A Scottish Adventure - August 4-9 2015

Three ferries in one day

I treated myself to a delicious full breakfast this morning and it kept me going for the rest of the day! We spoke to the couple who were on the boat with us yesterday and they said how sorry they felt for us being buffeted by the wind and the waves, but I reassured them there was nothing they could do as to have got up and swapped seats would have been positively dangerous.

We set off rather late this morning and Keith walked down to Strontian village to buy a newspaper in the village shop. We'd decided to head for Skye but we were undecided as to which way to go - via Mallaig and the ferry to Armadale, or to take the longer road route which passes through some spectacular scenery? Half of the route to Mallaig was on single track roads so we decided to do the longer route via the Kyle of Lochalsh and maybe head home on the ferry.

To begin with, we had to take the small ferry to Corran and luckily, even though there was a queue of cars in front us, we managed to get on straight away. It cost £8 for the single trip and we stayed in our car as we made the short crossing.

Once over the Loch we headed for Fort William and then further north towards Skye. The road wasn't that busy which was a relief and very soon we were on the A87. Sophie promptly fell asleep and as we neared Skye we decided to take the very small ferry to Kylerhea. To get there we had to head over a mountain pass that became a little hairy, especially as I was driving!

The road seemed to go forever and we started to question whether it was a good idea to use the old ferry rather than the bridge, but it was too late to turn back! At last we arrived to find the ferry disembarking some cars so we were soon being loaded ourselves.

Again, we sat in the car and paid the ferryman £15 for the privilege!

Funnily enough, we met this car again at the ferry port in Armadale

This ferry crossing has been used since 1773 and only runs in the summer. Keith and I used it the last time we visited Skye and chatted to a man wearing a kilt and carrying a Tesco shopping bag! He was a real character!

Once over the narrow crossing we resumed the road and I followed the big Porsche car that had been in front of me. The road was very winding and steep in places and luckily we only met the odd car now and again. The Porsche took off so he wasn't much help!

Once we were on Skye we decided what was best to see as we didn't have long. Keith wanted to get the 5.20pm ferry back to Mallaig so we headed for Broadford first as Sophie needed the loo! We called in at The Crowlin Hotel for a quick drink and again, Sophie was not impressed, but then neither was I! A few other tables were taken by tourists (one couple were French I think) and the food served to them looked very unappetising!

We quickly drank up and headed inland to the Talisker Distillery as I wanted to buy some whisky for my Dad and maybe a bottle for me. The roads seemed a lot busier than when we last visited and it may have been because we were right in the middle of the holiday season.

The narrow road to the distillery was jammed with cars and a long convoy of camper vans all heading to Carbost. I'd never seen so many all together in one place in my life and the queue made our progress snail-like as we crawled along behind. Just a few feet from the distillery everything ground to a halt and Keith got out of the car to see what was happening. He directed me eventually into a space in the car park but by now I'd had enough!

The distillery was crammed with people and had definitely had a make-over since our last visit almost twenty years ago! We decided not to take a tour and I chose two bottles of Singleton whisky - Tailfire and Sunray - as I'd bought my Dad Talisker for his Father's Day present back in June.

I remember the distillery being very small, very basic and very quiet the last time we went so we were both shocked to see so many people clamouring to get in!

As the time was speeding past we decided, reluctantly, to head to Armadale. I felt cheated that we hadn't got to see much of Skye but maybe Keith and I will return on our own when the summer madness has died down!

It was still wonderful to see the fantastic scenery and the Black Cuillins which still command respect for their majestic peaks. The drive to Armadale was lovely as we could see over to the mainland and I stopped half way to take a couple of photos.

The ferry terminal was busy but we were able to buy tickets straight away from the very jovial staff in the office. We had about an hour's wait so Keith amused himself by walking to the end of the pier and throwing the remnants of our picnic to the seagulls who homed in on the food like heat-seeking missiles!

We were also able to sit and have a cup of tea and a cake and Sophie enjoyed a chicken burger which she'd been longing for ever since we entered Scotland!

The little cafe overlooking the water

We were soon driving onto the ferry and this time we had to leave the car and make our way up to the decks. It was very windy once we set off so the three of us sat inside and I was surprised to see a little shop and cafe. It was like a cross-channel ferry in miniature!

Before we went in I did take some photos:

The crossing didn't take long and very soon we were embarking in Mallaig which looked a busy town. The road back to our B&B was gorgeous and we decided to try for a pub in Glenfinnan, half way to Fort William.

