(Image Source: Flickr)
If you are looking for somewhere different, providing it’s not the middle of winter, then think about a drive through the Highlands of Scotland. The highlands have some of the most stunning views in the UK, and there are some very cosy country inns and hotels along the way.
You may not fancy taking your car to Scotland as well as driving around, but it is pretty quick and easy these days to take a flight instead. You can get a flight straight into Inverness and hire a car when you get there. If you’re not keen on flying, then maybe it is worth driving to Inverness and exploring from there; once you get there, you might want to drive further.
Where to Go
The Cairngorms National Park is the place to start; think England’s Lake District with at least twice as much to see and more ground to cover. Park the car and follow paths through a variety of forestland surrounded by lochs and rivers. One of the places you have to see when you visit the highlands is Loch Ness. There cannot be many people who’ve never heard of this famous loch, and its reputed sea monster, known by the name of Nessie. Take pictures and see whether you just might have caught a shadow of something slightly mysterious.
Must See
Once you’ve been out to the National Park and got your snaps of Loch Ness, it will be time for a whiskey and a comfortable bed and breakfast in the picturesque area of Arisaig. After a hearty Scottish breakfast it will be time to drive out to Mallaig and get the Skye ferry – and nobody can visit Skye without taking the trip out to Dunvegan Castle. The Castle has reputedly been the seat of the Clan Macleod for the last eight hundred years. One of the many attractions at the castle is its flag collection; the most famous one here is known as the Fairy Flag.
The Fairy Flag is a relic and one of the most treasured possessions of Clan MacLeod; the main concerns of the flag are of course the fairies, and strangely, the Crusades. Legend has it that the material may have been part of the clothing of an early Christian Saint. Analysis of the material suggests it’s from either the fourth or fifth century AD. Legend further has it that the flag appeared mysteriously from behind a grassy knoll on Skye. The castle was gifted to the MacLeods by the Ulster O’Neils for support against the English invasion of 1596.
Where to Stay
Finally, after leaving the Isle of Skye, drive back through Inverness-shire to Struy and Eagle Brae. Eagle Brae is a huddle of log cabins, which are roomy and well furnished, built by a Canadian in the 1930s. Cabins have either 1 or 2 bedrooms and food is provided for you to cook, or you can order the ultimate in take away dinners along with a bottle of wine.
