One week road trip in UK - Scotland and Peak District (2)

(Part 1)

Day 6: Spend day at Crieff Highland games; Drive by some of the lakes in Loch Lomond and Trossachs Park

Our first day in Scotland turned out to be a sunny and warm day, perfect to be out in the open. So we drove South towards the town of Crieff to see its Highland Games. The Highland Games are traditional Scottish events which are held at every year across multiple locations all over Scotland. Initially, they provided a platform to identify and recruit strong talent for soldiering duties, but now they have become a national tradition. These events which have been going on for centuries have now become even bigger and international events.

Purple thistles

The drive there was grand and imposing. We drove through huge mountains and valleys, all of which were totally covered in purple thistle flowers. And once in Crieff, we followed the crowd to reach the games location. They were being held in a huge ground, and all around we could see high mountains looming above.

Crieff Highland Games

There must have been thousands of people there and it felt totally like a mela. In the middle, was a ground where the games were being held. Men in kilts throwing shot puts, races being held, tug-of war between teams and so on. And in between, typical Scottish pipe bands and children’s school bands would come into the field and walk around the field playing songs. There was just so much going on everywhere to entertain the crowds. While we were leaving, a Japanese band also came in - I am guessing that may have been the finale performance!

Spring dances at the Crieff games

All around the main field, the spectators all sat on the grounds, drinking, eating, talking and enjoying the spectacle. All around there were also many shops from across the world selling local food stuff, handicrafts, leather, warm clothes and anything else you can think of. There was live music playing at a couple of places, sponsored by the local Whiskey - Glenturret. And a Highland spring dance competition also going on. It was a full day affair and everyone there had come with their families and children to spend the whole day walking around and having fun.

The Highland Games are now huge affairs and also talked about in the local and regional news. Also, there is a tradition for each of the games to have its own Chieftains. And that year, it was Ewan McGregor’s father at the Crieff games.

Loch Tay on the way

We spent a couple of hours there, and then took a detour through Loch Lomond and Trossachs Park to drive back through some scenic routes. We drove next to Loch Earn where lots of people were enjoying water sports. Loch Tay was huge and breathtaking. We drove all along the mountain next to the lake for about 20 kms. We also stopped for a break at a boathouse on the lake which had mesmerizing views of the mountains around, dotted with typical Scottish summer homes. Its so common in Scotland, to just stop somewhere and find majestic views - you will never find their mention in any tourist books.

Scenes on the way

We also passed by Scottish castles at every turn of the road. As we did whiskey tours in just about every village. We also drove by some very pretty villages on the way, Killin was one of them with a very picturesque bridge overlooking the mountains. Most of the villages were quite grand, located next to a river or lake and were lined with bright flowers at that time of the year. And there were so many holiday homes everywhere on the road, this really seemed like the easier and richer part of Scotland. Unlike the northern part which was colder and more rugged than the South.


Day 7: Drive to Loch Ness through Scottish highlands; Return via stop at Inverness

Today, we spent all our day exploring the Scottish highlands and its lakes. We first drove towards Loch Ness and stopped at a few of the lochs on the way, taking our time to get there. It turns out there are very few roads in the region, given all the lakes and the high mountains. And most of the roads are quite small single lane roads. The mountains are huge and were covered with purple thistles (the national flower of Scotland) with a bit of yellow flowers sometimes.

Scenes on the way

We stopped at a few of the lakes (lochs) on the way, each of which was picturesque and unique in its own way. Loch Laggan had a dam on it. Loch Lochy had very pretty holiday homes next to it. Loch Oich was connected through the Caledonian canal to other lakes and had a historical Bridge of Oich on it. And passing through each of these, we reached Loch Ness. Honestly, you can spend more and more time at any of these places on the way if you want.

Loch Ness

Loch Ness is definitely one of the most popular lake in the highlands. It is 40 kms long and very narrow running all the way between two mountain ranges. It is located on a geological fault, and even though its not the deepest lake, it has the maximum water in the world. There is a lot of peat in the water which affects its colour and quality. And because of that, it has very limited fishes living in it.