The route was very quiet and we sped along, (Keith was driving) passing a promising looking hotel called The Lochailort Inn. However, I was convinced there was something better in Glenfinnan so we carried on...only to be bitterly disappointed!

It meant we had to drive back to Lochailort and luckily they were able to accommodate us for a meal. As usual, Sophie took exception to the place straight away as the walls were painted blood red and there were deer heads and stuffed animals everywhere. She said to me that, "something bad happened here," and I was inclined to agree at first! However, the place grew on me and we had a very good meal. I chose chicken stuffed with haggis, Keith had fish and chips (what else?) while Sophie opted for just a starter of chicken liver pate as she was still full from her chicken burger. I also fancied some Scottish cheese afterwards but the wait lasted forever as I think they had to go out and buy some!

Our waitress was clearly not English and her command of our language was not brilliant as Keith and Sophie told me she'd already said there was no cheese but I hadn't heard her! She also hadn't heard of a "whisky and lemonade" which I thought was strange considering her choice of job!

Our meal was enlivened by the family on the table next to us who kept us entertained with their imperious requests and the fact that the husband/father spent the entire meal staring at his phone and not talking to his family at all. Even when he was eating he kept the blasted thing in his hand and ignored what was going on around him!

After our meal we continued on our journey but we had no choice but to turn off the main road and head back to Strontian on a smaller road. Half of the journey was on a two lane highway but then the road narrowed and we were back on the single trackway. However, the stunning scenery made up for the slight discomfort and I felt like I could easily live along the route, it was so beautiful. What made it even lovelier was the gorgeous evening sky as the sun went down. I tried to capture the views:

Before long we were back in Strontian and heading back up the narrow track. We just had a brief watch of the TV before it was time for bed!

A Scottish Adventure - August 4-9 2015

Getting up close and personal with sharks

We were all up early and sitting down to breakfast at 8am this morning, along with another couple who we later found out were on the same boat trip as us.

Rather than eat a heavy breakfast I opted for poached eggs on toast with muesli and fruit as I didn't want to be feeling queasy on the boat! We were all done by 8.30am and Keith went to open the gate while the other couple followed us. I wasn't too happy about this as I certainly didn't want to be the lead driver for the next forty minutes, so when I had the opportunity I pulled over to let him go past.

I was glad I did as he hurtled off and I couldn't even keep up with him! When we eventually got to Ardnamurchan Charters they had just got out of their car so we weren't that far behind but it did mean that there were no parking spaces left and Keith had to reverse our car into a tiny space next to a cattle grid!

We approached the boat yard via a very steep set of steps and Keith paid the balance of the amount we owed for the trip. There were loads of dogs milling about including a huge one called, very aptly, Hagrid!

We had a black labrador on the boat with us all day and he was gorgeous. His name was Tag and he must have a lovely life!

There were ten of us on the boat, along with the Skipper, Andy and his mate, Billy, a young lad who did a lot of the driving on the way to the island of Muck.

At first the waters of the loch were very calm and although it did start raining it wasn't too bad. Most of the boat was open with just a small cabin that could fit about four or five people (and the dog). There were two bench seats under a small canopy and then two garden seats at the very end of the boat. Most of us stood at first to get a good look at the loch and the surrounding scenery but one couple stayed put on the bench seat under the canopy for the entire voyage! They weren't British (they may have been Italian) but they didn't seem at all interested in looking at anything and I did wonder why on earthy they'd paid £80 each to just sit and natter together!

These seats weren't popular when it was raining...more of that later!

Skipper Andy on the right sensibly decked out in waterproofs!

Keith getting wet!

We puttered out slowly into the loch and went past the island of Carna where we were told they were trying to re-introduce wild cats. We kept a lookout for sea eagles and saw some seals basking on rocks.

Further out we saw a whole flotilla of yachts which was a bit bizarre as their brightly coloured sails contrasted starkly with the grey sea and sky.

We were very near to the island of Mull and the smaller isles of Eigg and Coll. We could see other yachts in the distance and the occasional fishing boat.

As we moved out past the Ardnamurchan lighthouse (the most westerly point of mainland Britain) one of the men in our group shouted out that he'd seen a Minke whale diving. He even managed to capture it on camera! We slowed the engine and circled the area for a while but we never saw it re-surface which was a real shame.

A little further on, though, we did spot a basking shark and it came very close to the boat.

At one point we saw three of four sharks very close and through the clear water we could see their huge mouths as they swam along hoovering up plankton.

