Highland Thoughts

[Mathos]

The Hinterlands of Scotland’s West Coast
and indeed the Islands within the waters
of the western regions are lands of great rugged beauty,
historical miscellany, amazing animals, mammals, birds and indeed people.


I have quite a bit of first hand information from several
very interesting locations we have recently visited along
this majestic, mountainous Highland Region.

Hopefully the same will be of interest to many.

I thought I would simply introduce the thread
this evening with a few small interesting photographs,
then make a more determined impact over the coming weeks.

Lets go for it:-



There's something very special when you come across a scene like this.

Taking the photograph is a way of begging that the reality
of what you are seeing is caught on camera and may
reflect the ghosts of the reality as you saw it for that
fleeting moment in time.




There's a storm across the valley, clouds are rolling in
The afternoon is heavy on your shoulders
There's a truck out on the highway a mile or more away
The whining of his wheels just makes it colder

He's an hour away from riding on your prayers up in the sky
And ten days on the road are barely gone
There's a fire softly burning, suppers on the stove
But its the light in your eyes that makes him warm

What a view.




Hey Mafos, my Daddy says you gotta pay me for taking my picture!



That's right Mafos.

Don't you mess with the 'Hairy Beasties'

[Mathos]

The map below will give good location points as the thread makes progress especially.




Our first port of call so to speak was Crinan,
I'll give a fully detailed explanation of what we
found there in due course,
the Crinan Canal a Thomas Telford creation was an
outstanding engineering achievement.

The Canal is near to Lochgilphead,
a really beautiful place on the West Coast
with spectacular scenery,
tranquility and much more besides.

I will do a comprehensive write up on the same,
with several photographs we took.

The Canal (completed in 1802) has fifteen locks
it stretches for nine miles,
but saved sailors the need to travel around
The Mull of Kintyre reducing their journey by at least a hundred miles.


We certainly enjoyed the three wonderful days we spent there.


Some of the scenery we came across on this trip was amazing.





Take a look at this Stag as well.





We felt very privileged indeed whenever we came across such wildlife.



The Ibexes we came across were fascinating creatures too, but they don't half stink.

I called these two Harley and Davidson.

I'd like to mention that these photographs really need putting to full screen to obtain the full appreciation such viewing creates.



This particular one was a beauty though.


The little monster here was full of fun too.

He had been charging everything that moved,
stalks of grass, me and a bale of straw.




He wasn't as big as a St Bernard either.

Watch this space though!

[Mathos]

Whilst at Applecross we discovered that the area
was steeped in history going back 7,500 years at least
when man was first known to have lived in
these extremely remote areas.

Such thoughts of man being here even earlier crossed my mind
I found an old print I had tucked away somewhere in the pages
of an old book with regards to mans existence on the planet.





"See you Jimmy, is this the road to Glasgow?"




The housing and accommodation in general has vastly improved though.




So many beautiful things to see.

I wonder if early man appreciated the beauty he saw.


He wouldn't have been unloading boxes of
Lobster like this on the quayside and weighing
the same on fancy scales.



We had never seen so much activity regarding
boats and fishing in general.

I'll be placing plenty on the thread with regards
to this avenue in due course.

We came across a few signs here and there like this one as well.

Fancy Jets screaming above our heads and disappearing in seconds.

Helicopters buzzing behind mountains and vanishing from view in an instance.


It's a strange old world.

One day these little beasts are appealing, lovable and comical.



Then your in the butchers ordering a T Bone steak
or a piece of topside for Sunday's joint
and don't give the Angus Beef
another thought past the saliva glands.




This was spectacular, I'll be doing a lot of writing on this gorge.

Corrieshalloch.

It's a long way down and a damned long walk back up.




Amazing too. Coming across powerful water falls like this in the
middle of nowhere.

Absolutely beautiful.




This looks like the road to bed for the present.

[mobs00]

Keep them coming. Looks colder than a witches tit there.

[impact]

Beautiful photos!! Nice way to start the day.

I've done 2 tours of the highlands and feel if there's peace on earth, it's up there.
Portree is the capital and you can easily join a hop on/hop off tour bus. I met some nice people everywhere. Really good hearted people.

[Mathos]

Mobs wrote:-

Keep them coming. Looks colder than a witches tit there.

Well it certainly gave us a few shivering moments, thats for sure.


Impact wrote:-

Beautiful photos!! Nice way to start the day.

I've done 2 tours of the highlands and feel if there's peace on earth, it's up there.
Portree is the capital and you can easily join a hop on/hop off tour bus. I met some nice people everywhere. Really good hearted people

It's a very beautiful spot on the planet, of that there is no doubt what-so-ever, and yes, the people in general are really nice, considerate and helpful.





The area is outstanding with regards to natural beauty.

Driving was an absolute pleasure.




