Round Britain: Ardfern to Lochgilphead

On By Carol HenshawIn ScotlandLeave a comment

On a sunny start to our last day of this trip we drove back up to the head of Loch Craignish to rejoin the A816. It turned inland and through some forests before we reached Carnasserie Castle.

The castle is a ruined 16th century tower house which was the home of the first Protestant Bishop of the Isles, Master John Carswell. He translated John Knox’s ‘Book of Our Common Order’ into Gaelic. This was the first book to be printed in Gaelic.

The castle is now under the care of Historic Scotland. We climbed up the stairs to see the view up Kilmartin Glen.

The Kilmartin Burn runs parallel to the road.

We then continued through Kilmartin and shortly afterwards, turned onto the B8025. Kilmartin has many ancient cairns and cup-marked rocks which you can find on walks around the village. We stopped at five standing stones in one of the fields near the road.

Further on we passed the Móine Mhór Nature Reserve before reaching the swing bridge at the beginning of the Crinan Canal at Bellanoch. It is only 9 miles long and runs from Crinan to Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne. Crinan is a small village located in Knapdale, which is part of Argyll and Bute. Before the Crinan Canal was built (it finally opened in 1809 after the first surveying began in 1777) Crinan was named Port Righ which meant the king’s port. We drove down to the harbour

and then round to the other side where we found a café next to the basin and locks.  

Near Dunardy Locks we stopped for lunch. In addition to the locks was one ruined building. The information board said that it was Linnet Shed which had been the boathouse for a passenger boat called The Linnet which had been built in 1866. It left the shed in 1929 and was destroyed in a gale three years later.

Just past Cairnbaan we crossed a bridge and got back onto the A816. Soon after we were in Lochgilphead where we will spend our last night on this leg of our journey. It sits at the head of Loch Gilp which is an offshoot of Loch Fyne.

Lochgilphead was first laid out as a planned town in the late 18th century, soon after the completion of the road from Inveraray to Campbeltown. It’s importance grew after the Crinan Canal was completed. It is administrative centre of Argyll and Bute. Our mileage total for this section was 310 miles bringing the total of Round Britain so far to 3,909.

Round Britain: Tralee to Ardfern

On By Carol HenshawIn Flowers. plants & trees, roads, ScotlandLeave a comment

We left Tralee to the sound of the birds singing in the wood behind the campsite. At Benderloch there are views over Ardmuckish Bay with Lismore in the distance.

There was a derelict boatshed on the beach.

We continued southwards on the A838 past Oban Airport and across the Connel Bridge which spans Loch Etive at its narrowest point.

A bridge was built in 1903 to carry the Ballachulish branch of the Callander to Oban Railway In 1909 a train service began between Connel Ferry and Benderloch on which road vehicles could be transported over the bridge. A single car was carried on a wagon hauled by a charabanc which had been adapted to run on rails. In 1914, a roadway was added to the bridge, alongside the railway line. Road traffic and trains were not allowed on the bridge at the same time and road users had to pay a toll. After the branch line closed in 1966, the bridge was converted for the exclusive use of road vehicles and pedestrians, and the toll was removed. It is still very narrow so has traffic lights. I first crossed this straight in 1961 when I was six weeks old with my parents in their motorbike and sidecar. We continued on the A85 before taking a diversion to Dunstaffnage.

The castle sits on a hill above the bay.

It was probably built before 1240 and was besieged by Robert the Bruce around 1308. In the 1460s ownership passed to the Campbells, earls of Argyll. In 1746 Flora MacDonald was held here after being arrested before being moved to the Tower of London.

There are views from the top.

In the nearby woods is a ruined chapel which was built by the MacDougall family in the 1200s.

Nearby there is an Ocean Explorer Centre and a Marine Science Centre. We returned to the A85 and continued through Oban without stopping because we had been there numerous times. On the A816 after passing Kilmore the road runs along side Loch Feochan and inland up Glen Gallain. It passes Loch Oude Dam and then descends steeply past some other small lochs before reaching Loch Melfort.

We visited Arduaine Gardens, now run by the National Trust for Scotland since 1992. The garden was begun by James Arthur Campbell in 1898 and look after by the family until Arduaine House was sold in 1965 and became an inn and then the Loch Melfort Hotel.

