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England-Scotland Day 5 (Part 2) – Loch Lubnaig, Loch Earn

7 April 2010

From Stirling to Killin, we took the A84 northwards through the town of Callandar where we stopped for lunch. After Callandar, the A84 route passes through the Trossachs National Park and becomes very scenic. We stopped by a rest point next to Loch Lubnaig. 

Loch Lubnaig is located about 3 miles from Callander on the left side of the road.


We have heard of the famous Loch Ness monster. Is this the head of a Loch Lubniag Monster near the shore?


Dog at Loch Lubnaig – nice place for a picnic or camping trip

We saw this dog that looked like a stray but it belonged to a family camping nearby.


Loch Lubnaig – nice place for a picnic or camping trip.


A84 next join up with A85 and Loch Earn is located at this junction. We made a short stop by Loch Earn to view the scenery before continuing along A85 north. 

Seaplane at Loch Earn.


Post box at Loch Earn.


This part of the journey on the A85 after Loch Earn was where we hoped to get a glimpse of Harry Potter's train.  We only saw the viaduct for the train from the road at Glen Ogle. We could not stop the car along this motorway. Hence no good picture of the viaduct against the backdrop of the Scottish Highlands.

At some point along the A85, we spotted the sign for A827 towards Killin. The A827 (aka Dochart Road) led us straight into Killin.

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England-Scotland Day 5 (Part 3) – Killin and the Falls of Dochart

7 April 2010

This part of the A827 is also known as Dochart Road and it led us to Killin and the Falls of Dochart. We cannot missed it as the road passes next to the river. We parked our car by the river bank and walked forward to view the Falls of Dochart.

This is a very fast flowing river and the scenery was awesome!

The above photo shows the Falls of Dochart at Killin and the scenic views of the Scottish Highlands.


Falls of Dochart at Killin, Scotland, Scottish HighlandsLong exposure shot of the Falls of Dochart.


Crossing the stone bridge.


Viewing the Falls of Dochart from the bridge.

 

This narrow bridge is part of the A827. Only one car passable at any point in time. We walked across the stone bridge and took more photos of the scenery and old water wheel.


Water wheel making use of the fast flowing river to do some useful work. Looking at this wheel, it reminded me of a scene from the movie “The Eagle has Landed”.


Back to our car to continue our journey towards Kenmore, our next stop.


The scenic A827 continued to Kenmore and we had to drive across the raging river using the narrow stone bridge we saw earlier.

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England-Scotland Day 5 (Part 4 ) – Kenmore and Aberfeldy

7 April 2010

Leaving the Falls of Dochart and Killin, we continued along the A827.  The scenic A827 goes along the shores of Loch Tay and passes through the small village of Kenmore. Many traditional buildings, painted in white and black, lined the main street.  One of the key attraction in Kenmore is the Kenmore Hotel, Scotland's oldest inn.

Entrance to Taymouth Castle. The Taymouth Estate is huge, with golf course and the Taymouth Castle inside. There were nothing much to see except empty grass field (golf course?) beyond this gate. We parked our car here and walked around the small village.

The above picture shows the post office at Kenmore, located opposite the Kenmore Hotel.

Kenmore Hotel, Scotland's oldest inn.


The front entrance of the Kenmore Hotel is striking. Note the black solid tree trunks used to form the pillars.



We stopped at the Kenmore Hotel for lunch. It was past the typical lunch hour so we were the only guests.

After lunch, we went to the back of the hotel which is by the river and watched children kayaking near the Kenmore Bridge and ducks foraging for food by the river banks.

The Kenmore Bridge is built across the River Tay, where the water flows out of Loch Tay we passed by on the way here. The 7-arch stone bridge was built in 1774 and still carries traffic.


Kenmore bridge over River Tay, Scotland.



We drove across the Kenmore Bridge (part of the A827) and continued to next village of Aberfeldy.

Aberfeldy is located about 6 miles east of Kenmore along the same A827. We went to see the Aberfeldy’s Tay Bridge, also known as “General Wade’s Bridge”.

Tay Bridge or General Wade bridge over River Tay at Aberfeldy, Scotland.


