Trip to Scotland 1983: Four and half months in the Highlands and Islands

[DCampbell16B]

Went to bus and waited around. Finally read papers w_ pictures. Got suitcase. Dreading [??] Ft William. West Highland Museum so-so.
Ft William Ben Nevis pics

I'm not impressed with Ft William and what is more cannot get to Kingussie from here.

Vitrified fort 1000 BC-0 AD. Some vitrification shows. About 75yds by 50yds with mound in the middle. Inside vitrificarion is loose rock that didn't get hot enough to melt. Ck elevation. All peat around. Good feel close by. (340m or 1054ft). Heather in bloom, white and purple.

27½p lunch
£1.40 bus
58p snack
50p bus
£5.20 hostel

[I stayed in at the Ft William hostel a couple days, hence the larger amount for hostel fee. I didn't want to do the tourist thing of climbing Ben Nevis. I did want to see a vitrified fort. So I climbed the mountain on the other side of the glen. It was a long scramble straight up a rather long but open slope. On top was the vitrified fort. I took pictures from there of Glen Nevis and Ben Nevis. You can see part of the vitrified fort wall with Ben Nevis in the background.


Vitrified fort and Ben Nevis


Looking up Glen Nevis. Sgurr a'Mhaim in the distance.

[Jock Scot]

......................... Got suitcase. Dreading [??] Ft William. West Highland Museum so-so.
.............

I'm not impressed with Ft William and what is more cannot get to Kingussie from here.........................

I stay just a few miles from Fort William and I have known the town and area all my life in one way or another. To be honest, Fort William as a town, has very little going for it, but the wider area it resides in, to my mind , is absolutely stunning. With what was, until fairly recently, some of the very best salmon fishing in the world. The River Lochy has been, I think accurately described, as the "Queen of the salmon rivers" ----------don't get me started on the steep decline, ruination, of the salmon fishery!--------------, the deer stalking is some of the very best that Scotland can provide and the scenery never ceases to impress. The recently developed downhill mountain biking facility is World renowned. The town and its facilities? I think its best for me not to comment, other than the West Highland Museum, though small, has now made considerable efforts to improve and has now a well deserved reputation for its interesting exhibits.

And yes!!!!! Getting from FW to Kingussie----pronounced King-oossie...... is still problematical, unless you have your own transport.

[DCampbell16B]

£3.30 Restaurant
26p Tank you
43p Spam

Last night a kid threw up in his bed in hostel. Place was like an oven. This morning down to Inverlochy. Can see back of Nevis, cliff side. Weather cloudy, but no haze. Castle still standing. Battle on west of castle in field. Man said last group of soldiers came over the hill on south. Read. Drove(?) Campbell's into river and over to Loch Linnhe. Inverlochy Castle walls about 6ft thick, at least one has a passage. All fenced, can't get in. Barbed wire.

Inverlochy Castle from west. Front gate to right of picture.
Battlefield at Inverlochy. Royalist came up from Cow Hill behind picture. John Splendid viewed from hill to left. 1st battle 1431 under Donald Balloch (Clan Donald) and Royalists under Earl of Mar. Some of battle to rear of picture at British Aluminium Factory base of Meall an t-Suidhe. Ate At a Chinese restaurant. Jasmine tea, very fragrant, not substantial. Bought Thank You card for Argyll. Meal OK but not as large as in states. Relatively expensive, but I haven't indulged much. Slept afternoon. Finally identified bog myrtle.


Battlefield at Inverlochy


Ft William (?)

[Asking for help from those who know. This entry lists two pictures which I am not sure I have found. I am posting these two here with what I have them labeled, but I am not sure my label my label on "Ft William" is correct. Any proper ID will be appreciated.

And did I get my history right?]

