I went on a wonderful highland tour for 2 days and saw many amazing things. I was on a small tour bus with only 11 other people. It was quite nice being in such a small group.
Our first stop was Wallace Monument in Stirling. Our guide made sure to tell us the actual history and not what "Braveheart" showed us. We had to climb a very steep hill to get to the top to the monument. I didn't go inside but there were beautiful views around the countryside.
We continued on to Doune Castle. This is the castle that was used in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Again with the big steep hills and the climbing but only to discover more amazing views.
We stopped for lunch in this quaint little town.
After lunch we headed through Glencoe where the massacre of the Clan MacDonald happened. It is also where a lot of scenery and backdrops were filmed for the Harry Potter films.
We arrived early into Fort William where we would be staying for the night. I was having a conversation with our guide and asked if we would be going anywhere near Glennfinnan. He said we had time to go there. We drove out to Glennfinnan and I got to see the viaduct that was used in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". I stood on a big hill for like 20 minutes staring at a train track hoping a train would go by. It was starting to rain so I went back down the mountain. Alas, I had already missed the last train going through before I even had reached the top.
Back at Fort William, I get dropped off at the B & B I was staying at. This was a nice place and I had a room all to myself. It was fabulous! I stayed at The Distillery House. I asked where I could go to get a pint and had to walk 10 minutes to get to the nearest pub. I had a great beer with dinner. Then I had to walk back. I relaxed and did some light reading before getting a good night's sleep.
Day 2 of Highlands
We head out for Eilean Donan castle as our first stop. We all got to go inside and stayed there for about an hour and a half. I was SOOO excited as this was the one thing I wanted to see the most. Fantastic views.
After getting back on the bus, we headed to Loch Ness. We stopped here for lunch and did a bit of shopping. I did not find Nessie. :( I did find a fun statue of her. :)
As we were heading back to Edinburgh, I suddenly realized I had no place to stay. When I was doing my bookings I somehow completely missed Friday on my schedule. I think it may have been because I had been considering a 3 day tour instead of the 2 day. I was lucky to find a hostel to stay in for the night on Thursday night. I was stuck in a room with 7 guys. I just kept to myself mostly. Did some reading. All was well.
Friday morning (Day 22)
I got myself settled at the hostel where I had booked a room. Then I decided to spend my last day in Edinburgh with a free walking tour. Our guide Kiel was fantastic. He also mentioned a great pub to have a pint in after the tour. I also ate haggis. The whiskey gravy made the dish. I then had to get up at an ungodly hour to catch a bus to the airport. Off to Dublin for the weekend.
That is all for now...
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