There are lots of rhododendrons

plus many other perennials.

Works are going on with trees after storm damage.

After looking around the garden we had coffee at the hotel and then travelled a little further past Craobh Harbour which had boats to hire before turning into the minor road that runs along the Craignish peninsula. Almost at the tip is a viewpoint with a car park. There is an old jetty

with a ruined building at the top.

It even had some street art inside.

We then settled into the motorhome park at Ardfern.  Ardfern is the largest settlement on the peninsula with a population of 400 plus summer visitors. The inn is thought to have been established in the 1600s or earlier to serve drovers who had ferried their cattle across to Craignish Point from Jura and Islay en route to the markets in Crieff and Falkirk.We hope it will be open for our evening meal tonight.

This morning we awoke to a low tide in Loch Craignish.

The seaweed was very yellow.

There is a church here but services are now held in the community hall and in a nearby parish.

We had coffee at Lucy’s café which also has art and crafts for sale. Nearby is the local book swap in the old phone box.

At the east end of Ardfern is the Yacht Club.

It was looking like a fairly wet day so we treated to the van for the afternoon.

Round Britain: Ardnamurchan to Tralee

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, Ferries & boats, ScotlandLeave a comment

On our last night in Ardnamurchan we had dinner in the Kilchoan House Hotel. On our honeymoon in 1987 we had a meal there and when the people at the next table found out, they gave us a bottle of champagne. This time the unexpected discovery was that the waiter who served us was from Tasmania. Along with the Red Centre, they are the only places in Australia we have not visited. The next morning was wet but it cleared up as we left and continued eastbound on the B8007. It turns inland and we saw huge areas of peat cuttings drying to be used. The road then descends to the shore and just past Salen we joined the A861. At Strontian, near the head of Loch Sunart.

We had coffee and the guy serving us in the café said that they had been badly hit by the failure of the Corran Ferry. It crosses the Corran Narrows, one of the oldest trade routes in Scotland. The first car ferry arrived in 1935. Before that, farmers had to swim their cattle across the water on the way to market. Currently the ferry has been out of action like many of those to the isles in Scotland. At the moment it is just a passenger ferry with no vehicles allowed. The road continued up Glen Tarbet where we were back on a two-lane road. It then runs down and crosses the River Gour and runs alongside Loch Linnhe. At Ardgour

we passed the ferry terminal but had to continue on the 44 mile detour up Loch Linnhe.

Before we turned into Loch Eil we had views across to Fort William.

We were back on a single track road until we got past Loch Eil and rejoined the A830. Just south of Fort William on the A82 we got stopped by the police and asked to turn round with all the other vehicles because a wide load was coming. Fortunately, we found a layby and had our lunch until it had passed. We then crossed over the Ballachulish Bridge and continued on the A828. Just south of Keil we left Lochaber and entered Argyll and Bute. We passed through Appin and Castle Stalker which is privately owned and the ferry terminal for Lismore. Across the Greagan Bridge we  arrived at Loch Creran and continued on the road for a few more miles until just before Benderloch we arrived at Tralee and our campsite. The last time I was here was in the early 1970s when we used to have family camping holidays here. I had a walk on the quiet beach after we had settled in.

Just behind the campsite is some deciduous woodland

where bluebells are in flower.

Round Britain: Arisaig to Ardnamuchan

On By Carol HenshawIn Ferries & boats, Scotland1 Comment

The evening before we left Arisaig I watched the sun go down from the beach.

The following morning was calm and sunny when we departed. After following the A380 to Lochailort, we took the A861 which runs down the side of Loch Ailort.

Like many roads in Scotland, it is bordered with woodland containing purple rhododendrons. They were first introduced into Scotland in the 1700s and have become the most invasive plant. The road descends to the Sound of Arisaig which has views over to Eigg and Rhum.

Further on it ascends Glen Uig and then runs down to Loch Moidart.

Near Kinlochmoidart several kayakers were getting ready to get into the still water. The road then continues up Drynie Hill before descending past Dalnabreck and Mingarry Park (which has a wild venison shop)  to Shiel Bridge which sits at the foot of the Five Sisters of Kintail mountains.  After crossing the bridge, we stopped at Acharacle for a coffee. We then continued to Salen and Loch Sunart. Beyond Laga and Glenborrodale is Ardnamurchan Distillery.