All around the Loch Ness (and most of Scotland) was very bright green at that time of the year. As part of the tourism setup, there is an exhibition centre in Loch Ness village dedicated to Nessie, the monster. There is a huge hotel called the Clansman right in the middle along the lake from where you can take cruises to the lake and the castle. And there was also a nice souvenir shop their to buy Nessie, Loch Ness or Scottish souvenirs.

Castle Urquhart

We took a 1 hour cruise from Clansman along the lake, to Castle Urquhart and back. You can sit on top of the ferry and the views from there are majestic. It was a bit cold and windy though for us, so we sat in for a bit. Inside the ferry, they have a sonar radar which is always trying to locate Nessie the monster in the depths of the lake by sending and tracking signals. We however did not spot it in our trip 😊. The cruise also takes you very close to the Castle if you want a good view, or you can get off and explore it at leisure. Castle Urquhart has an interesting history. It was occupied by the Jacobites who has one of their most famous battles there which they lost. The Castle was destroyed and it has been in the same ruins state since then. The Castle seemed quite average but its location is definitely envyworthy.

Churches in Inverness

While driving back from Loch Ness, we drove via the town of Inverness and loved our short stop there. Its a nice little old town located right next to the river Ness and quite grand because of all the background hills. It had a lot of old buildings and the riverside was amazing to walk around. You can see the Inverness Castle and a few churches all along the river, providing it an air of a different era.

Inverness along the river

We walked all along the bridge up to the second bridge and back. It was all so green and empty everywhere, totally refreshing and relaxing. We also tried a bit of shopping for warm clothes. And I learnt that all the clans of Scotland have different kilt designs as well as coats of arms. After spending some time in town, we left for our drive back to Blair Atholl and surprisingly, the drive back felt a bit more plainer than the one we had taken up.

Inverness castle

During the day, I also learnt a lot more about Scottish history which I didn’t know before. And noticed many differences between Scotland and England. The houses in Scotland are different, most of them are painted white unlike the stone houses of England. I wonder if they were made of wood? There were loads of golf courses on the way. It was almost like every town and village had their own golf course! People were overall friendly and had a very sweet kind of English accent. And a lot of them did dress up in kilts. You could also see how proud they are all of their Scottish heritage.

Tourism was clearly huge everywhere. The place was full of hotels and airbnbs anywhere you look. And there was a lot of traffic at that time of the year. The weather when we were there was very cloudy and felt colder to me than the locals. They were all dressed in summer clothes while we were well covered with warm layers 😊.

Also the highland clearances are a big part of their history. When Scotland merged with England, a lot of the large land owners shifted from agriculture to animal husbandry and sheep farming which displaced all the poor farmers who used to farm on the landowners' lands. And as they become redundant, they were all cleared. That is why millions of Scots had to leave their homeland and that is why there are more Scottish people in Canada and US than in Scotland! Reading about it makes you very sad. Also England has also exploited Scots for years. For example, highlands kilts and tartans were banned for many years and no one could wear them. Its things like these which make the Scots so much more proud of their heritage now. And why they want to separate from England.


Day 8: Stay in our Otter Lodge; Shop at House of Bruar

After a week of exploring and driving around, we decided to take a day off when we would just relax at our riverside place and not do any touristy stuff. It was a good move as the day turned out to be rainy and we wouldn’t have got to see and do much anyways. Also, the next day was a long driving day, so the break helped.

So we spent time on the riverside, just eating our meals with the sound of the gurgling stream behind us. And in the evening, we went to the House of Bruar for a bit of shopping. It is a huge shopping centre located near Blair Atholl, also known as the Harrods of Scotland and I must say that the prices are definitely similar 😜. We ended up shopping a lot and spending the whole day there. I would definitely recommend shopping here as the warm clothes they have are quite unique and worth trying out.

