FUN-travel: Scotland – Glasgow to Isle of Skye to Edinburgh

October 6, 2011 by  

Day 18 – Saturday, October 1 – Glasgow to Isle of Skye – rain but still not cold, low 60’s – Depart 10 am

Eilean Donan Castle

Hertz pickup – hoping for smaller car – booked mid size automatic & get VW station wagon (better than the Renault) – take off w/pouring rain

  • 1st stop – Bonnie Braes – bad coffee & scone (half way up Loch Lomand – no other options)
  • 2nd stop – Fort Williams – good cappuccino & grocery store for snacks & drinks
  • 3rd stop – Eilean Donan Castle – just too sweet! & Scotland’s most photogenic countryside castle
  • Rain has persisted much of the day w/low thick clouds & fog swallowing the mountain tops
  • 4th stop – town of Portree, Isle of Skye 5:45 pm – Almondbank Guest House – 72 lbs – Effie the owner suggests the Rosedale Hotel restaurant for dinner – drive 1.5 miles to cute harbor town of colorful store fronts & boats
  • FUN-food – dozen Loch Harport oysters w/tomato chili salsa, grilled goats cheese w/sun blushed tomato & rocket salad, steamed Arasaig mussels in white wine, garlic, parsley, cream – these could be the best we’ve had so far!

Portree Harbor

Day 19 – Sunday, October 2 – Isle of Skye to Edinburgh – clouds w/blue sky in west – sprinkles but still not cold, low 60’s – Depart 9:30 am

  • Actually got up early enough to experience exquisite dawn over the mountains and harbor!

Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness

  • Depart 9:30 for narrow, twisty (more single lane roads) of Trotternish Peninsula – stark vistas of  jagged rock formation
  • 1st stop – 11:30 – latte/cappuccino stop in Broadford
  • 2nd stop – 1:00 Loch Ness Urquhart Castle – too cheap to actually pay to go in so take photos from road
  • 3rd stop – 2:00 Inverness for snack & gas – horror strikes when on way back to car realize you have to pay to park at the grocery store! no ticket thank god!
  • Arrive Edinburgh 5:45 (takes 1 hr to find Dalmahoy Country Club) using the last of Marriott points – 5 days, 100,000 pts and free!
  • FUN-food – pretty much captive here but Club House food is decent – salad of rocket, crumbled goat cheese, apples, toasted macadamia nuts – Murgh Makhani –  butter chicken w/nan bread, chutney & rice (big Indian population here too)

Rare Blue Butt Sheep

Myth – you always get accurate directions on Google maps (or any internet provider)
FUN-damental truth – NO! & the reason is many old estates & castles have no real address & you’re better off getting directions directly from them

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