The road then turned inland and descends to Kilchoan. Several classic cars passed us on the way down who were presumably heading to an event. Before settling into the campsite, we drove out to the lighthouse at the most westerly point on the British mainland.

 The lighthouse was built in 1849 by Alan Stevenson in an Egyptian style. It is 36 metres high. There is a café and you can take a tour to the top of the building

or just admire the views.

We settled into our campsite at Ormsaigbeg which lies to the west of the main village. The last time we were in Kilchoan was our honeymoon in 1987. The next morning, we walked towards the centre. There are views across to Mull from the road and we then entered Kilchoan Bay where the jetty is located. Small boats and kayaks use this.

Further on, past the road to the lighthouse, is the school and the road down to the pier. Pier Road passes the community centre which has a café and then descends to Mingary Pier where the ferry runs to Tobermory on Mull. One had just left as we got there.

There was an interesting information board about the geology of Ardnamurchan. It is comprised of three overlapping rings from three volcanic centres. There are plenty of volcanic rocks around.  

Just before we left, we heard James Crawford talking about his latest book: Wild History: journeys into lost Scotland at Toppings Bookshop in Edinburgh. The only place in Ardnamurchan in the book is a Viking boat burial in Swordle Bay on the north coast of the peninsula. He says that the name Swordle is derived from a Norse word for ‘green valley. The Vikings arrived at some point in the 10th century and buried the boat and one dead member. This was not discovered until 2011. We will not be able to get round there on this trip.

Round Britain: Fort William to Arisaig

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, ScotlandLeave a comment

A few weeks after the last trip we arrived back in Fort William to start our next leg of Round Britain. After a night at the Glen Nevis campsite where we ended our last leg of the journey we set off the next morning. Our first stop as we headed out of town was Inverlochy Castle. 

It was built in the 1200s by the Comyns of Badenoch and is said to have been built on the remains of a fort of some sort dating back at least a further five hundred years. The first Battle of Inverlochy  was in 1431. Alasdair Carrach won a victory here for Clan Donald against the Earls of Mar and Caithness in their attempt to pacify the Lordship of the Isles in the name of the Scottish monarch. Though Alasdair Carrach’s archers made short work of the royal army, this battle was ultimately a rear guard action in the wake of the debacle of the Battle of Harlaw, which was the beginning of the end for the Lordship. The Second Battle of Inverlochy 1645. Inverlochy Castle last played a part in Scottish history during the Civil Wars of 1642-1649. In 1645, the Campbells under the Earl of Argyll, who was holding it, were defeated by the royalist Marquis of Montrose, a victory that was followed by the wholesale massacre of 1,300 of the Campbell defenders who were taken out of the Castle and put to the sword. Shortly after this the castle was abandoned in favour of a new fortification further down the River Lochy at its mouth where it joins Loch Linnhe. It is said to be one of the most complete remains of a castle from the 1200s. Like many properties in the care of Historic Scotland it is currently closed due to delays in carrying out safety surveys and undertaking repairs.

Thomas Telford constructed the bridge over the river Lochy in 1849 because construction of the road to Arisaig in 1804-1812 increased the traffic to the Mallaig ferries. In 1965 a new bridge was built. On the other side of the bridge is Bla Mor or Corpach Moss. In the droving days it was a rendezvous point for drovers from the small isles, Morar and Arisaig. At Caol a lot of work was underway with the waterside wall as part of a flood protection point. Just before Banavie we passed Neptune’s Staircase, eight locks and 72 feet high, leading up to the Caledonian Canal. We walked past it on the Great Glen Way in 2010. The road then parallels the railway to Mallaig through Corpach, past Loch Eil Outward Bound Centre which has its own station, Fassfern and Kinlocheil. A little further on I had planned to stop at Glenfinnan to photograph the viaduct but the car parks were completely full and we were waved on. The road then descends to Loch Eilt.

We stopped for coffee in Arisaig village. Just at the waterside is the Czech and Slovak memorial. In 1941 the Special Operations Executive (SOE) set up covert training bases in the Arisaig area. Many Czech and Slovak volunteers arrived secretly and were trained before being parachuted into Nazi-occupied areas. The memorial was erected in 2009 to honour them.