Otter Lodge

After burning a hole in our wallets, we came back to our Otter Lodge and then went out for a walk around once the rain stopped. We again walked to the Blair Atholl castle, the caravan park within the castle and the nearby golf course. It was all very green and fresh because of the recent rains, and helped us freshen for the long drive the next day. The castle was also getting reading for the horse trials and the impending highland games, so there was a lot of activity around.

I would also here like to mention that our airbnb (the Otter Lodge) was a great place to stay. Very well decorated and right next to the river with beautiful views, especially of the sunset. I would definitely recommend it as a place to stay.

Map of Scotland and around



Day 9: Drive to Peak District at Hathersage; Stop at castle in Penrith

Today turned out to be mostly a driving day. The weather in Scotland was rainy and cloudy when we left. We also noticed a lot of boards about highland games on the way. As we got towards England, the weather got sunnier and temperatures got to 20 degrees. The drive back actually looked prettier than the way up, all because the sun came out.  We noticed a lot more windmills on the way back, ran into lots of delays and somehow a lot of bad driving by trucks too.

Penrith castle

On the way we stopped in the town of Penrith to have lunch and it turned out there was a castle in that town too. So we sat in the castle ruins in the open to have our lunch. What a setting it was 😇. It looked like a nice little town - you keep discovering small gems all across UK all the time! We reached our village of Hathersage in Peak District quite late in the night and checked in to our nice little airbnb in the village. It had been a long day of driving, so we called it a night very soon after a short walk outside. And, although it was August, it was not warm at all which felt a bit quite unlike summer (unlike summer 2018 I must say!).


Day 10: Trail up to John Stone Cavern near Castleton; Stop at the Ladybower reservoir; Explore Hathersage

View from Blue John cavern

We spent the day in and around our village of Hathersage in a very leisurely manner. It was all very green and rural everywhere, every stop was worthy of a picnic. Our first stop was the village of Castleton. There were loads of trails around, so we went up the Speedwell cavern all the way up the hill to the Blue John cavern which is famous for its unique Blue John stone. We then walked around it and through Mam Tor, came down the pass to where our car was parked. It was a relaxed walk up around the mountain through green stretches on a sunny day, with panoramic views of Hope valley below and a good way to spend the first half of the day.

Ladybower reservoir

Our next stop was a nearby Ladybower dam and reservoir where we stopped for some time to have lunch. We walked through the woods down to the lakeside and had a leisurely lunch there in the open. It was nice to just sit there and enjoy a nice meal. You can also boat in the lake though we didn’t do that.

Ladybower reservoir

And after the stop, we came back to our village. All the drives in the area were very picturesque and a treat to the eyes, through typical beautiful English villages with green hills in the background. Most of the villages were quite small. Also, most of Peak district seemed to have limited agriculture going on. Even in terms of animals, there were only a few sheep here and there. Wonder how they sustain themselves, especially as tourism doesn’t seem to be huge here.

Hathersage

We came back to our Hathersage village before dark and spent the rest of the evening walking around and exploring it. It was a huge village by local standards and had huge big houses everywhere. We walked up one of the hills and got to see quite a few panoramic views of the villages and the bright green grass beyond. Life in the villages is so calm and peaceful.

We noticed there were loads of doctors in the town, more than usual. Wonder why. We also ran into an Indian restaurant with an auto parked outside but as we had already eaten at home by then, we gave it a pass. But it was quite a welcome surprise. The day passed by so soon, we didn’t even realise. It was so sunny that day, the day felt totally amazing and the village a place worth having a holiday home at 😃.


Day 11: Stop at Bakewell and Stepping Stones; Drive back to London through Birmingham

On way to Stepping Stones

Today was our last day of our UK road trip and we did a few things in the morning, before heading back to London. We first stopped in the town of Bakewell which was a typical small town. We walked around a bit, visited a couple of small shops, some parks and generally explored around. UK is so much better when the sun is out? As it was that day.

Stepping Stones

Our next stop was the Stepping Stones of Dovedale. The village was quite remote and tough to find. You have to keep on going much farther than what the GPS suggests. And then we had to trek through some meadows to reach the Stones. To be honest, they were actually nothing great. But still it was full of tourists! Wonder why. We made a quick stop there but left soon enough. And then were on our way to Birmingham and then back to London.

