UK Road Trip Week 5 - The Wild West Caledonian Coast
- Ash Collins
- Oct 17, 2022
- 9 min read
Updated: Nov 1, 2022
The natural splendour of Scotland's West Coast is a sight to behold. From its dramatic, ragged and rugged coastline, stunning landscapes, deep sea Lochs and craggy mountains, you are presented with some of the most stunning landscapes in Europe. Today however would signal our first adventure from the mainland across the Hebridean waters to the Islands of Harris & Lewis.
With a sailing time of 2.5 hours, it was a great relief to Nav and I to hear the skipper announce that the crossing would be smooth as our Caledonian MacBrayne ferry negotiated the mill pond calm waters from Ullapool to Stornaway. Peering out of the salt encrusted windows, we were able to view the ruggedly handsome coastlines of the mainland and other islands within the Hebridean archipelago. Having arrived too late in the season to see the beautiful Atlantic Puffins, our eyes were tuned to the deep blue waterline in the faint hope of glimpsing a pod of dolphins or migrating whales. As fortune would have it, we saw both frolicking in and around the wake of our ferry. Before we knew it, the Captain was announcing our imminent arrival into Stornaway signalling the time to get back downstairs to the car deck and fire up the 3 for the short drive to our B&B.
Sunday's on Lewis & Harris are still considered a day of rest in this most religious of Scottish island locations in the Outer Hebrides. Residents were few and far between giving the impression that we had cruised into a ghost town. Not so long ago in the Island's past, it was frowned upon for residents to hang out their washing on a Sunday so it was no surprise the streets weren't lined with welcoming locals. Docked at 2pm we disembarked the Loch Seaforth, arriving promptly at our B&B by 2.15pm.
With Monday being a Bank Holiday in the UK, we took the opportunity to stay local and make use of the washing machine, clean the 3 and have my ears lowered at the local barber. With our chores complete we ventured out to explore the surrounding downtown area which included the spectacular Lews Castle perched on the hill overlooking Stornaway Harbour. The impressive Castle was built in the mid 1800's by a rich merchant (Sir James Matheson) who purchased the Island of Lewis a decade or so beforehand.
The following day would be a long but very satisfying one for all members of our touring party. The designated driver, Nav and The 3 had a day off as our trusty docent, Annie from Love Hebrides Tours, assumed responsiblity for transporting us around Lewis and Harris. For the next 7 or so hours Annie guided us around the must see locations on Scotland's largest island. On this combined Tour of Harris & Lewis we visited the Arnol Blackhouse, Callanish Standing Stones, Carloway Broch, Dalbeg Beach, Tarbert, Luskentyre Beach, Rodel Church, Leverburgh and the Golden Road. As there were only 3 peeps on our tour, Annie generously drove is to some of her favourite locations in the island she was born and bred.
Having spent 3 nights on Lewis & Harris, it was time to move on to an inner Hebrides destination, the Isle of Skye . It literally was a rude awakening as the alarm sounded sharply at 5.30am to embark up our 1 hour drive to the Tarbert ferry terminal for our 7.20am departure to Uig located on the northern coast on the Isle of Skye.
With 99% of the disembarking vehicles turning right towards Skye's main town Portree, we took a sharp left onto the A87 / A855 to head to the far North of the isle to the Trotternish region. Nav and I were treated to the eye catching Cuillin Range and Trotternish Ridge that offer challenging climbs and walking trails for those who have the energy for that sort of thing. A little history folks...the fierce, craggy Cuillin's mountain range became the needle in a haystack hiding place of Bonnie Prince Charlie after his army's defeat at Culloden.
Our first stop along the way was the dilapidated Duntulm Castle built in the 14th century. Not a great deal remains of the structure however it does offer spectacular views across the peninsula.
Having come up and over the top of Skye, we decided to backtrack along the A87 towards our overnight location, Portree. On the way back down we detoured west towards Dunvegan Castle. Dunvegan Castle is one the greatest Hebridean castles and the only Highland fortress to have been continuously occupied by the same family (MacCleod Clan) for over 800 years. Both Castle & Gardens sit at the heart of the 41,000 acre estate with 96% of the land subject to crofting and farm tenure.
From the castle we headed South along the Skye east coast A863 towards the Sligachan Bridge(s). The Old Sligachan Bridge was built in the early 19th century and is only used for pedestrian foot traffic today. Its newer and more robust neighbour was constructed for vehicles and forms part of the main road connecting Broadford to Portree. Coincidentally, directly opposite the bridges lies the Sligochan Hotel hosting both the Cuillin Brewery and the renowned Seumas Bar known for it's impressive collection of over 400 malts from every pocket of Scotland. Not unlike The 3, Nav and I also require re-fuelling so it would have been very rude and neglectful of us both if we did not pop into Seumas for a sarny and beverage.
With a mere 9 miles of driving remaining, Nav fired up Google Maps as I cranked up the 3 as we headed for our two night accommodation, the Pink House in Portree.
With our seafarers legs tucked into our trusty vehicle, it was time to farewell the Isle of Skye. Making our way across The Skye Bridge along the A87 via the village of Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland, we headed towards arguably Scotland's most picturesque castle, Eilean Donan. This gloriously romantic castle perched on top of a rocky island is reached by an arched stone bridge. Many would instantly recognise the castle having featured in many films including the 007 feature The World Is Not Enough. And for those looking for the ultimate wedding experience, a 2 hour time slot in the Grand Dining Room will only set you back 1,200 quid.
Continuing along the A87, our next stop would be the little village of Plockton. The warm winds of the gulf stream give this little village a surprisingly lush appearance with its palm trees, colourful flower boxes and exotic plants lining the harbour waterfront. This exquisite little (once) fishing village is a tourist honeypot and safe haven for yachties who berth there craft in the picture postcard harbour. A bit of trivia for the Aussies, Plockton was the location for the filming of Hamish McBeth, the tv series from the mid 90's.