By the time we got to Mallaig it was raining very heavily.

In 1841 there were only four families living in Mallaig. The landowner, Lord Lovat had drawn up plans for 16 new crofts in the 1830s and during the 1840s, the population rose from 24 to 134. The fishing industry increased and after the railway was extended from Fort William to Mallaig and a pier built in 1901 its future as a fishing and a ferry port was secured. We found a second-hand bookshop to escape the rain and on the way back to the van, noticed the steam engine in the station. I wondered whether that was why there were so many people at Glenfinnan. We had our lunch by the Silver Sands of Morar where there was a brief lull in the rain.

Then it was time to check into the campsite at Sunnyside Croft and have a walk on the beach.

The following morning was still and sunny. Almost every time we step out of the van we hear a cuckoo calling and house and hedge sparrows, a carrion crow, robins and a goldfinch have been on the grass.  In the afternoon we were back on the beach in the good weather.

Tomorrow we are heading to Ardnamurchan.

Chanonry Point

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, ScotlandLeave a comment

Before heading home from our last van trip, we visited friends in Inverness and in the morning, had a walk to Chanonry Point. It sits on the Black Isle at Fortrose with Fort George which we visited in 2019:

Round Britain: Nairn to Inverness

on the opposite shore. We parked some distance away from it and walked down to it. The lighthouse was designed by Alan Stevenson and first operated in 1846. It was automated in 1984. The point is well-known for being a good spot to see dolphins but we were not fortunate to see any on our visit.

There is a memorial stone to Coinneach Odhar who was known as the Brahan Seer close to where he was brutally killed.

He lived in the 17th century and is said to have been from Lewis or Kintail. The seer was said to be able to predict the future by looking through a hagstone: a pebble with a hole in it. He worked at Brahan Castle near Dingwall which was home to the Earl and Countess of Seaforth. He was boiled in a spiked barrel of tar which was said to be punishment for witchcraft but was actually for seeing Countess Isabella’s husband’s infidelities in Paris. We wandered around, noticing some ruined cottages

and what looked like former ice-houses with the gorse in full bloom.

The former ferry pier dates from the 1700s and a ferry ran from here until 1935 because it is the shortest crossing point over the Moray Firth.

We then made our way on the coastal path which runs alongside the golf course.

There is a campsite nearby but we did not stay there in 2019 on our tour of this part of the country for some reason.

Round Britain: Invergarry to Fort William

On By Carol HenshawIn Scotland, walksLeave a comment

On our last night in Invergarry I watched the sun disappearing behind the mountains.

We set off in the morning across the bridge over the River Garry on the A82 towards Fort William.

A little further on is the road to Invergarry House Hotel. The ruined remains of Invergarry Castle should be visible from the grounds. Prince Charles spent a night there on August 26th 1745 after the battle of Culloden. It was laid to waste by the Duke of Cumberland a few days later. We continued down the side of Loch Oich. The Great Glen Way runs along the other side which was a reminder of when we walked it from Fort William to Inverness in May 2010. At Laggan Locks the Caledonian Canal links to Loch Oich to Loch Lochy.

The road runs along the edge before turning inland. Some of it runs on or parallel to part of General Wade’s Military Road. It was constructed in the mid 18th century by the British Government to try and bring control and order into parts of the country involved in the 1715 Jacobite uprising. At the junction with the B8004 to Gairlochy is Commando Memorial erected in memory of those who died in World War II. The Commando Basic Training Depot was established nearby at Achnarry Castle. It was unveiled by the Queen Mother in 1952.

Nearby is a tribute garden and a place to scatter ashes.

There is still some snow on the top of the surrounding mountains.