The 10 days passed so quickly, we didn't even realise it. Exploring the countryside of UK is fun and interesting as always. And something we don't do often, but I am glad I took out the time to do that. Its good to see the other side of the country you call home 😊.


Map of Peak district and around

Green green everywhere - Isle of Skye and Scottish highlands

Scotland is one of those places which are so unbelievably magnificient that you can keep going there again and again and find something new to appreciate every time. I have fallen in love with the place every time I have been there (and been there 4 times already!).

Views in the Highlands

This time, we spent a long weekend travelling around in the Highlands for 3 days. We took a flight to Glasgow and then drove all the way to Isle of Skye, spent a day there and then back to Glasgow to fly back to London. The three days we mostly drove around the Highlands, and were greeted with a breathtaking view at each and every bend in the road. Each view was as if it was straight out of a painting! Being summer and sunny helped, but the whole experience was memorable for us.

We crossed bright green mountains (called glens) and peaks, lakes (called lochs) every kilometers, drove through expansive valleys with some forests and some fascinating little towns and villages, streams, waterfalls springing out after the rain and so on. The hills were mostly not covered with trees, but grassy vegetation of a very bright green colour. There were wild flowers spattered across those hills, providing a different tinge to the consistent green. In short, we experienced all that nature offers in the mountainous regions and then more.

Green glens

The mountains were sometime high, sometimes soft, interspersed with streams here and there. Sometimes there were some cows and sheep on those mountains. Honestly, there it not much I can write about what I saw saw and experienced during those 3 days - it was all about what I felt the whole time I was there. So fresh and alive, it was all so mystical everywhere!

Glasgow to Isle of Skye - Loch Lomond 

The drive from Glasgow till Isle of Skye is about 5 hours, driving across the Scottish Highlands. We took a lot longer though, stopping all the way. The drive is just as the whole of Scotland is, mesmerising. Our first stop was the Loch Lomond (a long lake stretching for 39 kms) at a village called Luss just next to the lake. Its a very bewitching village, with small lanes decorated with flowers all along. There are a couple of walks and trails around here, plus some water activities. We just spent some time relaxing next to the lake.

Loch Lomond

Church on a loch

The drive ahead followed the lake for sometime and then we were in the Scottish Highlands. We kept stopping all the way, as every bend in the road was so tempting and inviting. On the way, we did some small treks to the lakes on the way, up some glens and so on. It was just so difficult to not stop everywhere. We had lunch at a hotel overlooking the lake, stopped at a church next to the lake but overall just explored whatever we could while driving.

A loch

To the point that we got late! We were planning to take a ferry to the Isle, but since we did not check the time, we ended up having to drive couple of hours extra as the last ferry had already left from Mallaig by the time we reached there! Wasn’t as bad though as we explored a lot of the area - small picturesque villages located at fantastic locations, lakes, waterfalls and streams dotting the landscape.

We even saw an interesting sight - while driving next to a small lake, we saw a helicopter parked next to the water, then suddenly take off to the house about 500 mtrs away. Am guessing a lot of rich people would be buying houses up in the wilderness in Scotland but using a helicopter to fly 500 mtrs doesn’t really seem sensible!

Due to all our stops, we reached the Isle of Skye very late in the night, driving over the bridge from Lochalsh to the Isle. But we were left fascinated by the first views of the Isle. Even at 12 at night, the sky was lighted, with the clouds playing games and painting the sky in different shades of yellow and orange.

Isle of Skye 

Somewhere in Skye

The Isle of Skye is a biggish island off the North West Scottish Highlands. It has a very rugged landscape, and offers views of the Hebrides islands all around. We stayed in the village of Broadford for a day and explored a couple of places around. The weather wasn’t helpful at all. It was cloudy and rainy all day, so our experience was a bit dampened.

