Tags
Austin Seven, Calton Hill, Carl Zeiss Distagon 4/50 C, Cill Chriosd, Culloden Battlefield, Dunnotar Castle, Eilean Donan Castle, Hasselblad 500C, Ilford Fp4, Ilford Hp5+, Inverness, Isle of Skye, Kilt Rock, Leanach Cottage, Loch Cluanie, Loch Fada, Lomography Colour 400, Neist Point Lighthouse, Ness, Old Boat on Loch Duich, Old Observatory house, Photography, Portree, Scotland, Strathisla, Urquhart Castle
A morning in May 2019 in Edinburgh…
Day 1
The beautifull tile murals at the Cafe Royal lit up our eyes and the stained glass, the mirrors and wood blend nicely. A fine place. We would meet our friends Gordon and Dorothy, but I messed up the dates and it didn’t happen. It will in the near future we hope…
It was a rainy morning, the first morning of our third trip to Scotland.
We walked up to Calton Hill for a rainy view of Edinburgh and it’s monuments.
Old Observatory House
Dugald Stewart Monument
Come rain or come shine the song says… whatever you encounter the view from up there is always a peasure.
It was a brief, rainy but worthy walk, then we took the road down to the bus station. The Megabus left as scheduled for Inverness.
on route to Inverness
We arrived in Inverness bus station as stated in the journey info when we bought the tickets 3 months before. By the time we checked in to our hotel the rain had stopped. We gritted our guardian seagull and head out to Ness Walk road.
Day 2
The sun was up. Went to Eastgate shopping centre where the Unicorn whispered goodmorning to us and off we went. It was time to drive on the right/wrong side of the road again…
the Unicorn
The destination, Isle of Skye. Some stops where required, as we would pass by favourite places… known and unknown…
how can one resist? the sugar in the coffee… Redburn cafe
Loch Cluanie
Loch Cluanie
There was a parenthesis left open since we last saw Eilean Donan Castle because the wheather was bad. This time, the sun gave us a more colourful view of one of Scotland’s most famous castles.
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Filled up our eyes then left Dornie and soon crossed Skye Bridge and entered the Isle Of Skye. A place with a geological history that includes some of the most ancient rocks on the planet, as Alan McKirdy writes in his book ‘Skye, Landscapes in Stone’ , a present from Gordon.
Loch Fada, Isle of Skye
Overlooking Loch Fada you can easily see the Storr and it’s main tower: The Old Man Of Storr. After a few miles you reach Kilt Rock where Lock Mealt falls viewpoint provide an excellent view.
Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls viewpoint, Isle of Skye
If the day is windy -it will propably be- you will hear the noise of the wind through the pipes on the viewpoint. Then, Portree welcomed us for the remaining day, a meal and a good night’s sleep.
overlooking Portree Harbour, Isle of Skye
A nice walk down the pier with the colourful buildings is quite refreshing and at that time quite cold windy. Nice views from the pier also…
on Portree pier, Isle of Skye
After the nice meal and some more walking around this small village, it was time to get cosy in our very picturesque room.
Day 3
A good breakfast, a thank you to Ruth for the lovely room and we were on our way to a remote place about an hour and fifteen minutes away.
(Someone was caught in the act…)
I hope I’m forgiven for stepping on the bench…
near Edinbane, Isle of Skye
After Dunvegan the road becomes more remote and eventually you enter a single track road. If you’ve done your homework driving in single track road is pretty straighforward and polite.
Unnamed road, Isle of Skye IV55 8WT, UK
Some great views and a lot of sheep. The quitness of nature is astonishing. Shooting black and white images of the rock formations and the sea amplify this place’s bucolic feeling.
Neist Point Lighthouse, Isle of Skye
Neist Point Lighthouse, Isle of Skye
Neist Point Lighthouse, Isle of Skye
The path to the lighthouse needs it’s time, we had planned our time to walk it and it was worth it.
on the path
All along the route, the guardians mark their present…calmly.
the guardians
You can slow down or stop to get some rest and sit, chill out and enjoy the quiteness…
almost there
there
You can stroll around for more views, provided you mind your step.