At Spean Bridge we stopped for a coffee at the Bridge Café and then drove on the A82 again in parallel with the railway. At one point we passed an almost derelict building which had a notice saying it was the Great Glen Cattle Ranch. Apparently, it was established in 1945 by Joseph W. Hobbs, an entrepreneur who made and lost several fortunes in Canada before returning to Britain after the great depression to prosper in the engineering and whisky trades. He bought Inverlochy Castle in the mid-1940s and began transforming tracts of barren moorland nearby into prairie style cattle grazing. The shelter was made of poured concrete and painted yellow originally. We then passed the Nevis Range Ski Centre access road and drove through Torlundy, a signpost to Happy Valley and the Ben Nevis Distillery before entering Fort William. It is very different from when I worked at the Belford Hospital for a couple of months in late 1984 and when we arrived on the Caledonian Sleeper to walk the Great Glen Way in 2010. We settled into the Glen Nevis Campsite and met up with some friends who now live in Corpach for a meal.

The next morning, we walked up Glen Nevis. Not far from the campsite, across the road from the youth hostel is a bridge with views downstream

and up the Nevis Water.

One of the paths up to the summit of Ben Nevis starts here. On the west side of the road is Nevis Forest, a large coniferous forest under the care of the Forestry Commission.  The West Highland Way passes through it (we walked it in 2009) before it joins the bottom of the glen road and enters town. Glen Nevis Estate which has 1000 acres owns the campsite and its restaurant & bar, self-catering accommodation and has been the location for a number of films including Braveheart. They have a herd of pedigree Highland Cattle which we saw at a distance. Nearer to the road were some sheep.

They have numerous signs saying no camping. We walked as far as the lower falls which is almost 3 miles from the campsite.

There is a lane that continues further on alongside Nevis Water with several paths up to the surrounding mountains. Nearby, on either side of the river is some native woodland; a project funded by Rio Tinto Alcan and Glen Nevis Estate. Native trees and wildflowers have been planted and a currently protected from deer grazing. We walked back down the road.

We will be returning home after visiting some friends in Inverness but will restart our journey in May.

Round Britain: Balmacara to Invergarry

On By Carol HenshawIn birds & birdwatching, Scotland1 Comment

Waking up early in Balmacara, we saw a hooded crow wandering around the site, looking for food and heard some noisy bikers passing by. We left to continue along the A87 passing through Kirkton which has a shinty pitch, Auchtertyre, Nostie, Ardelve and into Dornie which sits where Loch Long meets Loch Alsh and Loch Duich. Loch Long Bridge is a rather uninspiring concrete construction.

Just over it we pulled in near a pier where there were views across to the Eilean Donan Castle

and where I heard the first cuckoo of the season. There was the usual array of fishing tackle on the pier.

The road continues along Loch Duich, passing by Inverinate before arriving in Kintail. On the hillside just before the River Croe runs into the loch is St Dubhthac’s ruined church and Clachan Duich burial ground.

The path into the churchyard is named Kevin’s Way after a local 19 year old who was tragically killed. There is a memorial stone dedicated to him.

The war memorial is situated further up the hill

Over the bridge we had a coffee at The Pit Stop at Kintail sited next to the side road to Morvich. Afterwards we had a forage in the shop behind which has an amazing variety of goods from grocery and off-licence, crafts, antiques, gifts and much more As we re-joined the A87 it began to rain. At the head of the loch there is a dead fishing boat. At Shiel Bridge the road then runs up Glen Shiel with the Five Sisters on the left and The Saddle on the right. There are various memorials to the 10 June 1719 battle during the Jacobite rising. They were defeated by the British. It was too wet to explore more closely.  The snow was still on top of the mountains.

The rain had eased as we descended a little past Loch Cluanie which has a dam as part of the hydroelectric scheme. The A87 turns south and after passing Loch Loyne, we entered Lochaber and descended on a winding road to Loch Garry.

We had lunch at a view point before continuing alongside the loch to Invergarry.

A little early to get into the campsite we stopped off just south of the town near a farm which had several Highland Cattle.

There was also a boat sailing along the Caledonian Hotel.

We settled into Faichemard campsite which is situated in a forest above the town. The pitches are very spread out and it is quiet.

Our pitch was next to the pond.

and we had a visit from a mallard duck.

He returned the next morning for some food, a preen and a sleep. A hooded crow also came for a drink. After breakfast we walked into town for the papers. The River Garry runs just south of the road through town. The children were back at the primary school after the Easter holidays. The parish church had floral cross in front.

The heritage centre and café were shut unfortunately but we walked back along the riverside path.