I don't know how big they were but I'm glad they weren't interested in eating us!

We stayed in the area for a good while and then motored over to the island of Muck where we stayed for almost two hours. It gave us a chance to grab something to eat and stretch our legs for a while.

There wasn't a great deal to do on Muck! We went for a short walk with Tag and then headed to the small cafe where we ate toasties and drank copious amounts of tea from a huge brown teapot.

Our little boat in Muck harbour

Muck's map of entertainments!

Muck scenery

Fearing for our lives!

The journey back to Laga Bay was split into two halves. The first part of the voyage was horrendous as the sea had become very rough while we were on Muck and stupidly we sat on one of the bench seats at the back of the boat so we took the full force of the sea spray that drenched us. Keith stood up as it was impossible to move into the cabin, the seas were so rough. All we could do was hang on and Sophie became very upset at how bad the conditions were. At one point I feared the whole boat would turn over and none of us were wearing life jackets.

Tag sensed how upset we were and before things got really bad came and pressed his body against us before retreating to the safety and warmth of the cabin. We just had to sit it out and Sophie was literally shaking with the cold and wet.

Thankfully, we rounded the point with the lighthouse and entered calmer waters. The sun also came out and we dried out a bit and were able to appreciate the stunning scenery.

Tag also made an appearance and sat and watched one of the couples eating their sandwiches! He didn't get much!

We arrived back at Laga Bay at 6pm and went thankfully to our car for the journey back to the B&B. We had planned to go straight out to eat but we were all very dishevelled and encrusted with salt so we drove back as quickly as we could to have a hot shower and change out of our damp clothes.

We'd booked a table for 8.30pm at The Inn at Ardgour and we got there with seconds to spare! The pub was very busy but we were shown to our table and our drinks order taken so we could finally relax.

I'd been in Scotland since Tuesday without having haggis so Keith and I both decided to have that as a starter, served with oatcakes, which were delicious. For my main course I went veggie and had an asparagus and wild mushroom risotto, Keith had fish and chips (again) while Sophie chose chicken stuffed with cheese. The food was lovely and gradually the pub emptied out so it became quieter and more relaxed.

We arrived back at the B&B at just after 10pm after driving through spectacular scenery. The evening sky was light blue tinged with fluffy pink and grey clouds and the whole landscape was breathtaking.

Once again we all snuggled down in bed and watched some TV before turning in for the night and a well-earned sleep!

A Scottish Adventure - August 4-9 2015

The Ardnamurchan Peninsula

Keith and I had rather a disturbed night as our bed was on the small side. It was probably a normal double but as we're used to a Super-King, we felt like we'd slept on top of one another all night!


Breakfast was included in our room rate which I thought was a bargain (£129 for the lodge, for the three of us) so we all went off to the hotel after showering and dressing. The breakfast room looked out over a riding area and would have been lovely if the sun had been shining, which it wasn't...

We helped ourselves to cereal, fruit and toast before going back for cooked food and very good it was as well. It set us up for the day! We sat at a table right next to a huge TV screen and watched the BBC news from London which was a bit bizarre!

After we'd breakfasted we packed everything up and bid a fond farewell to our little lodge. Hopefully, one day I will return!

I drove this morning and we made our way through the stunning scenery to Loch Lomond. After crossing the Erskine Bridge we stopped for diesel in Dumbarton and then entered the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. The road by the lake was very twisty indeed and covered frequently in huge puddles of water.

The views were stunning and luckily I didn't come across any slow caravans on the way! I was part of a convoy of vehicles (inevitable) but we all drove at a reasonable speed and very soon we were coming into Glencoe, an area that always looks very forbidding. Every other time we'd been through Glencoe I'd wanted to stop at the Visitor Centre and today we did. I was badly in need of a coffee and I wanted to find out a bit more about the massacre in 1692 when the Campbells slaughtered the MacDonalds who had been their hosts.

We went and had a cup of coffee and then ventured out to the viewing point. By now, the sun had come out, briefly, and it was great to see Glencoe clearly for a change! When we found out that it cost £8.00 each to visit the Glencoe exhibition we rapidly changed our minds about going in and went back to the car. Mum called me and said that everything was fine with work and they were inching closer to a completion date.

Fort William and the saga of the missing jeans...

From Glencoe we headed towards Fort William as we had decided to go and search for a new pair of jeans for Sophie. She discovered, last night, that she'd left a pair of black jeans at home, around which most of her wardrobe was based. We found out that there was a branch of M&Co in Fort William and I suggested she try and get a pair there.

