Scotland: Road to the Isles . . . .

After spending 3 nights in Glasgow (which I will write about along with my plans for Edinburgh in a later post) I will train over to Fort William (Road to the Isle.org) a town located at the base of the highest mountain peak in all of Great Britain, Ben Nevis. Here I will pick up my car and drive the very scenic and famous Road to the Isles which starts in Fort William and ends in the fishing port of Mallaig. A total of 45 miles.

The Road to the Isles was the famous route taken by Charles Edward Stuart (aka Bonnie Prince Charlie) who fled from the British forces after his defeat at Culloden in 1746. The battle of Culloden (which changed the ancient Clan system in Scotland forever) was the final fight between the French supported Jacobites and the British in their cause to restore the House of Stuart to the throne of the Kingdom of Great Britain. After his defeat, Prince Charlie fled to the Island of Benbecula where he met Flora MacDonald. They say that the Prince disguised himself as Flora's maid, "Betty Burke", and they both fled to the Isle of Skye. He eventually left Flora and Scotland and returned to Rome where he died under the alias 'Duke of Albany'. Not a very romantic ending. Flora was eventually imprisoned in the Tower of London for her part in his escape. Yikes! For more on this History of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites ~ Scottish History On-Line

Now back to my trip. For me, the "Road to the Isles" will offer me some great scenery and famous landmarks on my way to my final distination (the Isle of Skye). I will be passing by the towns Glenfinnan, Lachailort (this is where the little white church called Our Lady of the Braes was used in the movie Local Heroes ~Undiscovered Scotland.org), Arisaig (where I will based for three nights), Morar and ending at Mallaig.


I'll spend some time in the very small town of Arisaig, exploring this part of the Highlands,including the beautiful Silver Sands of Morar where they filmed several of the beach scenes in the movie Local Heroes which was recommended to me by AnnieNC (Thanks so much Annie). They say that the sunsets here are very beautiful and I hope to be able to see it in person.

If I have the time I might try the Silver Sands of Morar walk recommended by the Walking Highlands website. If you plan to visit the Highlands and do some hiking this website is an excellent resource and it comes with great directions and a detailed map. You can even download the routes to your GPS.

From the fishing port town of Mallaig, I'll be taking a ferry (with my car) over to the Isle of Skye. During the winter months their Hebredian and Clyde Ferries have a modified schedule and they recommend making a reservation. The service is operated by the Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries and you can book on-line HERE. I just booked a one way trip to the Isle because I plan on returning to the mainland by taking the Skye Bridge from the Kyle of Lochalsh. On my return back to Fort William, I plan on stopping near the small town of Donrie to visit the most photographed castle in the world, the Eliean Donan Castle.~Wikipedia And for you movie buffs, this castle was used in the movie, Highlander.



The Romans call it "The Winged Isle", in reference to the peninsulas that reach like crooked fingers into the waters of the sea. Others call it the "Misty Isle". Next up, the Beautiful Isle of Skye where I will see a couple of castles, see some magnificent landscapes and lochs and where I will get to taste a "fruity" single malt Scotch whiskey at a local distillery near a town called Carbost. Here, I will also hopefully photograph some beautiful Scottish sheep and Highland cows, something that I am really looking forward to! 9 Days to go! Stay tuned . . .