Scottish Highlands are famous for their whisky distilleries. Each of the Scotch whiskies are produced in a different location, have a unique production method and therefore each has a very different taste (or so they claim!). Its worth visiting a distillery once, to understand what the Scots are so proud of! Its advisable though to always book in advance as the tours are very popular during peak seasons. We visited the Talisker distillery at the Isle but were unable to get in for the tour as it was fully booked. The location of the distillery was fascinating though - just next to the sea.

Coree lagan trail

There are hundreds of trails to explore on the island - depending on how adventurous you feel. We did the Glen Brittle (or was it Coree Lagan?) trail, which was about a 4-5 hour walk next to cliffs near the sea ending at a small loch at the end of the trail. It was an interesting trail except since it was cold and rainy - we did not get all the views the trail promised. Plus we were wet to the core which dampened our spirits too.

Loch on a cliff

The trail was very boggy in parts especially when we went off the marked routes, so we had quite an adventurous experience there. We also met a lot of people on the trail, all of whom were lost while trying to find the loch:). But definitely a nice trail to do in good weather. At the beginning of the trail, there was a campsite too where lot of people were camping. It was such a perfect spot, surrounded by mountains on two sides and the sea on the third - its motivated me to go camping in the future for sure. Lets see when it happens!

Portree

After the trail, we drove to Portree, which is the main (but very small) city on the Isle. It was a stunning location. Period. The bay at Portree looked amazing with the sunlight trying to come out and with all the boats anchored all around. Was just so amazed by all the magnificient views out there, can’t really describe them well enough to do them justice. The green all around just made me feel so fresh, so relaxed, so much closer to nature. I think that’s what Scotland is all about, making you feel the beauty of nature up close and personal!

I did feel one thing though, the whole of the Highlands are so stunning, we did not really need to drive all the way to Skye to experience it. We can just have stayed anywhere within 1-2 hours out of Glasgow and had the same experience!

Isle of Skye to Glasgow - Cairngorms mountains 

The last day, we drove towards Glasgow over a different route - through the Cairngorms National Park. The weather again turned sunny, which just elevated the whole experience for us. Our first stop was the Dalwhinnie distillery, which we finally managed to get a tour at.

The distillery is located at a height of about 1000 feet and is at one of the coldest places in Scotland. The tour in the distillery was short though, and not being a whisky connoisseur, I couldn’t really get most of what they were saying. But it was still interesting to learn about the history of the place. Apparently, there has always been a tax official associated with each of the distilleries whose sole job is to make sure there is no alcohol theft! I found that pretty amusing...

Also, apparently you drink Dalwhinnie whisky with chocolate and I definitely enjoyed the chocolate! (By the way, are the whisky makers trying to copy wine by pairing whiskies with food?). I also came to know that Diageo owns about 28 of the distilleries in the region - are the Scotches also going the branded way?

Anyways, after the distillery, we did the Blackwood trek for about 5-6 hours. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes scenic walks. It was an amazing trail - taking you through shrubby areas and dark woods and down narrow trails and up walking paths. There were bluebells all along the trail, giving a purple tinge to the mountain slopes. The variety of views and types of trail was great - kept us from getting bored on the trail.

View from Blackwood trail

Also, at the top, we got 360 degrees views of valleys all around, each different from the other. Its a view I would remember for long. On the top, there were also the remains of a fort whose history is unknown. At that point we also lost the trail, but somehow managed to make our way down in time. But as I said, this trail is a definite must-do if you are a keen trekker.

We saw a lot of deforestation along the way which was depressing. Also, we again got lost on the trail and the phone signals were not working while we were on top. I have now learnt that at places like this, its better to carry physical maps than depend completely on technology!

World Cup Final in Pitlochry

While driving back to Glasgow we stopped in the town of Pitlochry to see the World Cup final. We found an Old Mill Inn which was showing the match. It was a picturesque location to watch the final, and full of people to provide all the cheering needed. Again, I was impressed by the village - so quaint and pretty, you feel you could have stayed there itself. Anyways we drove back to Glasgow after the match and then were back to the fast paced life of London the next day, leaving behind all the serenity of the Highlands.