This stone bridge is a work of art with the 5 arches and decorated with 4 obelisks on the centre span.


The bridge still carries traffic today but only single lane. So, only one vehicle in one direction at a time. This bridge was part of the network of military roads built under General Wade in 1733.

Black Watch monument at Aberfeldy, Scotland. Located in a park next to River Tay and the bridge. It takes the form of a massive cairn topped with a statue of Private Farquhar Shaw dressed in the original uniform of the Black Watch Regiment.


By the banks of River Tay at Aberfeldy. Beautiful view of Ben Lawers mountains. Scotland.


It was slightly past 5 PM when we left Aberfeldy. Our final place to visit today is the Queen’s View before heading back to Pitlochry where we stayed for the night.

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England-Scotland Day 5 (Part 5) – Queen’s View and Pitlochry

7 April 2010

Leaving Aberfeldy, we continued along A827 till it joins up with the A9 leading to Pitlochry. We went to see the Queen’s View first before checking into the B&B at Pitlochry. Queen’s View is located about 6.5 miles(10.5 km) west of Pitlochry. This look-out point is called Queen's View, named after Queen Isabella, wife of Robert the Bruce who rules Scotland between 1306 and 1329. But it was made famous by Queen Victoria who came to see this view in 1866.

Access to Queen’s View is via B8019 with access west from the A9. This road is narrow, winding and leads up-hill towards our destination though thick woods. Because of the thick woods, the road was darker than it was supposed to be at 5.30 PM. There were few cars travelling on B8019 at this time of day, in fact, I think we were the only car heading up this road. Nevertheless, we pressed on and soon enough, we found ourselves in the deserted car park next to the Queen’s View Visitor Centre.  To get to the viewing point from the car park, a short hike was required.

View of Loch Tummel. This look-out point is called Queen's View named after Queen Isabella, wife of Robert the Bruce who rules Scotland between 1306 and 1329. But made famous by Queen Victoria who came to see this view in 1866. Scotland, Scottish HighlandsView of Loch Tummel. This look-out point is called Queen's View.


Queen-Size caterpillar at Queen’s View.


This would be a good place for me to photograph the sunset but it would mean driving down B8019 in the dark which was not something I fancied doing. It was slightly passed 6 PM when we left the car-park. We took advantage of the remaining light to get down safely to the A9. Pitlochry is located along the A924, off the A9.

Our B&B is The Well House, near the town centre within Pitlochry.  The host Mary Leaman were happy and relieved to see us as it was rather late when we arrived. The B&B provides free off-road parking at the rear so we left the car there and walked to the town centre for dinner after check-in. There was a Champions League game between Manchester United and Bayern Munich scheduled on TV that night. So, we chose a restaurant that has a TV showing the live game. We were not disappointed. We found a pub showing the game. It was a good game and a good ending to a very enjoyable day.

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England-Scotland Day 6 (Part 1) – Pitlochry Dam and Power Station and the Salmon Ladder

8 April 2010

Pitlochry Fish Ladder and Dam was constructed between 1947 and 1951, damming up the River Tummel to form Loch Faskally some 5km in length. With such a massive obstacle (the dam) across the River Tummel it was necessary to create a way for the 5,000+ salmon each year to pass upstream to spawn. Hence a Fish Ladder was built next to the dam and it would be a good opportunity to see some salmon swimming upstream.

I planned to visit the Pitlochry Fish Ladder and Dam in the morning before leaving Pitlochry where we had stayed for one night during our road trip.

I was the first to wake up and witness the morning mist drifting into the town from the bedroom windows of the Well House B&B in Pitlochry.

View from the bedroom of the Well House at Pitlochry , Scotland.


After a good breakfast, packed and ready to go, I paid our host, Mr Gordon Leaman, for the stay. I asked him for some directions on how to get to the Pitlochry Dam and Power Station from the B&B by car. The dam is located on the other side of the A9 via Armoury Road and it was easy to find.

As advised by Mr Leaman, we parked the car at the open spaces near the dam and walked along the access road by the river towards the dam. It was drizzling intermittently in the morning sun, so a rainbow was seen over the dam.