Coming across scenery like this is all too often a rare occurrence in life.



I can't recall being so close to a 'Bambi' before, unless it was in captivity.




Looking down from this high point was quite spectacular.




Stopping to look at a simple cascade of water was bettered by the small group of Ibexes here by the waters edge.

[Mathos]

It will be two weeks tomorrow since we left home and made our way towards the Highlands of Bonnie Scotland.




I'd managed to get hold of a decent 4WD and left the Merc tucked up in the garage.

Glad we did as well, some of the roads we used and ventured down and up, would have been no go zones for the Mercedes.



That 'Old Feral Cat' was there to see us off, and as it has really become used to being fed by us, my daughters agreed to make sure it had a daily meal.

We didn't bother with breakfast at home and stopped at a Road Chef for a bite when we passed through Carlisle.



Tasty bit it was as well.

We normally stick to fruit and cereals at home so a treat of this nature for a few days was quite good.



The roads were rather quiet which was an added bonus.






Once we got through Glasgow we noticed many natural and nice features along the chosen route.



From a distance this looked like a sheet of ice.




When we got closer it was a really nice water fall.




We passed many during the trip.



Once through Glasgow, we thought it would be nice to take a look at Loch Lomond.



A really beautiful Loch.

I think it is the largest freshwater Loch in Scotland.


It is, I just checked it out:-

Loch Lomond has the largest surface area of fresh water Loch in the UK. The Loch is 24 miles long and five miles wide and at its deepest point is some 600 feet deep.

On the Loch there are approximately 38 Islands, some of them inhabited and there is even a Hotel on one, Inchmurrin.

Loch Lomond must be the worlds most famous Loch and has been much written about, both in song and verse. The area is renowned for its beauty and tranquility and offers picture postcard views around every corner.

The Loch is crossed by the Highland Boundary Fault and exhibits the physical characteristics of both highland and Lowland Scotland. Some 200 species of birds and over 25% of Britain's wild plants have been recorded in the area.






(Last picture of Hotel is not mine)


Very nice it is as well.

[Mathos]

The Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond:-




There are fantastic beach areas on the Lochside.

From memories of camping in this area when the girls were children, it was always busy. Weather could be horrendous as well. I remember one year, our tent was ripped from the ground by the gale force winds and blown away into the Loch.

There have over the years been several deaths by drowning on Loch Lomond. The waters can become very irrational during bad weather especially.



Whilst I do not have the details, I seem to remember reading that a steam passenger boat sank in the Loch around the turn of the last century.

There are many beautiful villages in this area of Scotland. Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond is absolutely amazing.




Talk about beauty.



The village is actually a conservation village lying on the western shore of the Loch.


An interesting and very informative link here:-

Luss,Villages Around Loch Lomond Scotland
Luss Village, Loch Lomond, Scotland Luss will be familiar to anyone who has ... Glen Luss, Loch Lomond, Scotland A settlement probably developed at he head ...
www.loch-lomond.net/villages/luss/luss.html - 16k - Cached - Similar pages

Here too:-

Luss Highland Games
Home Page · Chieftains Address · Time Table of Events · Event Entries · History of Luss Games · Travel Info. Contacts Page.
www.lusshighlandgames.co.uk/ - 8k - Cached - Similar pages

Beautiful looking place though.




Cute general and residential properties throughout the same.



Going through these photographs, I'm getting carried away with some of these Highland scenes especially.



Amazing.



Tremendous amount of pride taken here.



Nice place to live as well.



Probably as well, that I stay clear of boats, I'd end up sinking it.




Me and boats, simply do not mix well at all.



As Flobo says:- Keep away from water. You know something will go wrong.



Captain Masthos!

[sabang]

Gorgeous. Great wildlife too- didn't realise Ibix were so often seen.

[Mathos]

Originally Posted by sabang

Gorgeous. Great wildlife too- didn't realise Ibix were so often seen.

Hi Sabang and thanks pal.

Spoke to several other tourists in various places we stayed at, and none of them had caught sight of Ibex, Stags, Eagles, Otters, Porpoise or Whales.

We have obviously been extremely lucky.



You have to look to the top right of this photograph to see The Otter.

He was a bugger, I must have taken ten photographs before this one captured his head a little.

'Camera Shy' obviously.

[impact]

Breathtaking and I hope you post more pics. Any haggis dinners?

[Mathos]

Originally Posted by impact

Breathtaking and I hope you post more pics. Any haggis dinners?

Caught a big Haggis on the road to Crinan, put him in the back of the car and he was quite happy till we stopped near the Crinan Basin.

Then he jumped ship.

Drat!

A couple of scenic shots from The Highlands here for you Impact.





Some of the scenery is quite breath-taking.

I know I have mentioned it before, but these photographs really do need to be viewed on full screen to get the full benefit of the same.



