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Scotland in March is not everybody's ideal destination for a late winter break but Janice and I couldn't resist it when we saw a holiday on Ebay. We bid a ridiculously low amount and found ourselves winning a 7 day stay in a self catering chalet at the Wheel Inn, Evanton, just outside of Inverness.

The drive up to Scotland is pretty unspectacular until you pass Glasgow, then it gets better by the mile. The journey from Manchester is 426 miles which is comfortable in a day with a break for lunch. I chose the quickest route (not the shortest) sticking to the A9 from Stirling onwards. The drive through Aviemore was superb with the snow covered mountains a sight to behold.

One of our first trips was to drive along the banks of Loch Ness, and take in the visitors centre. This was a fascinating experience with the Loch Ness Exhibition all to ourselves we spent a couple of hours watching the videos and following the attempts to find the elusive monster of  the deep. Old Nessie is still outwitting the best brains in the land, perhaps one day the truth will out...

Not far from the visitors centre is the beautiful Urquhart Castle, nestled on the North Shore of Loch Ness. It seems that you only need to travel a few miles in the highlands before you are faced with another superb spectacle and this was certainly one of them. I believe this is one of the most visited sites in Scotland and it's not hard to see why.  Just between these two places you can find the Falls of Divach, slightly inland and not that accessible but worth the effort when you find them.

Our only day of rain was spent driving over to the West coast to visit the Isle of Skye. This was somewhat disappointing not just for the lack of anywhere open to eat when we arrived there, but, for the total rip off toll fee charged for crossing the new bridge linking the Island with the mainland. Nearly £7.00 was well over the top but not satisfied with that they whacked you again for the same amount when you went back. Not the way to attract tourists. To be fair to Skye, the people were lovely and so was the Island with it's steep crags and attractive Glens.

Inverness to John O' Groats was 117 miles from our chalet but,  yet again, astonishing scenery on the East coastal road. John O' Groats itself is the back of beyond but a must visit if only to stand on the famous signpost pointing to Lands End. There is a nice little museum here with many wartime exhibits donated by Brits and Germans. Some of the pictures of Scapa Flow are haunting. What I can never understand is why these sort of places always have the customary candle shop with the nauseous smell of Pou pirrie. 

Next port of call had to be the most Northerly point of the British mainland, Dunnet Head. Another desolate spot with only a lighthouse and a few farm houses scattered on the outcrop. The Orkney Isles in the distance can be easily visited by ferry from nearby Scrabster.

The journey back to Evernton was again memorable, from Thurso we followed the A9 south before rejoining the coast road in the pretty village of Latheron. We stopped for a walk on Dornoch Firth beach as the sun was setting, miles of sand and nobody on it but us, paradise.

Our accommodation was cosy so a couple of beers and Scottish TV was the order of the night, no satellite or digital stuff here!  

Another interesting site was the battlefield of Culloden Moor where the English defeated the Scots in the bloody encounter of 1746. There is an eeriness about the place especially early in the morning as the mist rolls in over the Moray Firth.  The visitor centre is again of a high standard with a video presentation and exhibits.  It is essential to buy a guide if you wish to explore the battlefield and surrounding areas.

We couldn't visit Scotland without chancing a Haggis so when we arrived in Nairn we found a nice little eatery and gave it a go. Janice managed a couple of mouthfuls but I soldiered on to the end and as Denis Nordon would say, "file that one under iffy!"

Nairn itself was very quiet, but again the beach was superb. It's just a shame that Scotland's weather is so unreliable otherwise it would be well worth a visit in the summer.

On our journey home we weren't in any hurry so we took our final drive down Loch Ness and headed for Fort William on the West coast. Just south of Fort William we passed the mighty Ben Nevis, shrouded in mist and still snow covered, it was an impressive sight. The drive down through Glen Coe is again some of the most spectacular scenery in Scotland and it left a big impression on us.  After following the A82 for many miles we reached Ardlui which is at the northerly point of the beautiful Loch Lomond.

The weather was a bit on the miserable side but still this didn't spoil the opportunity to see this wonderful Loch. We had a spot of lunch by the waterside and watched the world go by.

After Loch Lomond it was South to Glasgow and then the English border and Home.

It had been a fantastic week in Scotland, full of surprises and we were left with a desire to return in the near future. The highlands constantly left us gasping in awe - if you want to see the best of British scenery then I don't think you will find anywhere better than the Scottish Highlands.....   there again you may think different, so let me know.

 

 

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