The last time Keith and I were in Fort William was years ago and we were disappointed with the town then. I'd imagined it would be like a small Alpine town, full of trekking shops, tea rooms and cosy restaurants and pubs but we were sadly mistaken. Things hadn't changed...

We parked near the town and discovered that there was some kind of French market going on with stalls selling Bratwurst and other European delicacies. We made straight for M&Co but Sophie looked at the shop as if it smelt bad and although she tried on a pair of slimfit jeans, they certainly weren't suitable.

We left and walked on a little distance with Sophie comparing the town to "Dartford, only in the north". I did try and warn her! Rather than re-trace our route back to Corran and the ferry over Loch Linnhe, we decided to drive around the lake and see if there were any suitable pubs along the way. This single track road was beautiful and half way along we pulled in by the side of the loch and ate some of our picnic that we'd left the previous day.

We could see Fort William on the other side. I'm sure you can also see Ben Nevis on a clear day.

It was very peaceful and I did envy the people who lived with these views all the time. We kept a lookout for creatures in the loch but didn't see a thing. We did see lots of sheep, though, some of which were grazing on the road and were completely oblivious to me driving past!

We arrived at Ardgour (where the ferry runs) and called into The Inn at Ardgour for a drink. It looked promising for an evening meal as it was only 12 miles from Strontian where we were staying. Keith was delighted to find they stocked the Belhaven Speyside Ale so I joined him in a bottle. It was considerably cheaper than in The Wheelhouse last night!


The long and winding road...



From Ardgour we drove onto the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, the most westerly point of mainland Britain. Once we arrived in Strontian and found directions to our B&B we drove on to find out where our boat trip would start from. We wanted to find out how long it would take us as the road is just a single trackway with passing places and the last thing we wanted was to be late the next day!

Unfortunately, Sophie wasn't keen on the very twisty road. It was fine from Strontian to Salen, but then it became even narrower and skirted a loch which meant it went up and down and in and out and it felt like being on a roller coaster! It took us forty minutes to do the trip and then I had to drive back. I had to concentrate hard for every single minute as an oncoming car could appear at any minute and if we were unlucky it would be just as we drove past a passing place and one of us would have to reverse. Not a good idea when the sides of the road fell away to the loch! I'd had ideas of carrying on along this road to Sanna Bay where the sand was supposed to be white and the sea turquoise, but:

a) The weather was horrendous

b) It would probably have taken us another hour and a half and then we would have had to drive all the way back

c) Sophie would probably have killed me with her bare hands.


Luckily, on the return route I tagged onto a tanker going the same way and as he filled the road I was able to hang onto his shirt tails and follow him closely all the way to Salen. He blundered his way through with oncoming drivers having no choice but to stop for him, with little old me following closely behind! Just after the pretty village of Salen he pulled over to let me overtake and then it was up to me to look out for oncoming cars!

At 4pm we were more than ready to check into our B&B but it was still a two mile trek up a hillside. By now I was very tired from all the driving and just as I was about to make a tight turn onto an even smaller road to the B&B the road was blocked by a van coming out of the turn. It was the last straw for me as I had to continue up the road and then try and do a three point turn on a narrow stretch of road. I lost my temper a bit and then became even grumpier when I realised I still had some way to go and the entrance to Heatherbank B&B was blocked by a closed gate!

It was a huge relief when we finally arrived and parked the car. We were met by Pippa who showed us to our rooms and explained about breakfast and offered to book us a table at a local hotel for dinner. We unpacked and changed for the evening and drove back down the track to The Strontian Hotel.

By now the weather had become even worse with a constant drizzling rain and a heavy mist covering Loch Sunart. We settled ourselves into a seat in the Bothy Bar and watched as numerous people traipsed in, all dripping wet from the rain. I have to say, we all wondered what we were doing and whether we'd made the right decision! At one point I felt as if we'd entered the twilight zone! Sophie looked at us as if we'd dragged her to the most godforsaken spot on earth and I did feel sorry for her! In a weird kind of way it was enjoyable to be sitting in a cosy bar and doing a spot of people watching but my daughter certainly didn't appreciate her surroundings!

Keith fell out with the barman (he called him Uncle Fester from the Adams family) as the first pint he tried was terrible and he left most of it. He then went on to drink a bottled beer which cost a whopping £5 a bottle!

