Jim and Hamish's "Scotland 2008" Tour

[Hamish]

I hope you are sitting comfortably because this is going to take a while!

On 1st June 2008, my good pal Jim and I set off for a week touring in Scotland and, after a roughly 400 mile drive in heavy rain (apart from the last few miles), we arrived at The Ferintosh in Dumfries. Before we had even taken our luggage up to our rooms, the complimentary drams were offered and savoured - we both had, of course, arrived in kilts and so qualified! Later, Robertson and Emma, and Jim and I slipped out to the Casa Mia restaurant for a rather good meal and returned to The Ferintosh for a few more drams before hitting the hay!

Next morning, Jim and I left for the drive north to Connel by Oban which took us via Kilmarnock, the suburbs of Glasgow, the Erskine Bridge across the River Clyde, along the shores of Loch Lomond, Crianlarich and then west towards Oban. We arrived at our Connel hotel, The Oyster Inn, by mid-afternoon and so, having unpacked, decided to drive on into Oban to check out the location of the car ferry we would be taking over to Mull two days later - but not before snapping the view from the front of the hotel:



Here we are looking across the Firth of Lorn to the Isle of Lismore and, in the distance, the mountains of Mull.



Out of the picture, and just to the right, is the entrance to Loch Etive with its 'Falls' (The Falls of Lora) which occur when the tide flowing out of the Loch at a fast rate, meets the next tide flowing in at an equally fast rate. The waters really churn up in a very noisy and spectacular manner.

A few hours later and we were treated to a beautiful sunset from almost the same viewpoint:



............ and a totally different one, with a cloudless sky, the next evening:



On 3rd June we planned to explore the area south of Oban and were due to meet up with Chris ("Redshank") en route.

To be continued.

[Hamish]

The morning of the 3rd June dawned bright and sunny (not that we saw the dawn, but you know what I mean). After breakfast I called Chris and we agreed to meet in Kilmartin, about 30 miles south of Oban, where he lives with his wife Tracy. This we did and, after a 'getting to know you' cup of coffee at Kilmartin museum, Chris and Tracy piled Jim and me into their 4-wheel drive and very generously gave us a conducted tour of their local territory, which they very obviously love so much. Here is a view of Duntrune Castle, home of the Chief of Clan MacCallum/Malcolm, and the oldest continuously inhabited building in Scotland:


Chris, Tracy and Jim with Duntrune Castle in the distance:



Then it was on to Crinan, a delightful little place which is at the northern (or western) end of the Crinan Canal.



Chris then drove us past many of the locks on the canal and so back to Kilmartin, pointing out numerous standing stones and historical sites along the way. Back at Kilmartin, Jim and I decamped back into our own car and followed Chris and Tracy along the winding roads to Inveraray, on Loch Fyne. Our first port of call there was at 'Redshank Scotland' to meet Ann Campbell who tailored the fine Ardbeg tweed kilt I wore that day. What a charming lady and what an Aladdin's cave of unusual items 'Redshank Scotland' is! Here Tracy and Jim are browsing through some of the treasures to be found there:



and here are Ann and myself:



Ann is devoted to kilts and to her kiltmaking, the skills of which she is thankfully passing on to others. At 'Redshank Scotland' she is surrounded not so much by bolts of tartan fabrics, although they are in evidence, but more so by shelves of the most beautiful tweeds, some of which are woven exclusively for her. Going there is living a whole new experience. Both Jim and I came away with beautiful new locally made sporrans and I with an unusual kilt pin.

It was but a short walk to the village centre and The George Hotel for lunch.

To be continued.

[Hamish]

The walk through this attractive, and at that time, tranquil village brought us to The George Inn, where we were able to enjoy a welcome lunch together:



before strolling down to the waterside and pier. The previous day, it had 'snowed' heavily here thanks to a film company who had transformed the area into a period setting for an advertising shoot, but the only evidence of this activity was that a number of road signs still had not been replaced! We pretty much had the place to ourselves and so could take in the beauty of Loch Fyne with its surrounding countryside. Here are Chris, Tracy and me on the pier with Dun na Cuaiche and its tower behind us:



A hundred yards or so from the pier we found the War Memorial:



This was now the time for us to leave our wonderful hosts who had shown us so much that day that we would otherwise have missed, and so Jim and I returned to the car and set off in the direction of Connel by Oban via Loch Awe. As the road approached the top of the Loch, we spotted the ruins of Kilchurn Castle:



Then, about three miles further along the road, we stopped to take a look at St. Conan's Kirk which I had passed several times previously, but never seen other than from the road. This is a truly fascinating wee kirk, and well worth breaking a journey to look around. It was constructed as late as the 1880s and includes just about every style of ecclesiastical architecture to be found in Scotland. The stone used in the building was rolled down the nearby hillsides and shaped on site instead of being quarried elsewhere. The kirk is perched precariously on the steep banks of Loch Awe:



and has many amusing features, such as these two gargoyles in the form of hares:



Inside is a tomb with a kilted effigy of Walter Campbell who, with his sister, designed and built this curious kirk:



From here the road took us directly back to The Oyster Inn at Connel.

To be continued.

[Hamish]

Next morning, 4th June, we were up early and heading for the car ferry to Craignure on the Isle of Mull from Oban. The tickets had been booked months in advance in case we struck a busy time, but the vessel ("The Isle of Mull") was not crowded and we were among the first to drive off on arrival. Many say that Oban is well-worth a visit but, after several times there myself, I find it a slightly depressing town although it does have some charms. Here it is, seen as we sailed from the ferry terminal:



On the hill top is McCaig's Tower, an unfinished folly built by a wealthy banker around 1900 as a memorial to his family - and to provide work for local stonemasons during the winter! Below it, and nearer the waterside, can be seen the tall, brick chimney and grey roofs of the Oban Distillery.

Our plan was to circumnavigate, as far as possible in a day, the Isle of Mull and I think we achieved it with about 20 minutes to spare when checking in for the return sailing to Oban. This meant that we did not really have time to dawdle for photograph-taking, but we were able to thoroughly enjoy the stunning, varied scenery as we drove along the single-track roads. Our first stop was at Tobermory (renamed by the BBC as 'Balamory' for its children's TV programmes). Here's Jim:



and now me:



This is a pretty wee village and, as yet, not apparently spoiled by tourism. A short while later, we stopped to eat our sandwich lunch, bought in Tobermory, with this fantastic view to the south-east of the Isle's largest fresh water loch, Loch Frisa:



After miles of driving around some of the most beautiful coastlines imaginable, Jim got us safely back to Craignure in perfect time for our late-afternoon ferry to the mainland. Shortly after sailing, we passed Duart Castle on Mull, the ancestral home of the MacLeans and base of the current Clan Chief:



and, as we began to cross the Firth of Lorn, the Lismore lighthouse, built in 1833, hove into view on our port side:



Looking back to Mull we could see the rain clouds gathering which, although forecasted, had kept away until we were well on our way back to the hotel:



A perfect day on a fantastic Isle, and blessed with gorgeous, warm sunshine! We are determined to return - and stay for longer next time, and even get to Iona which we did not have time to include on this trip. Tomorrow we head north and east as our tour continues.

To be continued.

[Jack Daw]

VERY Nice. I need to see Duntrune Castle one of these days. I'll be spending time around Loch Etive next month, myself. What was the weather like? In the pics, I see that everyone is in shirts during the day. Was it chilly enough in the evening for a sweater or jacket?

[Hamish]

The next morning and, as it turned out, the remainder of the day was rather dull and grey with low cloud cover and intermittent rain but, undaunted, we set out on the next leg of our tour which took us north on the road towards Fort William. This mainly unspectacular road ran along the banks of Lochs Creran and Linnhe. Here we were on the edge of some of the most mountainous countryside in Scotland, but the low clouds hid most of it from our view. At Ballachulish we left the Fort William road and turned eastwards, past Loch Leven:



and into brooding Glencoe. Perhaps the dull weather added enhancement to this place which has to be absolutely stunning in any weather conditions. No photo can capture the grandeur of this glen, but we tried:






The powerful sensations of historical tragedy here were only mildly affected by the relatively heavy traffic and roadworkings - the events of 1692, when the Campbells massacred the Macdonalds in this glen, will surely be sensed here for evermore.

