Road trip through Scotland
Travel time: from September 16 to September 24.2012.
Way: Moscow - (air via Frankfurt) - Aberdeen - (car rental) - Inverness - Ullapool - (ferry) - Stornoway (Lewis Island) - Tarbet (Harris Island) - (ferry) - Uig (Skye Island) - Fort William - Ballloch (Loch Lomond) - Dundee - Aberdeen - (by air via Frankfurt) - Moscow.
Preparation: Tickets bought in advance cost 15.000 rubles per person - we tried to choose a flight with a minimum connecting time. All hotels were booked through booking. com, tripadwizor. com based on reviews and an average rating. Only one hotel out of seven withdrew an advance payment of 50 pounds. It was a must to have your own parking lot. The ferry was booked and paid through the official calmac website. co. uk there is also a timetable. Car - through Alamo. com. All bookings were made from Moscow by card. About the language barrier: I have knowledge of the language at the level of the first grade of a comprehensive school (I teach with my child), my husband is a little better with this.
This was not an obstacle to travel. If a Scot wants to explain something to you, he will do it, spending as much time and effort on it as it takes, sometimes switching to sign language and dancing.
Having downloaded several maps with geo-navigation on the ipad (my maps from google - you need to constantly upload, so the presence of the Internet is relevant and MapsWithMe - works without the Internet) and having marked the points of our route on the first of them, we began to pack our bags.
Flight: We flew from Domodedovo airport to Aberdeen with a transfer in Frankfurt (Germany) by Lufthansa airline, having a UK multivisa canceled in April in our passports. There was no Schengen, the transfer was 55 minutes, the luggage was handed over. As a result, the flight was delayed for 30 minutes, and in Frankfurt the first time they did not sit on the runway! The plane touched the ground with its rear landing gear and we went on takeoff again! On the second attempt, they sat on the emergency lane, losing another 15 minutes, leaving the plane, running for a change.
We were waiting - in time! Then we flew without incident to Aberdeen, a brief standard conversation at customs, and we were the last to go out to receive luggage. It turned out that we managed to transfer, but our luggage did not! We were assured that the luggage would arrive at night, and as soon as this happened, it would be brought to our hotel. We filled out the paperwork at the airline counter, describing the luggage and leaving the address of the hotel. They flew back in the same way, with a docking time of 1 hour 20 minutes, without incident. Docking at 1.5 - 2 hours is not enough, you have to run everywhere to be in time.
Having dealt with the lost suitcase, we went for a car rented in advance. Here there was a misunderstanding. The reservation was made on a card (the money was already withdrawn from it), which the bank blocked (and the account too) three days before the trip through no fault of ours, issuing a new card and transferring the money to another account.
I had to pay for the car again from a new card (they promised to return the previously withdrawn money for the reservation to a new card within seven days - they almost fulfilled the promise - two weeks later the money came to the blocked card, which the bank notified us by phone). They needed to block a certain sum insured, and the card had to be the same. After 20 minutes of proceedings and mutual misunderstandings, we nevertheless left the airport building with the keys and a navigator (the navigator turned out to be in English for an additional fee - but there is also in Russian, you had to ask). They took an Opel Astra 2.0 diesel with an automatic, respectively, with a right-hand drive, and their parking sensors are rare, so without it (I had to be a parking sensor). International rights were not needed (although my husband received them in Moscow in advance), Russians are enough.
When the car was handed over, no one looked at it, they left it in the parking lot where they took it, putting it in a free place in a row with the inscription Alamo (several companies are based there).
About driving: For the first half hour, my husband hitched the roadside and cursed with the navigator. I sat quietly and frantically tried to deal with the map (with my geographical criticism and confusion of right and left). But after an hour, the husband got used to it and adhered to the rule: "wherever you turn, the dividing line is on the right"! Speed limit: in settlements - 30 miles per hour, outside of them - 60 miles per hour, on the autobahns you can 70, but there were few of them on our way. Cameras are quite common, but signs warn about them in advance and when you approach the camera, the scoreboard shows your speed and writes "slow" if you go faster than necessary and "thank you" if slower, well, the navigator beeps, warning about them. The camera shoots the rear yellow number plate from behind.