Faint rainbow over the Pitlochry Dam and Power Station.


Walking to the dam. The first part of the the Salmon Ladder could be seen on the left.


Pitlochry Dam and Power Station and with the Salmon Ladder in the foreground. The ladder is leading the fish up (away from the dam at this first stage), and then make a U-turn underneath the road and continue up over the dam at the second stage of the ladder.


Second part of the Salmon Ladder, leading up to the dam.


The fish ladder was specially constructed to enable salmon to by-pass the dam and make their way upstream to Loch Faskally above the dam.


The fish ladder was built at the dam to allow salmon to move up and over the 86.5m high dam and get to the spawning grounds upstream. The ladder is 310 metres long and consists of 34 chambers, linked together by pipes that the salmon can swim through.

There are sophisticated counters to keep track of the number of salmon that went up through the ladders each year. About 5000 fish (salmon and sea-trout) used the ladder each year between April and late September.  Glass windows in a viewing chamber allowed close-up view of the fish using the ladder. Unfortunately, we did not get to see any adult salmon while we were there, but we saw a few small fish in the chambers. Maybe we are too early and the migration by the adult fish up the river to spawn had not started.

The Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre was worth a visit to see how electricity is generated from the dam.


A life size model of an adult Salmon is displayed in the visitor centre. It also featured many interactive and educational exhibits.


The Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre also showed the history of the dam building, environment protection, how hydro-electricity is generated, why and how the fish make their epic journey from their birthplace in Highland rivers, out to sea and back upstream to spawn.

As we were leaving the Visitor Centre, we met Mr Leaman again. He had cycled to the dam, in the drizzle, with an umbrella in hand, to look for us and return me some money. I had apparently over paid him earlier due to my mistake in not recognising the denomination of the Sterling Pound notes. A truly honest and commendable gentleman!

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England-Scotland Day 6 (Part 2) – Pass of Killiecrankie and Soldier’s Leap

8 April 2010

After leaving Pitlochry Dam and Power Station, we backtracked back to Pitlochry town and continued northwards along the A924 and then B8019 to the Pass of Killiecrankie and made a stop to view a place called the Soldier’s Leap. This mountain pass is a natural corridor that links the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. This is the site of Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689.

Pass of Killiecrankie, Scottish Highlands, ScotlandPath leading to the Soldier’s Leap Viewpoint.


Small waterfall seen along the walk.


River Garry flows at the bottom of the Killiecrankie Pass, with the roadway above.


River Garry with what looks like a railway viaduct.


Walking through the woods towards Soldier’s Leap.


Soldier’s Leap – story behind the place.


Pass of Killiecrankie, Scottish Highlands, scotlandRiver Garry where a soldier is said to have leap across from the rocks here, in order to escape from pursuing enemy that would otherwise take his life. Not an easy feat but when it is a life or death situation, he may have found additional strength and courage.


Looking at Soldier’s Leap and wondering how he did it, i.e. jumped 5.5 meters across this river.



Overall, the Pass of Killiecrankie is a good place to stop and take a walk through the woods and see some historical sights during a road trip. It is also a good place for some bird watching in the woods.

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England-Scotland Day 6 (Part 3) – On the road to Inverness

8 April 2010

Continuing on the A8079 from the Pass of Killiecrankie, we made a short detour to view the Blair Castle from the outside. and continued back up on the A9 towards our next destination, Inverness.

Inverness is the town on the northern tip of Loch Ness, famous for its monster. It was time to give my son a chance at the wheels for the journey to Inverness and give me a chance to take some photos of the journey. It was a nice scenic drive through the Scottish Highlands.

Driving on the A9 towards Inverness, scotland

Driving on the A9 towards Inverness. This stretch of highway is generally safe and easy to drive but  have to watch out for approaching cars that are overtaking.


Yawning while driving! One hand on wheel!


So few cars on this stretch of the A9 towards Inverness.


Beautiful scenic route on the A9. Snow-cap mountains.


