Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

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.

Because of the heabvy train and wind we took the opportunity to visit Glencoe, about 1 hour away. This Highland village is well known for the scenery and the infamous massacre which occurred in 1692. The latter event resulted in the deaths of up to about 100 members of the local MacDonald community  at the hands of a military unit comprised mainly of members of traditional adversaries from Clan Campbell who were acting under military orders.

At Glencoe we visited:

• The National Trust Visitor Centre
• The glen with its stunning scenery with streams and waterfalls cascading off the mountains.
• Clachaig Inn, famous for its ‘no Campbells’ policy.
• The monumernt erected in memory of the Massacre.

We later returned to Oban, tracking the banks of Loch Linnhe and passing Castle Stalker.

Waterfall, Glencoe, Scotland

Massacre Monument, Glencoe, Scotland

Street Scene, Fort William, Scotland

 This evening, I am posting information on Fort William in the Scottish Highlands. The name is derived from a British military fort originating in the 17th and 18th centuries which was built to control the Highlands. Specifically, it is named after King William (1650-1702).

Fort William has a reputation as a centre for outdoor activities including hiking, climbing, skiing and mountain biking. It is a good base for touring the area and provides access to Glenfinnan and Skye, Glencoe, Glen Nevis  the Great Glen to Loch Ness , the Caledonian Canal and the ‘Harry Potter’  train. Close by is Ben Nevis, Scotland’s tallest mountain (4406ft.) which is accessible to most able bodied persons.

In the immediate vicinity can be found Inverlochy Castle, Loch Linnhe, Ben Nevis Distillery and Glen Nevis. There is also Aonoch Mor  chair lift which provides a 15 min trip up into the mountains with the reward of stunning views.

Here is Inverlochy Castle.

Inverlochy Castle, Fort William, Scotland

 Here is Ben Nevis Distillery. Tours are available.

Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William, Scotland

 Here is a view of the Nevis range of mountains which include Ben Nevis

Nevis Range, Fort William, Scotland

Fort William invariably features in my tours of the Western Highlands.

Deer on Rannoch Moor in Winter

This evening, I am focusing on the somewhat bleak and rugged Rannoch Moor which lies south of the Great Glen fault below Glencoe. Key features:

• Comprises a plateau at 1200 ft surrounded by mountains rising to between 2500ft and 3500 ft.
• Underlain by granite and features a number of small, irregular lakes which were formed by severe glacial erosion. These lakes are separated by collections of glacial debris.
• The Moor was where the last major ice sheet to cover Scotland began to form about 25,000 years ago and also where it was finally extinguished about 10,000 years ago.
• The ice moved along the valleys which radiate out from Rannoch Moor to the north-east (Speyside), east (Tayside), south (Firth of Clyde) and west (Loch Linnhe).
• Each year hundreds of thousands of visitors traverse this Moor travelling to/from Glencoe  many of whom may not appreciate the geological significance of the site.

As will be evident from the images provided here, the winter does present excellent opportunities for landscape photography when the right combination of weather conditions are present.

Photographing Rannoch Moor in Winter

Winter Landscape, Rannoch Moor, Scotland

Winter Scene, Rannoch Moor, Scotland

Winter Scene, Rannoch Moor, Scotland

Mountain View from Ranoch Moor, Scotland