From here we returned to the road north towards Fort William, which we reached after a short while. At Fort William we made only a brief stop to buy sandwiches for lunch, to visit a Bank, to make a 'comfort' stop and to ring 'Jock Scot' with whom I had previously made arrangements to meet since we were now on his home territory. We agreed to achieve this at the Commando Memorial close by Spean Bridge, a 20 minute drive further along our route.

As we drove into the car-park below the memorial, there was Jock resplendent in tweeds and Balmoral, with a fine cromach in his hand, and fresh from being photographed by tourists. What a character he is and how interesting; a real countryman. Here he is with Jim:



and with me:



Thank you Jock for taking the time out to come and meet us - much appreciated.
Somewhere in the clouds behind us is Ben Nevis, at 4,406ft the highest mountain in Great Britain. I have never managed to see it in the past, and I could not see it that day either. Oh well, next time perhaps!

Having made our farewells to Jock, we continued eastwards to the Braes of Lochaber, wherein lies my wee, as yet unvisited, sporting estate. Among the title-deeds and information regarding my fishing rights that came at the time of purchase, were the precise grid references of my land and guidance as to car-parking location, etc. For a start, we could not find the parking place, even after to-ing and fro-ing along the main road, so we parked where we figured the place should be. Jim had brought his finely tuned GPS thingy to help us in our search for my land but, after traipsing through farmyards, across fields and along narrow lanes we just could not get close to the 'estate' using the references provided and, as it had started to rain heavily, we beat a hasty track back to the car, and our sandwich lunch. What a disappointment - this was the only 'downer' in our week in Scotland. I shall be writing to the previous owner of my estate for an explanation, of course! When I thought of the missed photo opportunity - me surrounded on all sides by my land - I wept, for I knew in my heart how much you all wanted to share that image .

After I had sobbed into my sandwiches, Jim consoled me as best he could and then resumed the drive through Glen Spean, alongside Loch Laggan and on towards Kingussie. Then we turned south to Dalwhinnie and joined the main A9 road to Pitlochry, where we were to spend two nights. We were slightly ahead of time and so, shortly before Pitlochry, we left the road to visit 'The House of Bruar' near Blair Atholl. A modern, luxury retail establishment, seemingly miles from anywhere, this place has food departments to rival those of Harrods in London and as much high quality, expensive men's and women's clothing as anyone could possibly want. I already have two of their tweed kilts, but felt obliged to purchase three pairs of hose in colours I did not have - just to help keep the poor souls in business, you understand?

Within fifteen minutes of leaving there we were driving into Pitlochry and heading for our comfortable pre-booked B&B - The Poplars in Lower Oakfield Road. That evening, we walked up to the village of Moulin for our meal. There the Moulin Inn has its own brewery and so Jim was able to enjoy a pint of their 'Braveheart', a smooth, medium-bodied, golden ale with his haggis, whilst I stuck with a glass of my favourite red wine and a vegetarian tart. (No laughing, at the back there!)

Because of the poor weather, few photos were taken that day but we had hopes that the next would be better.

And so to bed ................

To be continued.

[Hamish]

The weather on Friday 6th June was good: warm, sunny and fairly calm , which was just right for Jim's trip down memory lane. He was born and spent his early years on Tayside, at Fearnan near Kenmore, and we were heading in that direction soon after breakfast. Aberfeldy was our first port of call, and here we stopped to visit the Black Watch Memorial on the banks of the River Tay:





Nearby, is General Wade's Bridge, a local landmark:


It was built in 1733 and was designed by William Adam, father of the famed architect Robert Adam. Wade, an English General, constructed over 200 miles of military roads in Scotland, and numerous bridges at the behest of King George I, who sent Wade into The Highlands after the Jacobite uprisings. This one, having cost £4,000, was considered to be the finest.

To be continued.

[Hamish]

Leaving Aberfeldy by General Wade's bridge, we took a quiet and probably more picturesque road to Kenmore, a delightfully unspoiled village with an exceptionally wide main street:



The village church being at one end and the imposing gateway to Taymouth Castle, once home to the Campbells of Breadalbane, at the other.