Driving on the A9 towards Inverness, scotland


I took over the wheels again just at the outskirt of Inverness and navigate through the town to find a place for lunch.

Inverness is quite a busy town and my challenge was to find a parking space.  We spotted a Chinese Buffet restaurant called the Jimmy Chung’s Restaurant by the River Ness and decided to have our lunch there before we went looking for Nessie, the Loch Ness monster.

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England-Scotland Day 6 (Part 4 ) – Loch Ness and the A835 to Ullapool

8 April 2010

From Inverness, we took the A82 along the northern shore of the Loch Ness. Loch Ness is no ordinary body of water. It is the largest of three lochs located in the Great Glen of Scotland and it divides Scotland along a line running from Inverness to Fort William on the southern shore. It is about 37 km in length, but only a width of about 1.6 km at the width point. Loch Ness also has the greatest depth of about 240m and is a seismic fault line. And of course, the legend of the monster that lurks within.

To go around the entire Loch Ness would take too long, so we visited the Loch Ness Visitor Centre located at Drumnadrochit. Some visitors may actually take a boat cruise on the Loch and hope to spot the Loch Ness monster or just enjoy the scenery.  The drive along A82 offered views of the loch and we were hoping that we would be very, very lucky and able to spot the monster along the way.

The Loch Ness Visitor Centre is not just about the monster but also about the Loch and some history. After visiting the centre, I am more convinced that there is no monster living in Loch Ness anymore. There may be a monster in the past but I think the monster would have perished and extinct now. Sad.

Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, ScotlandLoch Ness Visitor Centre at Drumnadrochit.


Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, ScotlandWe finally saw Nessie! Lurking at a pond, next to the Visitor Centre car park.


A short drive further down along the A82 from Drumnadrochit is the Urquhart Castle where the Loch Ness monster was photographed in 1955 by a chap called Peter MacNab. A photo of a large object moving through the water of the loch near Urquhart Castle was produced. 

The  famous Urquhart Castle where the Loch Ness monster was photographed in 1955. The so called “MacNab Photograph” of Nessie swimming beneath the castle was controversial and likely to be fake.


Note the wake of a passing boat in the Loch Ness. The boat could be long gone but the wake was still visible in the narrow loch. It could be easily mistaken for a wave caused by the monster.


To visit and walk within the Urquhart Castle site requires payment of an entrance fee. We decided to skip this and head for Ullapool where we will be staying for the night.

To get to Ullapool from Drumnadrochit, there were a few options in terms of route. We chose to backtrack to Inverness on the A82, then take the A9 which took us to the A835 which then leads directly to Ullapool. This was a slightly longer way, but avoided having to navigate through several criss-crossing A-roads in the highlands. In any case, the A835 to Ullapool was a very nice scenic route.

The views along the A835 were stunning and tempting us to stop but it was not too safe to stop on the single lane, winding highway unless there were specially constructed lookout points or rest areas. We finally stopped at a large picnic area by Loch Glascarnoch to enjoy the views and to take some family photos using my camera on the tripod.

Loch Glascarnoch on A835 on our way to Ullapool. The loch is formed as result of the dam built across the river. Scottish Highlands, ScotlandLoch Glascarnoch on A835 on our way to Ullapool.


The loch is formed as result of the dam built across the river. The dam could be seen in the far end of this photo.

Family photo at Loch Glascarnoch – South view of the loch.


Family photo at Loch Glascarnoch – North view of the loch.


The A835, seen on left, goes along the entire length of Loch Glascarnoch. Nice scenic drive.


It was about 6.30 PM when we left Loch Grascarnoch and continued on to Ullapool which was a short drive away. Ullapool is a small picturesque fishing village located on the north shore of Loch Broom. The A835 skirts the north edge of Loch Broom to Ullapool.

Shirley, our host, was waiting for us at the Broombank B&B. As the name implied, the B&B is located on a high ground overlooking Loch Broom. She had some family members visiting her and one of the visiting kid was playing the bagpipes while we were checking in.

Nice welcome.

And she owned a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel! Seeing her dog made me missed our two King Charles spaniels left at home.