Just as a tip, I think it makes sense to not drive too much but just stay at one place in the Highlands. Somewhere close to the airports would be perfect. One of the places we drove through was Glengarry which looked like a perfect place to say - a picturesque valley next to a huge lake. Maybe for next time. As of now, just the memories of the green mountains are enough:)

About the people 

The Scots speak English so differently, its sweet but sometimes tough to understand what they were saying. Sometimes I wondered if it was the same language that I knew or something else. At times it was something else, Gaelic but mostly turned out they were speaking English only!

Accomodation

We stayed at the Dunollie hotel in Broadford as it was the only one available. It was cheap and functional but I wouldn’t really recommend it as the best place to stay. I would think the B&Bs on the island would be much better and unique but that just means booking in advance. We did have live Scottish music on one of the evenings which was fun. At Glasgow we stayed at the Pond hotel near the airport which is good value for money but again purely functional.

Food

View from Hotel Talbet

Most of the meals we had during this time were on the go, but would like to mention a couple. We had lunch at hotel Talbet near Loch Lomond which was a beautiful location with a view of the lake. The food was ok, but I would definitely recommend the hotel as a place to stay. In the Isle, most of our food was at the local street food stall near our hotel in Broadford - tasty and good to go. We ate at Prince of India in Portree one day though but would definitely not recommend it since its not authentic Indian food:(. 


Map

Scotland the Brave

Beauty at its best, something out of this world about this place, where there is beauty in every turn of the road, in the colours, in the lakes, in the castles, in the distilleries, in the hills, in the islands. A place I may never get bored of...(Yes yes, as per feedback I have got about my blog, I end up liking all places, but I still do:) )

Scotland is actually a separate country, which many of us never realize. They consider themselves different from the English, have a different history and culture, and have been fighting for independence for quite sometime. They have fought the English for years, though now their demand for separation seems to have lost steam. In fact, another fact which many of us dont know is that the current royal family is actually Scottish ( Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth etc).

The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, located next to the sea. Its a stunning city in brown. The striking structure of the city is the Edinburgh Castle, perched on an extinct volcano. The Royal Mile which extends from the castle, for a mile, is a nice walk and interesting shopping too. There are a couple of museums in the city which hold some interesting pieces of art. What I love about the city though is (yet again) walking around! There is a lot history in this place, the numerous wars that the Scots have had with the English, their great kings, art...is interesting to explore. There are a couple of places in Edinburg itself to spend time, explore its history etc. Here are some photos of the Scottish Museums, and the Scottish Monument (they are all located near the centre of the city). Then there is the Britannia, the ship which was the royal mode of travel for years. Its has been kept as a museum in the city. The Arthur hill, which gives a good view of the city, and a good climb. There is a festival which happens annually in December in the city, worthwhile going to. Apparently, lot of Scot music and dance, and whisky and snow!

The highlands are surely the high point of this 'country'. You can drive through the Scottish highlands, its the best way to explore this appealing land. There are hills interspersed with lakes. Loch Ness is one of the largest lakes here, you can try to spot the Nessie monster if you are lucky! Distilleries to visit, and see the pride the Scots have in their 'whisky'. Here is one we visited, the proud owners of the smallest distillery in Scotland. There are hajaar lakes, and castles you may encounter on the way, the sky changes from overcast to crystal blue.. I dont really have words to capture the beauty of the places, yet again the pictures speak louder. The islands in the north are supposed to be nice too, not been there, but someday:).

Stay at a bed and breakfast while in Scotland. If there for a longer vacation, you can rent one of the big old houses in a remote part of the country, am sure they would be fun! This is where we stayed in! A mile inside the woods, looked after by an old lady!! Perfect setting for a horror movie (My mom actually refused to stay at this isolated place). Experiences like these would abound in this place, is surely a place where you want to stay for a week at least.

The Scots are nice friendly people, very different from the English. You need to meet them, to realise this. In fact, even their English is different in its accent, much easier to understand for us too.And the kilts and the bagpipes are their standout features. They look quite cute actually, though increasingly you will see very few people wearing the traditional Scot dress except on formal occasions.