A love that lasts a lifetime

A wee visit to our beloved Scotland

Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, the hills of the Highlands for ever I love
Robbie Burns

Hello friend

My love affair with Scotland began many years ago.  I fondly remember wonderful holidays there as a child with my parents.  Visits to Loch Lomond, Aviemore and the Isle of Skye among the most memorable.  There have been many more holidays since then with my husband Anthony.  Our love of Scotland has grown with each visit. 

It’s been a while since our last visit to the highlands of Scotland, five years ago in fact, a fabulous week in Killen.

We finally managed to head back north of the border again for a week at the end of March.  Our destination Portsonachan, a tiny village on the east side of Loch Awe.   

Our journey began early Saturday morning, with a five hour motorway drive along the M6 and M74 towards Glasgow.  When you get north of Lancashire the drive between the Lakes and Yorkshire is quite simply breath taking, and one gets a real sense of the north beckoning you onwards.  The rolling hills of Cumbria on your left and The Pennines on the right.  It’s a spectacular sight.

Navigating our way through Glasgow’s motorway network we headed over the Erskine Bridge and on towards Loch Lomond.  A scenic drive along the loch before turning off at Tarbet to head west to Arrochar, climbing the stunning Rest and Be Thankful pass and on to Inverary.  From Inverary we headed further west for a few miles through a lovely woodland landscape before turning off down a single track road for four and a half miles to Portsonachan.

That road was a challenge at times, none more so than the day we headed out for our trip to Oban.  We turned a bend and coming towards us a 20 tonne lorry making a delivery further down the loch.  Its width dominated the entire road.  After several minutes of negotiation we squeezed our car into a passing place, narrowly avoiding a dip and the lorry passed us with about four inches to spare.  That was fun! 

Our accommodation for the duration of our stay was a charming top floor apartment in an old Victorian mansion, with striking views over the loch from the roof top terrace.  Ben Cruachan in the distance, with snow dusting the mountain tops.  The house, set in beautiful grounds and surrounded by trees, was just a stone’s throw from the shore of Loch Awe.  A wee burn was running through the middle of the gardens at the back of the house towards the loch.

Of course when in such a beautiful place exploration and adventure are the perfect way to spend the time.

Kilchurn Castle

A perfect place to explore on our first full day there, as it’s only a short distance from base.  The castle is situated on a peninsula at the northern end of the Loch.  First built in the 15^th century by the Campbells of Glenorchy, but fell into ruins in the 1700’s.  The ruins are easily accessible on foot from the car park with a short walk along a gravel path that takes you under the railway track.  With highland cows for company this was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.  There is access all around the edge of the ruins and affords some great photo opportunities.

Inverary

A beautiful little town nestled along the edge of Loch Fyne.  The buildings painted white, a stark contrast to the beautiful hue of greens and blues of the surrounding landscape.  A lazy walk along the shore rewards you with views across the loch towards the mountains. Inverary has one main street with its unique brand of shops which we absolutely loved.  But first a stop at what became our favourite café, Brambles.  Their cappuccino and millionaires shortbread is to die for.   The character of the café was lovely, the staff friendly and they allowed dogs in which I loved.  The family at the table next to us had a gorgeous Labrador.  His begging skills were top notch as he was very well catered for. 

If whisky is your thing then Inverary is the place to go with its two whisky shops.  Anthony was in heaven!  We found a host of wonderful little shops along the main street.  My favourite was Purdies who sells organic cosmetics.  I found a lovely hand cream with a scent so delicious and creamy.  Lady of the Loch it was called.  We must remember that shop for our next visit.

Oban

Oban is known as Scotland’s gateway to the Islands.  We were blessed to visit Oban on a day when the sun was out, and the skies a glorious blue.  The views across the bay to the Islands were spectacular.  Kerrera and Mull were so clear.   I highly recommend climbing up to McCaig's tower.  You can drive up but the streets are a bit narrow.  There is a little car park just outside the entrance to the tower.  The tower affords the most incredible panoramic views over the bay and over towards Mull.  It’s simply breath taking.

Oban being a small town is easy to navigate, with a nice selection of shops and café’s to boost.  We discovered a fabulous shop called Highland Experience.  It’s pretty much geared up for the tourist but if your intention is to get yourself a bit of Harris Tweed or alike then this is a great place.  I did treat myself to a gorgeous little Harris Tweed bag which I’m so happy about. 

Rannoch Moor and Glencoe

No visit to the west of Scotland is complete unless you have taken the most epic journey across the empty, wild and barren landscape of Rannoch Moor.  Fifty square miles of boggy moorland, situated to the south of Glencoe.  One incredibly straight stretch of road really does accentuate the wildness of the moor, and if you happen to be the only car driving along you can get a feeling of complete isolation there.

Glencoe, said to be Scotland’s most famous Glen.  Arguably the most scenic of them all and with its horrific history and wilderness it draws a lot of visitors.  The drive down towards Glencoe village is spectacular.  There are a couple of parking spots along the route so it’s a perfect opportunity to get out and take a walk along the footpath at the foot of the mountains.  A feeling of awe as you stretch up to see the peaks of the Three Sisters as they tower menacingly above you.  Quite the experience. 

Slow times by the Loch

One of our hopes for our holiday was to take some time out to relax and unwind. We found the perfect location in the quiet grounds around our accommodation.

In front of the house looking towards the loch we spotted a little stone beach, and I mean little.  It was just enough room for two camping chairs and maybe a picnic table.  On a warm day one could imagine sitting there with feet in the water.  Just a few meters from the water’s edge, a gazebo, perfectly placed for watching the sun set.  A couple of afternoons saw us dreaming away the time staring out to the loch and listening to the waves crashing against the shoreline.  A cup of tea and a book for company.  Bliss.

The roof top terrace, accessed via the wrought iron spiral staircase in the tower room of our apartment was a regular spot for us too.  We were lucky enough to have one day of complete calm so the water of the loch was like glass and the mountains reflections so sharp.  Ben Cruachan and surrounding mountains proudly showing off their true magnificence.

For the aircraft enthusiast, a couple of low level flypasts graced the skies.  Firstly a Typhoon, and on the second an F35. 

Wildlife

The wildlife around our accommodation was in abundance. Imagine the scene, taking a warm bath one morning, and outside in the garden four deer happily chomping away on the grass below.  Not a sight one sees every day unless you are lucky enough to live somewhere like this.  Quite incredible to witness.  Sheep were frequent visitors too.

In the evenings we tucked ourselves away in the tower room, with the log fire roaring and a wee dram of whisky in hand.  With the windows opened slightly for ventilation, every so often we could hear the hoot of an owl in the trees close by.  It was the highlight of those cosy evenings in front of the fire. 

Sadly our departure day came all too quickly and our journey home began.

Instead of heading straight back down towards Glasgow, we detoured eastwards towards Killen, along Loch Tay and Aberfeldy.  Our favourite bookshop is in Aberfeldy, The Watermill, so it was a necessary stop off point.  I bought a couple of books, the highly recommended The Salt Path by Raynor Winn, and an appropriately named book of Scottish poems, My Heart’s in the Highlands.  A brief visit to the houseware shop next door, Homer, and then we began our journey home.

A quick stop at Cairn Lodge services to stock up on some of Scotland’s finest to take home, and all too soon we passed the St Georges cross flag indicating our return to England. 

Thank you Scotland, you have been a joy. 

We can’t wait to see you again soon.

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Much love

Debbie xx