After check-in, we took a drive to explore the small village of Ullapool and in particular to look for a place to have dinner. There was a live telecast of Europa League game between Liverpool and Benfica scheduled at 8 PM on TV. So we ate at a pub showing the live game before heading back at half time to watch the rest of the game on TV in our room.

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England-Scotland Day 7 (Part 1) – Coigach and Assynt peninsula from Ullapool to Lochinver


9 April 2010

Ullapool is an ideal base from which to explore Wester Ross and the Highlands of Scotland. The plan for Day 7 of our England-Scotland driving holiday was to explore the Coigach and Assynt peninsula north of Ullapool by car. This route which brings us to some of the most remote but beautiful places in the Scottish Highlands would requires driving on single-track roads, with some parts very narrow and winding. A single track road is one where the road is just wide enough for one car to pass. This would be first time that we would be driving on the single-track roads in Scotland, so I was excited and a little apprehensive about what to expect.

Tip: For first timers like me, it was important to READ THIS before driving on the single track roads in Scotland.

We started the day with a wonderful breakfast at Broombank B&B in Ullapool. Good food and excellent view of the Loch Broom from the table. Our host, Shirley, came to chat with us over breakfast. She is so warm and friendly and keeps reminding us to let her know if there is anything else we need.


Broombank B&B, Ullapool. Nice views of Loch Broom from the breakfast table.

We set off at about 10 am and took the A835 north out from Ullapool. Sky was cloudy but no rain when we left. Shirley told us over breakfast that it was raining the few days before we came.

Before long, we were enjoying the stunning views of the Scottish highland.  The low clouds make the photos looked so dramatic.

View of cloud covered Ben More -  taken on the A835 north of Ullapool. Stac Pollaidh in the distant background on the left.


At about 10 miles north of Ullapool, we took a side road on the left towards Achiltibuie. The single track road passed by the north side of Loch Lurgainn, and under the foot of Stac Pollaidh where there was a car park for hikers to leave the cars/bikes when ascending Stac Pollaidh.

Single track road leading to Achiltibuie. This single track road passed by the north side of Loch Lurgainn, and under the foot of Stac Pollaidh

Single track road leading to Achiltibuie. This single track road passed by the north side of Loch Lurgainn, and under the foot of Stac Pollaidh.


Panorama of Ben More Coigach with Loch Lurgainn, taken at the car park at the foot of Stac Pollaidh.


Stac Pollaidh, from the carpark where climbers start their trek up.


Erosion and also climbers are wearing down the sandstone mountain.


Loch Lurgainn, taken at the car park at the foot of Stac Pollaidh.


Continuing on this single track road would lead us to Achiltibuie. Instead of going there, we took a minor road on the right that pointed to Lochinver.  

The following is a video of driving on narrow single track road towards Inverkirkaig, on the way to Lochinver. But then, I had more or less got used to driving on the single track roads but this part was quite tricky.

It was a beautiful scenic drive and quite fun for the driver but the passengers (especially the wife) were more tense than the driver. A bit of drizzle that came on and off makes the drive slightly more hazardous on the wet road.



Most parts of this road had no guard rails or fencing on the side and a mistake would meant the car going into the ditch or loch.

At some points, the road were so narrow that the proximity sensors on the Mercedes E-class sedan sounded alarms as we almost scrapped the car against the stone fencing or wall. This video also demonstrated the use of passing places and some best practices for tourists on such roads. Go slow, enjoy the views, let the faster local drivers pass.

We arrived safe and sound at the small village of Kirkaig.

Rocky beach by Loch Kirkaig near Inverkirkaig, on the way to Lochinver.


Driving into Kirkaig.


Kirkaig has its origins as Kirkju-vik meaning church bay in Old Norse, suggesting that there was a settlement with a church here in Viking times. 

Continuing on, we reached Lochinver
at about 11.30 AM. The first place we visited was the Assynt Visitor Centre. Besides being a Tourist Information Centre, it is also a bookshop, museum of natural and social history, activity centre and base for the Highland Council rangers.


At carpark behind the Assynt Visitor Centre in Lochinver.