I discovered that it's not a good idea to look up a restaurant's menu online as I'd been salivating over the thought of their chicken, stuffed with haggis and served with a whisky cream. Of course, it wasn't on the menu and I had to choose from dull dishes such as lasagne, pasta, chicken curry or fish and chips. There was venison casserole on the specials board, thankfully, so I opted for that as it was the only authentic Scottish food I could see, while Keith went for the fish and Sophie chose the pasta Napoli.

The hotel was very busy with lots of different nationalities eating there. Heaven only knows what they thought of the atrocious weather! The food was good, but not outstanding and we decided we'd try somewhere else the next night. Sophie left most of her pasta (the serving was huge) so we were a subdued little group by the end of the evening and longing for our beds! It had been a busy day!

Back at the B&B Keith and I had a small dram of whisky that we'd bought in the village shop earlier and we all snuggled into our bed to watch TV. Thankfully, Sophie had her own room with a double bed so she was happy!

A Scottish adventure - August 4-9 2015

Overnight in Glasgow

We were all packed and ready to go at 8.30am this morning and Keith said he would drive up to Tebay services, where we'd stop and have some lunch. I'd fondly imagined that we would be standing in the sunshine and munching on our picnic but I couldn't have been more wrong!

We made good time on the M6 as we decided to use the M6 toll road, which at £5.50, saved us all the bother of going through the busiest part of Birmingham. As we drove further north the weather worsened and by the time we reached the beautiful part of the M6 which runs through the Lake District the rain and mist were much in evidence!

I was so disappointed as I really wanted Sophie to see the Lake District (the parts you can see from the motorway anyway!) in all its glory, but it wasn't to be. We pulled in at Tebay, or Westmoreland Farm Shops (it's perhaps the only motorway services which isn't part of a huge chain), dashed in to use the facilities and then ate our picninc overlooking gloom and mist.

I took over from Keith and we made our way a bit more slowly and sedately north, leaving the M6 which turned into the M74 as soon as we reached the Scottish border. Sophie slept most of the way so our commentary on the sights we could see from the car nearly always fell on deaf ears although she was awake when we crossed over into Scotland!

All too soon we were in Glasgow and Keith negotiated me through the city and onto the M8 towards Bishopton where we were stopping for the night, at the Ingliston Country Club. We found it first and then headed back onto the A8 to find The Wheelhouse Bar and Grill. 

We'd researched this pub a few weeks ago and it looked the most promising for an evening meal so we had a drink (Keith tried a lovely beer called Belhaven Speyside Oak-Aged Blonde Ale) while I had a coffee and Sophie had a bottle of water. The menu looked good so we booked a table for 8pm and then drove to our home for the night, just a few miles away.

We parked the car in the hotel car park and walked over to Reception to find the receptionist on the phone. So we waited and waited while she booked some people in and then we discovered that we were at the wrong place and had to go to the country club entrance! Keith was not very happy!

We trooped off back the way we had come and this time we were given the instructions for our lodge and told where to go. It was great that we were able to park right next to our little wooden chalet!

We were all delighted with the lodge and it would have been an ideal place to stay for a few nights as we had a dining room/sitting room/kitchen area, a shower room, an additional loo and two bedrooms.

Our well-equipped kitchen

Sophie's bedroom

Our bedroom

It was lovely to have so much space and we unpacked for the night and then relaxed. Outside were rows of stables as the country club have an impressive riding school and dressage area. Keith and I went for a walk and although I was sorely tempted to go and see the horses, visitors weren't allowed.

Our chalet had an outside area and the grounds were extensive so it would be a great place to stay and explore the local surroundings. The weather was horrible, though, but if the sun had been shining it would have been lovely to have sat outside with a drink.

After we'd showered and changed we drove to Bishopton itself and called in for a drink at the Bishopton Inn Hotel. Although the place looked fine to me, Sophie took exception and hated every minute we spent there! We had a couple of drinks and then drove to The Wheelhouse where we sat and enjoyed a drink in the lounge before dinner.

Keith and I chose the carvery while Sophie opted for the Cajun Chicken and very spicy it was as well, she said! Our carvery was great but Keith still does a better roast! We had pork, gammon and turkey accompanied by all the usual veggies, roast potatoes and mash. The pub and restaurant were very busy but the staff did a good job of keeping us happy and were very friendly. The weather, sadly, hadn't improved at all, which was a shame as the pub sits right on the Clyde and the views must be stunning when the sun's out throughout the evening.We could see Dumbarton Rock from the windows and I would have loved to have explored a bit more.

We were back at our lodge at just after 9pm and it was great to sit and relax while watching The Three Day
Nanny!