After a very pleasant break in Plockton, we resumed our journey along the A835 towards our final destination, Inverness. On our approach to the Kessock Bridge, the road was blocked by the old bill due to an earlier incident...as good as Google Maps is, it offered no alternative route that didn't take us back by 40 miles. Fortunately I met a very helpful bloke in a local milk bar who offered to show us the back way around; well it was just us and 1,000 other drivers with the same local knowledge. Thirty minutes later, stuck in a queue of traffic miles long, the news came through that the bridge was re-opened. Complete with gasper in mouth, our milk bar mate approached The 3 with directions to a narrow farm road that would lead us back onto the A9 and into Inverness where the Best Western Palace Hotel lay in wait.The drinks as opposed to the Milky Bars were on me!
Well rested, we strolled into downtown Inverness in search of two things before we got back on the road again:
A coffee worthy with of this Melburnian coffee snob; and
A Twatt t-shirt.
One outta two aint bad but watch this space for the summer fashion reveal. Minus the highly sort after garment, we headed south along the A82 running parallel to the mighty Loch Ness towards Fort Augustus. Approximately half down we had a must see stop at the the Urquhart Castle.
Once one of Scotland’s largest castles, Urquhart saw great conflict during its 500 years as a medieval fortress. Control of the castle passed back and forth between the Scots and English during the Wars of Independence. The power struggles continued, as the Lords of the Isles regularly raided both castle and glen up until the 1500s. The last of the government troops garrisoned here during the Jacobite Risings blew up the castle when they left. Urquhart’s iconic ruins remain, offering glimpses into medieval times and the lives of its noble residents.
Leaving the bombed out remains of the castle in the rear vision mirror, we continued south along Loch Ness and the Great Glen Way in the direction of Fort Augustus at the south-west end of Loch Ness, in the Scottish Highlands. This hamlet is a haven for tourists for castle-hopping tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of Nessie swanning around in her large Loch. One of the main attractions is the gateway to the Caledonian Canal via the longest staircase lock flight in Scotland, known as Neptune’s Staircase. Nessie has been know to queue alongside the canal boats patiently waiting her turn as she migrates for the Summer holidays.
With a dodgy Chinese bubbling in the belly, it was with post haste that we drove to our final destination Fort William...well via the 'Garry Glitter'. However in keeping with the entire trip thus far, there is always a necessary diversion. On this occasion our attentions were drawn to the Glenfinnan Viaduct. With its span of 380m and 21 arches of architectural brilliance, the Glenfinnan (Railway) Viaduct was constructed between 1897 to 1901 and stands over 30m high overlooking the Glenfinnan Monument and the waters of Loch Shiel. The viaduct is most famous for carrying the the Jacobite steam train to Fort William and Mallaig in the summer months. However you wizard fans out there might recognise the bridge from the Harry Potter franchise The Chambers of Secrets & The Prisoner of Azkaban with the Hogwarts Express calling at Glenfinnan!
With a wave of Nav's magic wand, we exited the cramped car park with relative ease to continue the final leg of our journey into Fort William. Often described as the outdoor capital of the UK, FW is a popular base for weekend breaks and holidays in the Highlands. As the gateway to Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak, the western most town in the Highlands is a sea of hikers, bikers, climbers and every outdoors clothing brand on the face of the earth.
Refreshed from a solid nights sleep, we fired up the 3 in preparation for our drive across to the home of the Clyde, ship building and the Big Yin, Glasgow. Before we reached the 1990 European City of Culture, we had stops in Glencoe, Oban and a very wet and windy experience through Loch Lomond.
The village of Glencoe is located within the awe-inspiring Lochaber Geopark in the Highlands, sitting within a deep valley and towering mountains that were carved out centuries ago by icy glaciers and volcanic explosions. Picturesquely situated between the banks of Loch Leven and the mouth of the famous glen, Glencoe is unfortunately remembered for the brutal massacre of 38 members from the Macdonald clan in 1692.
With our quick visit to Glencoe complete, we steered towards the A828 for the drive South to Oban. Once again a picture postcard landscape provided ample neck snapping opportunities as we encountered its fantastic scenery along the 31 mile stretch. If only there were pull in locations along this route...anyhoo on to Oban we went.
Attractive Oban is a bustling working port, with fishing boats and passenger ferries jockeying for position in the harbour. Overlooking the town is McCaig's Tower, a monument resembling the Colosseum of Rome. It was intended as a family memorial when building commenced in 1897 and today it provides the greatest workout your thighs & calves will ever have if you decide to walk up the steps and steep roads to its entry.
With the Scottish weather looking ominous, we decided to make haste and begin the final leg of the journey towards Glasgow. Beginning on the A85 and later joining the A82, our treacherous journey would be made in appalling conditions. The heavens opened with all their fury for the entire trip down to The Dear Green Place. With a little under 100 miles to travel, our 2 hour drive through the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park was more like 3 hours of white knuckle negotiation around the twisting hair pin turns of the saturated A82. Only luck and 3-5 seconds spared us from a head on collision with a Range Rover whose imbecilic driver thought it ok to cross the double whites to overtake a cyclist 😯 🤬. Fortunately Nav, The 3 and I survived to tell the tale and complete our journey into Glasgow. Fortunately there are just the odd one of two boozers in town where we could imbibe with a nerve settler or three.
Well that concludes Week 5 ladies & gents...we hope you enjoyed the read and corresponding images of yet another fascinating week. Stay tuned for Week 6 as we continue our UK expedition South back into England before we cross the Irish Sea to The Emerald Isle with its rolling hills and valleys of green.
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