Neist Point Lighthouse, Isle of Skye
the foghorn, Neist Point Lighthouse, Isle of Skye
The walk back needs more time… it’s uphill. A good excercise and upon completion, you find yourself once again in front of that view…
Neist Point Lighthouse, Isle of Skye
For our return towards Broadford we choose the A863 road which passes near Dunvegan and takes you until Sligachan, then merges with A87 for the rest of the way.
on Mill rd, near Dunvegan, just before A863, Isle of Skye
The A863 is one of the best routes we have driven in Scotland. The scenery is excellent. You have the open road, the land, the water and far away the splendor of Cuillin Ridge haunts your eye.
on A863, Isle of Skye
Reaching Broadford we made a turn and took the B8083 for a short time, as needed to reach the remainings of Cill Chriosd. A small church that it’s history began about 500 years ago. The weather had changed to gloomy clouds and light rain.
Cill Chriosd, near Broadford, Isle of Skye
Cill Chriosd, near Broadford, Isle of Skye
After that small worthy detour, we passed Broadford and soon the Isle of Skye was behind us, as we crossed Skye bridge. The sun chased out the clouds and we stopped for a snack and coffee to a room with a view.
Visitor Centre, Eilean Donan Castle, Dornie
Further down the road I made a quick stop to a boat I spotted on the way up the previous day.
An old boat. Invershiel, Loch Duich
The perfect ending to a day full of great views, excpected us upon re-checking in to our hotel in Inverness. A nice bottle of wine from our friends Gordon & Dorothy.
Slanthie!
Day 4
The Inverness classic vehicle show was under way next morning.
Austin seven, Inverness Classic Vehicle Show, May 2019
The fabulus Austin Seven nearly outside the hotel door was a great welcome to another sunny morning. The road took us to Keith were we met up with Bill and Susan and head for a castle on a rock by the sea on Aberdeenshire.
Dunnotar Castle, Stonehaven
Dunnotar Castle, Stonehaven
As Gordon have stated, pictures we see of this place and it’s surroundings, do not do it justice.
Dunnotar Castle, Stonehaven
After a nice meal in Stonehaven, we returned to Keith, a calm little town, where the oldest operational distillery in the Highlands crafts it’s Speyside. Strathisla.
Strathisla Distillery, Keith, Moray
Day 5
14°C and sunshine. Perfect opportunity for a boat ride. A boat ride into a famous loch.
on A82, overlooking Ness
Once again we enjoyed the drive from Inverness to Urquhart castle. We got a land view of it and drove back to the Loch Ness excibition centre to catch the boat ride.
Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, Iverness
Soon we were on a small boat cruising the Loch listening it’s history and myths.
believers… why not?
Nessie did not make an appearance -clever girl, why bother with all of us…- the loch was calm and we enjoyed water views of Urquhart Castle.
on Loch Ness
Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, Inverness
Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, Iverness
After the loch breeze refresh we went to the other side of Inverness, to Culloden battlefield. This time we spend time inside the visitor centre where the history of the uprising is presented. Later we once again walked through the battlefield.
Culloden Battelfield, Culloden
This time the iconic Leanach Cottage inside the battlefield, with it’s stone walls and the thatched roof was open to the public.
Leanach Cottage, Culloden Battlefield, Culloden
Once again we were moved by the location’s history and aura. Later in the evening we went strolling to Inverness.
Greig St Bridge, Inverness
on Ness Walk, Inverness
on Ness Bank rd, Inverness
Day 6
05:26 am
Airport day. Time to catch a flight back home.
That was our third time in Scotland. Need I say there will be more?
(All film images with a Hasselblad 500C and the Carl Zeiss Distagon 50/f4 lens, on Lomography Colour400, Ilford Hp5+ and Ilford Fp4 film. All digital images with a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4x mobile phone.)
Nasos Papathanasiou
pnasium 
Just read this today. Excellent!
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