You Take the High Road and I'll Take the Low Road - A Journey Thru the Highlands and Islands of Scotland

We left the Isle of Lewis after the Big Wedding 

A Pictorial Essay ...

     After the Wedding was over, everyone began to make their way home, using different methods.  The Island (off the coast of Scotland) and the town of Stornoway are not easy to get to.  It takes planning, time, and some luck with the weather.  

Departing from Stornoway on the Ferry - what a day!

     On the way there we flew, so it was relatively easy, except for the minor league airlines that we used.  They were kind of amateur and not very organized, with a bunch of dumb rules.  But we made it there.

     However, on the way back we decided to go overland, and over sea.  We took the large ocean going ferry from Stornoway to the mainland.  It was journey that took a little over three hours.  

     We got lucky, the weather was good, and the crossing was smooth.  It isn't always.  It can be treacherous and rough and even gets cancelled on occasion from serious Atlantic storms.   But the water was like glass when we crossed on Monday, and the sun came out several times.  And it's also a new ship.  It was great, the best crossing I can remember.

Lewis and Ruby gazing out the window on the ferry crossing - smooth and nice, we even saw some whales!

     

     We reached the mainland of Scotland and docked at a place called Ullapool, a small but scenic town on the coast.  

     From there we caught the bus to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands of Scotland.  We stayed the night there and had a chance to look around and visit the castle and the River Ness (shown below), which flows through the small city.  

 

     Then we made a slight change of plans and rented a car (we were going to take the train) in order to drive down to Glasgow.  It's the largest city in Scotland and the place where we would catch our flights to infinity and beyond ....

Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness

     So we drove down by the side of Loch Ness, shown above.  We didn't see the Loch Ness Monster, although we did a fair amount of looking.  The scenery was beautiful.   

     We eventually came to one of the most spectacular parts of Scotland and all of Britain - the mountains of Glencoe.  The weather by then was not too good, but we were able to enjoy the rugged and historic views. 

 

     After passing along the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond, we came to Glasgow and by then it was raining hard, but we were enjoying the amazing journey.  

*** Special note:  A lot of Americans get the name of this major city wrong when they say it.  It is pronounced Glazz-Go - often people say Glazz-Gow, ending with the sound like "how" or "cow". ***

     We took some time to drive around and have a look at things.  It's a city that has undergone a lot of changes and is vibrant and full of life these days.  

     There are bunch of statues all around Glasgow, and this unfortunate chap below has suffered the indignity of having a statue erected to him, that is forever pooped on by pigeons! (or is that a seagull?)  What a bummer!

 

     So we finished off at the airport in Glasgow, and by this time Alison had joined us, flying in from Stornoway.  We had a brief reunion and said goodbye.  We have all departed by different methods now. 

     We have spent the last eighteen days with Lewis and Ruby, who are now on their way to Africa, via Paris.  Yesterday was their anniversary, number nine.  I captured this selfie below with them in Inverness.

 

     And of course, there was one last sunset, for which I borrowed this picture from Alison.

 

     Tonight we are at the airport in Amsterdam, and fly home tomorrow.  It was a lot of activity in a short time .... !