Where on earth do you find water cascades just springing out of the sides of mountains?



There must be some fantastic caves under here.

I bet this 'Old Ram' knows a thing or two about it all.

Fantastic as well, when you climb for a while and then look down to see the road you have taken through the glen's.




Then looking along a Loch out towards the ocean.



Brilliant.

[Mathos]

The number of times we came across places as isolated as this.




There were even islands in the Lochs with houses or crofters type dwellings
on with no roads and the only form of
arrival or departure would have been by boat.

No telephones, no nothing in most places.

Mobile phones don't pick up signals.



Goodness knows what that building is on top of the hill.

I wasn't ready to climb up and find out.

Actually it's at Inverary and it was a really beautiful
town on the banks of Loch Fyne.


Check this out:-

Inveraray

Inveraray Rainbow
Inveraray Waterfront
The George Hotel Inveraray

Inveraray is situated on the banks of Loch Fyne in Argyll & Bute and is one of the earliest and best preserved planned towns in Scotland. Almost all of the buildings are whitewashed and of a similar architectural period. Inveraray’s current layout dates back to 1650 but the town itself has it's origins around 1453 when the 1st Earl of Argyll built a fortified keep very near the site of the present Inveraray Castle Today the town boasts a reasonable range of tourist shops selling the usual highland fayre of shortbread, woolen clothing and tartan rugs. More importantly for the traveler there is a Tourist Information Centre, a bank, pharmacist, butchers, newsagents, ironmongers, cafes and chip shop. Inveraray is also the birthplace (1863) of Neil Munro the author of Para Handy.
Inveraray is a favourite stopping off point on the way to the Mull of Kintyre the islands and north to Dalmally and Oban.
In summer tourists can be seen jostling for parking spaces, feasting on fish and chips and staring out to the loch and surrounding hills whilst eating ice cream. Despite the tourists Inveraray is well worth a visit. (You can also escape the tourists in Argyll at any time by just pulling off the two or three main roads!) There are some good hotels in Inveraray including The Argyll Hotel, The Loch Fyne Hotel and The George Hotel on the main street which serves good pub food and which will sometimes have live entertainment.
Places to visit in Inveraray include:
Inveraray Castle

Inveraray Castle is the home of the Duke of Argyll. The castle is located a few minutes walk from the town centre and there is ample parking if arriving by car. Inveraray Castle is a very popular tourist attraction with a steady stream of coach parties arriving in the summer. So in addition to visiting the castle escape the crowds and enjoy some of lovely walks in the surroundings grounds of the castle. A detailed guide to the walks around the extensive grounds can be obtained from the reception desk within the castle. For the reasonably energetic there is a very steady walk up the hill opposite to an old folly where you then get wonderful views of the town of Inveraray and Loch Fyne. This a great walk for people who don’t feel they are that fit as the incline is so steady as the path zig zags gradually up the slope. The gentle gradient is due to the path being originally built for horse drawn vehicles. Perhaps the Duke couldn’t face the walk? Take a picnic as there are grassy areas at the top and the rewarding views will make you linger.


The Bell Tower Inveraray





The Bell Tower dominates the town and it’s simple shape is very attractive. It contains Scotland's finest set of bells which are the second heaviest ring of ten in the world. The bells can often be heard ringing and for a small admission fee you can climb to the top of the tower for lovely views of the town. It’s a fair climb and not for the frail or very young.















If you do climb to the top you will get the best view of the town layout and you will be surprised at how quiet it is above the hustle and bustle of the town below. Sites to look out for in no particular order include the Arrochar Hills, Inveraray Castle, Inveraray Jail and Inveraray Golf Club.


Inveraray Jail


Inveraray Jail enjoys a fine reputation as one of Scotland’s best tourist attractions. It’s a 19th century prison and court house.
If it’s not raining chances are it’s just about to rain so call in. It’s especially enjoyable for children as there are many parts of the exhibition which are interactive.
Well worth a visit. Click here to visit the Inveraray Jail web site
Inveraray Maritime Museum

Visit the pier where the occasional boat will be moored and where anglers are regularly fishing for mackerel. Go on board The Arctic Penguin and see what life at sea was like in 1911. The museum has a small cinema which screens archive films.
Inveraray is a good base for a holiday in Argyll & Bute. Whether sailing, riding, walking, fishing, cycling or just sight seing, Inveraray has a lot to offer the holiday maker. In winter Inveraray has a different character. Quiet and cosy the local pubs and hotels provide a real welcome.
Inveraray or Inverary? It’s quite surprising how often Inveraray is misspelt? There is an Inverary in Nova Scotia which might have added to the confusion? Either way the fact you found this page is all that matters.
Click Here for more photographs of Inveraray.

I'll be doing some further writing on Inverary as time passes.

This old gull was showing me his sore leg as well.





