A Highland Fling: The Highlands

Inverness Airport is minute, it reminded me of a small Caribbean island with just one baggage carousel and of course as it was an internal flight there was no passport formalities to complete so we just wandered in.

Our luggage came out quickly, the priority tagging working for once and soon we had the keys to our hire car. Instead of the usual keyring we had just a paper tab, attached by a length of thread, which had several registration numbers on it but we were told Avis Bay 42 and so headed for that. I’d booked a Ford Fiesta or similar and in fact we have a Citroen C4 – 2021 plate, with just 1700 miles on the clock. Plenty of room for the luggage and 4 doors so it’s easy to get out coats etc but OMG it is complicated! I sat in the driving seat, turned on the ignition NOTHING. Tried again, this time with my foot on the brake pedal (like some automatics need) still NOTHING. Ian frantically searched the glove box for a manual but there wasn’t one and then for some reason I tried it with my foot on the clutch and bingo – engine started. Next learning curve was the handbrake, which is just a small button you flick up and then press the brake pedal to release - not sure how I'll fare with a hill start. We also have a very nice SatNav with a huge screen and reversing cameras and mirrors. I’ve never had a hire car with so many bells and whistles – the weirdest of all being a little pop up screen just above the dashboard behind the steering wheel. This shows your speed and also the speed limit – very useful, and also how many lanes at a roundabout and the next SatNav turning instruction. I think it must be a hologram or something.

Ian has worked really hard putting itineraries together for each day but unfortunately the weather forecast seems to change on almost an hourly basis. We’d originally planned to drive straight down Loch Ness to Fort William, do a walk near Spean Bridge and then drive on to Glencoe, his favourite place from memory, before checking in at our hotel. However, the forecast for this afternoon is pretty dire, so we've decided to visit Culloden to see both the battlefield and the viaduct which, whilst not as famous or impressive as the one at Glenfinnan, is nevertheless worth seeing.

A passing jogger pointed us in the right direction for the viaduct and enroute Ian spotted signs for Clava Cairns, which are ancient (4,000 yo Bronze Age) burial mounds of stone so we stopped for a look around.

From near the Clava Cairns car park we had a brief glimpse of the viaduct.

We then walked about 10 mins and found a cracking viewpoint.

All around the gorse is in full bloom.

And the mosses and lichens on the stones and trees are just fabulous. Only goes to show how clear the air is here.

Next stop was the Culloden Battlefield visitor centre which had a 360° battle immersion theatre which "puts you right in the heart of the action" but unfortunately due to COVID it was pre-book only. So we walked to the field and stood on the English line.

Not sure what this little thatch was about, but I thought it might be useful in a future composite.

And we met a lovely Highland Cow - or bull, to be honest I didn't stop to check, but now looking closely I don't think that's his tail hair I can see!

We then drove straight down Loch Ness and if I'm honest I was a bit underwhelmed by it; I'd imagined more spectacular scenery. It was inky black though and maybe the kind of place Nessie might live!

After about 25 miles we came to the pretty little village of Fort Augustus. Situated on the Caledonian Canal at the south western end of Loch Ness, it has a flight of five locks to take boats up to the next level of the canal on the way into Loch Oich.

It was quite busy, with lots of cabin cruiser type boats and worried people wearing life vests and hanging on to ropes for dear life. I think there were professional lock keepers there so luckily they didn't have to actually operate the locks themselves.

The water really was inky black

I think if it hadn't been raining, we would have enjoyed wandering around this village and finding more of its quirky artwork.

I'm sure this tree wasn't really growing on the roof of the butcher's shop, but it did look like it.

Nessie

The next point of interest was the Bridge of Oich, a taper principle suspension bridge completed in 1854 which once took main road traffic across the river.

Now it leads only to a private house - nice entrance.

Then onto the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge.

The memorial is dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces raised during WWII and overlooks the training areas of the Commando Training Depot established in 1942. Unveiled by QEQM in 1952 it is one of Scotland's best known monuments, both as a war memorial and as a tourist attraction offering views of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor. But not today! - we'd intended to follow a circular walk here for a couple of hours, admiring the views but the weather had closed in quite badly so there really wasn't much point.

Although intended as a WWII memorial, judging from the tributes and the age of many of the visitors we saw, it is still very relevant to today's brave Commandos.

According to Ian, Ben Nevis is somewhere just behind the patches of snow (yeah yeah yeah!!!)

Our bed for the next two nights is at the Inn at Ardgour situated on the west bank of Loch Linnhe and the easiest/quickest way to reach it is by ferry from Corran. At this time of the year, the ferry runs from 0600 to 2130 and just shuttles back and forth every 15-20 mins or so. The crossing costs £9 for cars so isn't cheap but does save a 40 mile/1 hour drive around Lochs Linnhe and Eil if you're heading from/to Fort William, which we were.

Our view of both the Inn and the Ferry disgorging whilst waiting on the east bank; the weather was decidedly dreich.

With fond memories of our impromptu ferry crossing 2 years ago in Montenegro, when I booked the hotel I'd imagined I'd be standing on a sun drenched deck photographing the stunning views up and down the loch, but sadly this is all I got; a couple of boats and a very misty lighthouse!

After a delicious dinner (scampi for me = amazing), a couple of hours later the mist had cleared, although it was still very wet and there were lots and lots of midges around.