which was discovered in the mid 1700s. Subsequently, Strathpeffer developed into a fashionable ‘Spa Town’ reaching its peak in the years prior to World War 1, aided by inclusion in the rail network during the 19th century. The Spa Pavilion still exists but the rail link does not.

Strathpeffer is well endowed with hotels dating from the past century and as such continues to attract tourists including hikers and walkers.

Overall, Strathpeffer impresses as being clean and prosperous in a stunning Highland setting with Ben Wyvis (3433 ft) in the background.

Visit Fort George, Visit Scotland

catswhiskers — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:27:53 +0000

Entrance to Fort George, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on a stunning piece of 18th century miltray engineering as manifested in the 250 year old Fort George near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

The catalyst for the construction of the fort was the Jacobite Rising which was finally crsuhed at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.This was a failed attempt by the House of Stuart to overturn the Hanoverian dynasty. However, the Battle of Culloden proved conclusive and after that event the Highlands remained peaceful notwithstanding which the fort has continued as army barracks to this day.

The fort was designed by military engineer, Major-General William Skinner as an impregnable base for George 11′s army in the north of Britain. The complement was some 2000 men comprising two field battalions of infantry, gunners and officer cadre. The building included staff blocks, barrack blocks, powder magazines, ordnance and provision stores, a bakehouse, brewhouse and chapel.

A compelling visitor attraction, especially for persons interested in the military. The western tip offers good views over the Moray Firth where, occasionally, dolphins can be seen feeding.

Here is the parade ground near the front entrance.

Tour Scottish Highlands, Tour Scotland

catswhiskers — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:22:23 +0000

Snow Capped Cairngorms, Scotland

Today, was the final day of our ancestry themed tour of Scotland. Having covered the personal ancestry connections we embarked on some sightseeing in northern Scotland around the Inverness area.

Departing our oodgings at Dingwall we drove east to Fort George which sits on a promontory in the Moray Firth. This is a massive construction which was completed in 1769 and remains almost intact. It ranks as one of the most outstanding fortifications in Europe and comprises staff blocks, barrack blocks, powder magazines, ordnance and provision stores, a bakehouse, brewhouse and a chapel. The fort remains a British Army base to this day. A truly impressive edifice.

Fort George was completed in 1769 and was intended as a deterrent to Jacobite uprisings after their final defeat at nearby Culloden in 1746.

The Fort offers an excellent vantage point for viewing the Mora Firth and Chanonry Point opposite. We had the good fortune to view dolphins swimming in the water below the Fort walls.