Highlands and Islands In a Week part 1
@ and I set out from Edinburgh early last Saturday to catch the train to Fort William. Neither of us had done this trip by train and having now experienced it we agree with all recommendations that it should be on the list of things to do before you die.
If you catch the very early train from Edinburgh, which I think might be the tail end of the Caledonian Sleeper Northbound, you can travel without changes. We decided on the slightly more reasonable 7:15am departure which involves a train to Glasgow and catching the Fort William train at Queen Street.
Once on board the train we made sure three times *grin* that we were in the rear carriages as the train splits at Crianlarich with one portion going on to Fort William and the other heading over to Oban. Oban is Dad's least favourite place in Scotland so we really didn't want to accidentally end up there.
Once you get out of the built up areas of Greater Glasgow, wild scenery just rolls out all around you. I love the road up to Fort William but the train takes a different path from the road and a much wilder path at that. By the time we arrived our breath had been taken away more than once. The train, by the by, continues to Mallaig and Harry Potter fans might recognise the journey 
We were met by parental units and the GemmaDog and soon managed to organise four people's luggage in the boot and relocate Gemma onto the back seat between @ and I. It was hard work for her ensuring she got the maximum number of pats from both of us.
Our lodge wasn't available until 4pm but Dad didn't waste any time in immersing us in Things To Do and our first stop was just outside Fort William for a trip up the Aonach Mor cable car.
The cable car takes you up to 2150ft above sea level and the views are spectacular. From the cable car we saw deer and hare tracks in the snow below us and when we got to the top station we saw hundreds of examples of another form of wildlife - skiers. We had thought about taking a walk but we decided to leave the area to the skiers and find somewhere less populated. We paused for a stop at the Commando Memorial near Spean Bridge to attempt to capture the Nevis Range, of which Aonach Mor is a part, on camera.
We then took the familiar route towards Loch Ness ooohing and aaahing at the bonnie hills capped with snow and sighing at the way the light played on the waters of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and finally the great Loch Ness - I never tire of rounding the road and getting the first view of this amazing puddle 
We stopped in Fort Augustus to gather some supplies, including a bottle of the very delicious Ginger Tam's Liqueur - "Old Style Ginger Tincture" which suggests it is a healthy tipple... *grin*
We had some time to kill and were lured by some posters to enter the rare breeds farm located right next to where we had parked the Roomster. I was going to leave this out because I prefer not to publicise establishments that dismally fail to subscribe to the idea of Highland Hospitality, however I consider it a public service to warn fellow travellers that there are better places to spend your time/money.
The gate was filled with signs of welcome, even a sign welcoming dogs on a lead and the gate was open enough to suggest business as usual. For around ten minutes we enjoyed a walk along a river and into a croft style setting. Instructions at the gate house told us to continue on and find the owner amongst the animals where we could pay our entry fee. We saw some goats and some geese and then we saw a car approach and, assuming it was the owner, we smiled our hellos. She did not respond in kind an instead rolled down her window and started giving us the third degree about why we were there. I think she only called us stupid five times. It seems that she considers a half closed gate adequate signage to indicate the farm is closed and that she might have a bull loose! We left sharpish making rare breed jokes. The encounter served as the lowest benchmark of our trip and nice to get it out of the way on the first day
We carried on along Loch Ness to Drumnadrochit in search of our accommodation and were soon winding our way up the steep hill to Ancarraig Lodges settled in a glen above the Loch. The lodges are compact and comfortable and although I think they could benefit from a bit of greening (some insulation would reduce the carbon footprint of heating them!), I recommend them as a base for exploring the area.
We unpacked and then decided to go back down the hill to find a meal in Drumnadrochit as well as stock up on loo roll and other necessities. We settled into the warmth of Fiddlers and managed to resist sampling the hundreds of whiskies on display. I chose the Salmon in Whisky and Mustard and it was DELICIOUS.
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Tags: family, highlands and islands, Scotland, travel
I have a friend who has been to Scotland several times (she’s married to a Dunbar, herself is Irish) – I’m going to forward this right to her. She will love it. The photos are breathtaking! I esp love the day before’s rainbow post. It all sounds so lovely!
Aaah! Sounds absolutely fantastic. If I get back to Scotland, I just may take this as a plan to follow. (And I enjoyed Oban! What did I miss?)
Hey Tammy
send her over – I love getting new readers *grin*. It is so lovely in parts that it is almost possible to overdose on gorgeousness, but I never tire of it..
greenishlady
I quite like Oban… there’s a fantastic little shed on the harbour that sells seafood almost straight from the boat. Eagles soar above the campsite and it’s a great base for the wonders of Kilmartin Glen or the Coirebreachan.
Taexalia, Thank you so much for taking us along this wonderful journey with you. Ahhh, the highlands, I love your love of Scotland, it is as though you are one … and I only need to love the one to love both.