Round Britain: Lochcarron to Balmacara

On By Carol HenshawIn Scotland, Trains & railways1 Comment

We awoke to a very sunny morning in Lochcarron and set off on the A896 round the head of the loch where the River Carron enters it. The A890 runs through Strathcarron over the level crossing near the station and down the other side of the loch along with the railway.

Attadale Station is near Attadale House and Gardens which you can visit. There is also a car park for anyone wishing to do any of the walking trails up the glen and on the surrounding hills. The road and railway then passes through a concrete tunnel which acts as an avalanche shelter and is then surrounded by coniferous forests. Stromeferry boomed when the railway arrived in 1870 but its importance diminished when the line was extended to Kyle. From a viewpoint in the forest above the town you can see Strome Castle and North Strome.

Just past Stromeferry we took the minor road to Plockton. It passes through some small communities including Achmore, Craig, Duncraig station and into the Balmacara Estate. The Estate spans the Kyle peninsula and since 2000 has been under the care of the National Trust for Scotland.

Plockton was a planned village developed in the early 1800s by Sir Hugh Innes for fishing and to house the crofters cleared from better agricultural land elsewhere on the estate. Life for them became very hard and Plockton was once known as baile nam bochd, village of the poor. There is an open air church site which arose after the disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843. The Free Church had no place to worship and met outdoors. We entered past the station, the High School (where children from Applecross go to and like my high school in Callander, there is a hostel for those who live along way from it) and the primary school before parking down near the waterfront.

After a coffee we had a wander around

before picking up the minor road which runs to Kyle. It passes through Duirinish which has a station, Drumbuie, over some hills, through Erbusaig and Badicaul before entering Kyle of Lochalsh. After stocking up with supplies we drove over the Skye Bridge for the first time (our last visit to Skye was so long ago the bridge had not been built). There were good views from the other side.

Back on the Kyle side we continued on the A87 down the side of Loch Alsh where there are several viewpoints and eventually arrived at Balmacara. The road into the village is opposite Balmacara House and runs to what is called the square. There is a pond in the centre

and among other things: a visitors centre and an art gallery which we had a look in. There is also an old mill which they are trying to raise funds to renovate. Reraig campsite is just a little further on and we settled in. In the field next door, a shinty match was under way. It reminded me of while on my first medical house job in Inverness in late 1984, Saturday evenings would be busy for A&E with shinty facial injuries. Unlike hockey where you cannot lift the stick above your shoulder, you can in shinty.

Round Britain: Applecross to Lochcarron

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, Scotland2 Comments

After two days of torrential rain, we awoke to sunshine and set off on the next leg of our journey. We drove north along the coast road. Our first stop was at Sand, also known as Mod Butec by the military who have erected this sign on the entrance road.

There was also a sign saying that this is a no drone zone. The sand is very red and a complete contrast to the white sand we will see later this year in Arisaig and Morar.

The military establishment is up on the hill

and there is also a ruined croft.

The road continues past a couple of disused quarries and a small waterfall before the small communities of Lonbain and Kalnakill. There is then a viewpoint which looks towards Rona

and Raasay with Skye in the background.

We continued on past Cuaig, The Croft Wools Gallery and Fearnmore which has several modernised houses and some ruined crofts. Further on there are conifer plantations. Arrisa is a little larger than some of communities we have passed. We then reached Kenmore and the Applecross Smokehouse. Just before Ardheslaig we had a  brief shower. The road runs along the side of Loch Sheildaig and down here, the sheep have had their lambs. After Doire Aonar and Kinloch, we saw a sign saying that this was a red squirrel re-introduction zone. We stopped at Sheildaig to see if we could find a newspaper but had no luck.

The shop in Applecross has not had them since the pandemic. Back on the A896, towards Lochcarron we drove back past Tornapress where we had turned off a couple of days ago to attempt the Bealach na Ba. Looking towards it today there was still some snow on top of the mountains.

We entered Lochcarron

and settled into the Wee Campsite which is situated on the hill behind the main street. Just at the bottom of Croft Road is a garage and behind it is a heap of tyres with a cat sitting in the middle

We found the newspapers and other supplies and then I set off on a short walk along the grass verge towards the head of the loch

and then back along the waterside where I found a fair amount of sea glass.