The castle was long since sold - its Deer Park is now a Golf Club and its buildings now converted to holiday apartments and cottages!
Having revived some of his early memories of Kenmore, we then drove along the northern banks of Loch Tay to Fearnan, a small hamlet with many new houses built since Jim's family moved south to Somerset over 50 years ago. In spite of the changes, he found the house in which he was born and spent his very early years, but he chose not to knock on the door. A few minutes of mixed emotions and we were on our way again. We stopped at Killin to look at the famous Falls of Dochart, and to savour a cool drink at the nearby pub, but the doors were locked (at 11.40am)!! In disgust, we drove on through Glen Ogle to Lochearnhead and along the banks of Loch Earn to Comrie, where we bought sandwiches and very welcome freshly squezed Orange juice.

Approximately 25 miles later we reached Crieff, an unimpressive wee town that had obviously known better times! However, on its southern outskirts we came across a modern development with a large Waterford/Stuart Crystal retail outlet (from which I could not emerge empty-handed!), and across the road, the headquarters of The Scottish Tartans Authority of which I am a Life Member. Several weeks earlier, I had been in touch with Brian Wilton there to check that he might be 'in residence' should we drop in. He was and we did, and what a very pleasant and welcoming man he is. Jim and I were surprised to find him not in a kilt, but casual t------s! His excuse being that he spends all day sitting at a desk, meeting very few people unless he is on official business elsewhere, and so finds t------s more practical - an explanation we reluctantly accepted! Brian is a busy man who seems to run the day-to-day administration and, I suspect more than that, virtually single-handed. He told us that he is hopeful that the new Scottish Government's involvement with the creation of an official tartans register, will provide funding for Brian to have assistance in his work, and I hope that comes soon - he deserves it. A quick photo:



and we were once again on our way. This time, at Brian's suggestion, heading north from Crieff through the spectacular Small Glen and then taking a seldom used, single-track road cross country back to Kenmore. What a treat to the eye this proved to be; wild, open mountainsides with sheep roaming everywhere, amazing views and the narrow road which plunged and climbed at every turn. It might hve been a bit of a challenge for the driver (poor Jim) but he managed it all with his usual behind-the-wheel talent. From Kenmore, we retraced our morning route back to Pitlochry where we were just in time to catch MacNaughton's rather well-known shop before they closed for the day. Jim resisted some of the temptations with greater strength than did I, who came away with four pairs of kilt hose, a pair of flashes, a new CD by Ally Bain and Phil Cunningham (my favourite Scottish musicians) - oh, and a classy Clan fridge magnet! We eat that evening at a popular restaurant in the town, having to wait about 45 minutes for a table - The Auld Smiddy Inn.

To be continued.

[Hamish]

Saturday was the day we were to leave The Highlands and drive back from Pitlochry to Dumfries for our final night in Scotland. The route I had planned was virtually as straightforward as the road system would allow: the A9 skirting Perth and Stirling, the Motorways avoiding Glasgow, and then the M74 southwards in the general direction of Dumfries. Although no sightseeing had been planned, by the time we were approaching Stirling, we realised that we were ahead of time and decided to visit the castle there - which neither of us had done before. Unfortunately, we wasted time and increasingly expensive petrol by failing to see a small sign in the town that would have directed us up to the castle (we later discovered that it had been hit by a passing vehicle and could not be seen from the street!), so it was not long before we found ourselves emerging from the other side of Stirling! Undaunted, we drove back into the centre and eventually found our way to the castle esplanade and parked.



Stirling castle is interesting but, in our opinions, has the appearance and feeling of being not quite real or authentic. Whilst the exteriors of its buildings are imposing, especially from below the rock on which the castle stands, so much of it has been renovated or restored, particularly the interior of the Chapel Royal which looked as if it had been built within the past five years - everything was so new, there was absolutely no atmosphere of antiquity or of the history of the place. We both thought it like a film set. Such a shame. The views from the castle are quite spectacular, such as this one looking out to the Wallace Monument:



In spite of the misgivings, we are pleased we visited, but doubt that either of us will be rushing back.
From Stirling, we resumed the uneventful drive back to Dumfries, where Robertson, Emma, 'Taffie' and 'Riley' afforded us another Ferintosh welcome. Niall ('Niblox') had also just arrived hot-foot from Edinburgh in readiness for the Kilts Nicht planned for the evening.

To be continued.

[Alaskan Kilted Guy]

Wow, breathtaking pics! Thanks!