There's a floating cafe.



Goodness knows what the bird is in the above photograph though.

[Mathos]

The Castle at Inverary was closed until April.

Pity.




There were some excellent bargains to be found with regards to purchases of quality woolen sweaters too.




The bridge over The Loch inlet was one of the steepest you can imagine.

Traffic was controlled by lights.




Really nice view of the Loch from the brow of the bridge.




We were hungry when we reached town, but didn't wish to spoil dinner later that night as it was about 3.30 in the afternoon.

We settled for a sandwich each at The Argylly Hotel.

The sandwiches came with half a ton of chips, so we had to be careful.


Nice though.



We sat by one of those old fashioned coal/wood burning fires.

Really nice and cosy it was as well.



Cute old fashioned bar.


The staff here were really nice as well.

Very friendly and chatty.

[Mathos]

Before we knew it after leaving Inverary, we were in the reaches of the Crinan Canal Basin.




Thomas Telford did a brilliant job here as usual.




It's quite amazing how the construction of the canals all over Britain by men basically with picks and shovels was accomplished.



Isn't this beautiful.




In fact it's outstanding.




Makes me proud of being British in more ways than one when I come across features like these.



Places here, there and most everywhere, carrying out repairs and servicing boats from all over the world.




The appearance in general is fantastic.




Look at this, driving down into the beautiful hamlet of Crinan, an amazing little port, with so much character.



Flobo reckoned it really deserved two shots.



It does.

[mobs00]

This has got to be your worst picture so far.... WTF is Fosters doing this far north?! I thought the Scots had some common sense, but to be serving this piss. The Ozzies here should be ashamed of ruining such a nice traditional highland pub.


Ohh yeah, and the French too. I know they do get blamed for everything but it looks like there is also a pull for Kronenbourg.

[Mathos]

mobs00 wrote:-

This has got to be your worst picture so far.... WTF is Fosters doing this far north?! I thought the Scots had some common sense, but to be serving this piss. The Ozzies here should be ashamed of ruining such a nice traditional highland pub.


Ohh yeah, and the French too. I know they do get blamed for everything but it looks like there is also a pull for Kronenbourg.

Camera takes what the camera sees mobs.

The problem with retailing many things today such as 'ale' the breweries create cash incentives and amortize the same over specific periods.

Perhaps as much as five years. The retailer has to hit certain targets or he refunds the brewery the shortfall.

If the 'gift' is a good one, they might even be tempted to retail Buds!

Now that would be atrocious.

[mobs00]

^ Funny you should mention Bud. I was in the south of Ireland a few years back, south of Cork heading towards Dingle and what did I see in a nice little hotel pub? A tap serving Budweiser.

[Mathos]

Originally Posted by mobs00

^ Funny you should mention Bud. I was in the south of Ireland a few years back, south of Cork heading towards Dingle and what did I see in a nice little hotel pub? A tap serving Budweiser.

In a nutshell, somebody has to drink it.

[Mathos]

I notice in life, there is a tendency to appreciate beauty in different ways.
You change as the years pass by, what you may have given a
fleeting glance many years ago,
now attracts your attention in a
more considerate manner.

And of course there is a vice-versa attachment to
this type of consideration.



I would never have spent time gazing on boats like
these once upon as time.

Now, I walk around them, take photographs of them,
imagine the journeys they might well have made
during their years at sea.




How the people aboard them might have been employed,
what stretches of water they could have passed through,
and more, much, much, more.
My imagination and thoughts run riot.

This is interesting, it may need viewing on full screen to read the full script though.




This link is well worth a read:-

History along the Crinan Canal | Canals and Rivers | Waterscape.com
Waterscape.com is a comprehensive guide to History along the Crinan Canal.
UK Leisure Guide | Canals, Boating & Walking | Waterscapecanals-and-rivers/crinan-canal/history - 23k - Cached - Similar pages

and this:-

History of ArdrishaigBefore the Crinan Canal was built, there were only four small houses at Ardrishaig. It is therefore fair to say, the history of Ardrishaig started with the ...
www.ardrishaig.com/ardrishaigpages/historya1.htm - 19k - Cached - Similar pages


Everything in the area looked extremely beautiful.



Including this old tug which had a real special beauty of it's own.



There was a real working boat making it's way through the lock system here as well.



Flobo was pretending she didn't have a 'fag' in her right hand too.



Caught you.

It's a really special kind of spot that's for sure.



This is The Crinan Hotel we stayed in for three nights.

Nice.



Check it out:-
Crinan Hotel by Lochgilphead Argyll ScotlandCrinan Hotel - Luxury Accommodation and Dining by Lochgilphead Argyll Scotland.
Luxury Scotland - Gateway to luxury hotels and activities in Scotlandcrinan/ - 17k - Cached - Similar pages