[DCampbell16B]

£3.65 Matches(?)
£4.40 bus
2p(?) Museum
£3.75 pack
80p Exhibit
20p soap
60p wash
40p
£1.58 food

[Bus ride to Inverness]

Left map in boat[? boot?]. Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge. Lochaber stone bridges and houses different than Glencoe. All large rocks. Missed Tober Nan Ceann. Did see Glen Garry. Ft Augustus 1st view Ness. Missed Parallel Roads.
Museum Inverness, painting by Waitt 1706-1730 Highlander plaid and trees, bonnet forward, targe concentric shows tooling, holds pistol behind target, mustache, epaulet with button on shoulder, ties on shoes, trews gartered, figured crossbelt, stock, long hair.
Pipes mid18th C, no combing, bottom pieces and base middle have 2 bone pieces either end., tops have bone both ends, very narrow pieces, like modern parlor pipes, but flared tops! Bone ring, does not cover hole!has city covered with wood. [Therewith are a couple very crude drawings of the pipes]
Great pipe display. Photos allowed for own use. In just a couple hours in Inverness I've seen 4-5 men wearing kilt. Need bread, fruit and jam, biscuits, spam.
Fort George, Culloden, Cawdor [places I wanted to see from Inverness]
Day pack £3.75. $50 to £32.18

Ft George (direct 7:39) 9:35 (via Smithton, Oakdale, Balloch)
Inverness Dalcross Nairn Auldearn. Bought food (last).

Washed clothes and took shower! Listened to piper [playing at castle in evening] and asked where to buy reeds (D. Cameron) but he was using one of his own chanter reeds and having problems. Light rain this afternoon. Heavier this evening. Checked stores for sweaters and skirts [for skirts for my sisters and sweater for myself] nothing beats Perth.

Services:
Ft George D935 In arrives 1017 Ft G
P Ft Geo 1218 1418 1618 1818
D Cull 1115 1315 1515 1550 1800
Cull is Service 13 from Galloway Drive
Service 13 from Cumberland Stone is 10min later
Ser 11 D Cull (Oakdene Park Est) 1352 1552 1752
Balloch (Cherry Park) 3 minutes later
Ft G to Balloch 1½ miles Balloch to Culloden
See also chambered cairns, Ring Cairn etc

[stickman]

It’s a long long time since I was in that area. Sure wish I could get back there. My cousins keep wanting me to visit. I’m afraid that is now out of the question, my traveling are days are over.

[DCampbell16B]

£2.85 reeds
£6.00 hostel
28p spam (?)
£1.00 Ft George
16p stamp
38p Ft George
£1.00 cap badge
80p bus
25p paper
80p Culloden
80p bus

Guy here from Thurso, buzzes (burrs) his "r's". [Bill Nicholiasen described this to me. Also similar in the Islands, the Gaelic r's tend to sound more like a voiced th.] Bus driver lifted girl to window of the Portree bus to get kisses. Saw Castle Stuart. Ft George still active. QOH away.

https://postimg.cc/XZHyLMgG
https://postimg.cc/kBwdVj5h
Cameron Barracks

https://postimg.cc/PPVm5j13
Queen's Own Highlanders Mascot

Nice beach, view of Black Isle. Everything very tidy. "Restoration" going on on walls. This place is huge. Artillery mostly 19thC.
See cairns, Culloden Stone.
3 armies 32,000 men converging on Derby
Stone reads "Field of English, they were buried here"
Cairn Glen Lyon Campbells, position on Atholl Brigade
Culloden from Atholl Cairn. Campbell wall to the right.
Campbell Stone
Cairn reads "Argyll Militia who fought in the field and are buried along this wall."
Took a bit of heather from Campbell site, put Stone on Cairn, got rock for Woodbridge [friend in the states].

https://postimg.cc/WFHcWzBL
Culloden from Glengarry's position.