Assynt Visitor Centre at Lochinver.


We spent some time viewing the exhibits within and also crossed the road to view Loch Inver (the loch, not the town).


Boat at Lochinver harbour, shot using a telephoto lens from outside the Assynt Visitor Centre.


Cottages at Lochinver, Scottish Highlands. I like the colour contrast between the red boat against the white cottage and green trimmings.



We went into Lochinver looking for a place to eat. Lochinver is a small village along the A835 which run parallel to the Inver river.

We parked the car at a carpark, next to a gas station, and explored the town on foot. Further down the road along the A835, we chanced upon a pie shop called the Lochinver Larder.  The pies were one of the best I have eaten. To this day, my wife was still craving for the Lochinver pies. I wonder if we would have a chance to return to this place again.


Resource: I use the driving route as described in this website.

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England-Scotland Day 7 (Part 2) – exploring the Coigach and Assynt peninsula from Lochinver to Stoer Lighthouse

9 April 2010

After our lunch stop, we took the A837 out of Lochinver and then the small B869 road northwards.

The above photo shows Lochinver, with the Suilven Mountain in the background.


B869 is a narrow, winding single-track road. We saw some sheep that came onto the road, so we slowed down to a crawl to avoid hitting them. The local Scottish drivers were used to such encounters, overtook us and sped right through. For us, it was quite a sight. Later on, we actually saw a dead adult sheep (road kill) on the left side of the road. Was it the guy who overtook us a while back that did this?

As we had enough time, we took a detour off the B869 to see the Stoer Lighthouse. Leaving the narrow B869, we took an even narrower single track road that led to the Stoer peninsula. The landscape here was mostly grass fields, with sparse farm buildings and sheds. We passed by some hairy cows on the track near the coast.


Stoer Lighthouse, Stoer peninsula, Assynt, Scotland

Scottish hairy cows or highland cows on the single track road towards the Stoer lighthouse.


The track led to a car park near the lighthouse. Surprisingly, there were some cars parked there but no else were seen near the lighthouse.  We had to walk up a tar road leading to the lighthouse.

The Stoer Lighthouse built in 1870 at the headland of the Point of Stoer. This is the most Westerly point on the peninsula.


The tower of the lighthouse is only 14 meters high but 54 meters above sea level. It was one of the 200 lighthouses located in Scotland’s coast.

The engineers that built the lighthouse were related to Robert Louis Stevensons, the author of the books Treasure Island and Kidnapped. It is said that the author visited the lighthouse as a kid and his time spent here was thought to be inspirations for those books.

The lighthouse is unmanned now. The switching of the electric lights are now automated using light sensors and monitored from Edinburgh. 


Stoer Lighthouse, Stoer peninsula, Assynt, Scotland

The remains of stable, cow and cart shed, pig house that were used by the previous lighthouse keepers could be seen at side of the road leading to the lighthouse.

This is supposed to be a good place to watch whales and dolphins and there is a sign board explaining this.


To see any of the whales, sharks or dolphins, be prepared to sit for hours with a pair of binoculars. No thanks.


On the tar road leading to the lighthouse.


View of the coast from outside the lighthouse. The long and winding road that we took to get here could be seen in the lower right hand corner.


I wanted to shoot some pictures of the coast and mountains in the distance, so I ventured down onto the grass field.

Have to be careful not to go too close to the edge, as it meant a vertical drop of 50m into the sea.


After some time, the family decided to follow me onto the grass field.


Big vast open green fields near the Stoer Lighthouse.


Stoer Lighthouse, Stoer peninsula, Assynt, Scotland

Have to beware of these “land mines!” Actually sheep droppings.


Once we were tired of the coastal views and sheep droppings, we went back to the car and took the same route back. This time, we stopped quite close to the herd of highland cows to take some photos. I wanted to take a photo of a bull with the long horns but all we saw were females and calves.

Stoer Lighthouse, Stoer peninsula, Assynt, Scotland

Stoer Lighthouse, Stoer peninsula, Assynt, Scotland

Stoer Lighthouse, Stoer peninsula, Assynt, Scotland

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