They're cleaning forest off the battlefield to return it to its original state. Pretty messy now.
https://postimg.cc/2149byTj

Didn't see antique cairns.
Wm. MacPherson, Inverness, lots of Highland Reg't [if I remember correctly this was an antique shop, please let me know if this is correct].
Stopped at An Comunn Gaidhealach. Much more than in Oban. Cashier from Benbecula and customer from Wester Ross spoke first conversation I've heard, could follow trivialities. Check on pipe chanter reeds, drone reeds?
Bruce Millar, Center of town, Market Arcade, after 8 or 9.
Spent a lot of money in the last two days! Careful!

https://postimg.cc/QHJQG7M3
Inverness from the east

https://postimg.cc/tnys2rWV
Inverness Firth

https://postimg.cc/crnRDzpr
Alley in Inverness

Cawdor-
D Post Office 855 1056 A Cawdor 946 1146
D Cawdor 1242 1507 1613. A Inverness 1333 1558 1704
Christine Primrose at Sabhal Mor Ostaig [I had/have her album!]

[DCampbell16B]

84p spam
£1.55 bus
50p
£1.55 bus
£15.90 exposure meter [the one in the camera was failing]
52p
£2.20 reeds
5p tea

Cloudy but no haze. Black Isle very clear. And mountains beyond, though tops in cloud. Candor gardens seem in better shape than Inverary.
Candor Castle
Painting of Pryse Campbell in tartan 1762 Philadelphia, plaid is Cawdor tartan with 3 white stripes rather than blue
Also Lt. Col. 1763
Delightful place with excellent room notes. [Cawdor was my favorite Castle. Really nice. You were allowed to visit the lived in parts. It felt like someone had just left the room for a moment and would be right back to finish what they were doing.]
Bumper sticker "3 out of 4 ghosts prefer Cawdor Castle"

I've liked Inverness, but I wish I had more time to spend. However, I can't wait to get out. West is calling.

[DCampbell16B]

£5.40 bus
32p candy
55½p
33p
29p
£1.00 bus
£2.30 hostel

Bus to Kyle. Looking forward to Kyle, need to slow down some, been traveling to much to see anything and not staying long enough to meet local people. Hostels too big to get to know anyone. Call MacLeod for advice from Kyle or Uig. Will go by Eilean Donan + 5 Sisters Kintail. Busses "Law of Gross Tonnage" J. Steadley [The biggest thing on the road gets its own way]
[The following is very unclear due to being written on a very bouncy bus] Can be ----- mountainy ----- still clear -- bridges, mist over L. Clunie. Coming into Glen Shiel, mist with cloud, green, green, misty. Five Sisters tops covered w/ cloud. Sky living up to its name. Covered in mist, cloud, rain. Ate overlooking bay to north Caol Acainn. Here, too, as Oban, sea very clear, and ferry churns the water to an indescribable aquamarine color. Could be it is again a cloudy day, as ferry to Mull. Ferries spend longer loading and unloading than crossing. In tandem, one in each port all day [this was the crossing from Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin now replaced with a bridge]. "Sleipner" boat which worked the Mary Rose site at Kyle w/ display.
Need biscuits, creamer, sugar, tea, fruit, bread, spam

https://postimg.cc/XX9wwN1r
Skye from Hostel, Kyle

[Jock Scot]

If I may. With reference to the above post in this excellent thread a bit of an information update that may help visitors to visit Skye by an unusual route and through an almost forgotten and quite stunning part of the Highlands.This road part of the journey may not be for the feint of heart!

There is a small ferry(two cars maybe, perhaps four if they are small) that runs regularly in the SUMMER MONTHS across(a short trip, perhaps a 1000 yards)Lochalsh to and from the mainland to Skye. It runs from Glenelg on the mainland to Kylerhea on Skye. I would suggest one trip across with the ferry and one trip over the wonderful Skye bridge, or vice versa, so as not to miss the wonderful sceneray and of course the not to be missed Eilean Donan Castle.

[DCampbell16B]

You absolutely may add! This type of information adds so much to my notes. Such a long time has passed since I was there, and so much has changed, that comments about what it is like now or what can be seen is like gold to those of us who are so far away. Local knowledge is just not available to the average tourist who has little or no connections, or limited time for what is possibly a once in a lifetime chance to visit.