There are five types of roads: blue - the autobahn (the navigator was surprised - the Glasgow-Stirling autobahn was not on his maps), green - the fastest and most convenient (even the navigator knows how fast where to go), orange - a little worse (narrower and the navigator already doesn’t know how fast), yellow - one lane with widenings every 50 meters for passing with an oncoming lane (it’s still a pleasure, but sometimes there are simply no other roads, for example, on Lewis Island) and white (country roads directly to residential buildings tracks). The color of the roads was shown by the downloaded map from Google. The navigator is a good thing - it showed the estimated time of arrival at the final destination, and often they were guided by this.
Parking lots are marked on the MapsWithMe map. In each city there are free ones, you need to look at the sign - they write "free", and if it's paid, then pay through parking meters (they don't give change and only accept coins) standing nearby (approximately 1.
As a result, we drove 1.150 miles on the odometer, spending £.170 on fuel (the car had to be returned with a full tank, they also took it with a full one), plus £.420 for a car with a navigator and with full insurance.
I will make a reservation right away: we were more interested in the nature and exteriors of castles than their interiors. We did not go inside all the castles that we saw, we liked to walk around them more, sit on the benches, admire the well-groomed parks, gardens and flower beds. We planned the day like this: in the morning and in the evening, take a walk where tickets are not required, since everyone starts working at 10-00 and ends at 18-00, or even earlier (respectively, the last entrance is half an hour before closing). As a result, we visited 17 castles.
So the journey begins.
The first day. Aberdeen. We arrived at the hotel, there was no luggage, so there was nothing to leave and went to the city center for a walk on Kings st.
Since we didn’t know how to look for parking yet, we stopped at the first one that came across near this street and went for a walk. We were not exactly sure what we had done correctly, so after 15 minutes we returned and went for a walk. Clean and quiet city, not particularly remarkable. After a bit of fluff, we returned to the hotel and went to dinner.
The first night was at Atholl Hotel**** Aberdeen, 54 Kings Gate. A standard hotel with friendly staff (our luggage was still brought at night, we asked not to wake us up, so our suitcase was waiting for us calmly in the back room until we picked it up in the morning), with its own bar and restaurant (where we had a normal dinner), with a fairly spacious room, everything you need was. Clean, neat, in the bathroom there is a bathroom with a shower, a toilet bowl and a sink with faucets that are normal for us. Large convenient parking in the yard. Outwardly, it looks very good, there is a common area for relaxing on the ground floor with a good view.
Two small drawbacks for us: no Wi-Fi (there is Internet, but via cable, there is also a cable in the room and a socket, but there is nowhere to plug the cable into the iPad. But there is a guest computer with Internet in the corridor - they used it, I would like the Internet to room ... ), the second - far from the center - do not walk on foot, only by transport. We had a view from the window to the parking lot - for me this is a plus, because I can’t sleep with the noise of cars (on the other side of the road).
In the morning, having woken up and picked up the luggage, we went to have breakfast, then paid off and drove off. The last night we were also in this hotel, in the morning at check-out there was a small incident - someone recorded their dinner on our room, sorted it out, apologized - check the bills anyway! At the first check-in, the hotel blocked 85 pounds (that's how much the room cost) on the card and this reservation hung for a month. Why, we could not understand.
Second day.
In the morning we walked around old Aberdeen: we started from Seaton Park, admiring the bridge over the Brig o'Balgownie, the park and flower beds, went to the Cathedral of St. Makara. Then we went past Old Town House to King's College. There are many interesting houses nearby (the turrets of the gate to one of them resembled a mini castle in which Rapunzel languished from a children's cartoon). The walk was a success, we got back in the car and drove to the beach. It's just amazing! ! ! These endless sandy beaches with deserted shores are amazing. What a pity that this is the North Sea! What beaches are missing! We were scared off by the rain.
Leaving Aberdeen, we headed to the castle-tower of the first mayor of Aberdeen Drum Castle (we didn’t go inside, we walked in the park, admission to the park is free). Then Crathes Castle (we walked around, the entrance to the park is free, we didn’t go to the castle), the original trimmed trees in the Art Nouveau style are surprising. And how do they do it?
Balmoral Castle was closed, we looked at the Fall of Few waterfall (we were going to have lunch in a restaurant with a glass wall overlooking it, but it didn’t happen, it turned out that on Monday (and it was Monday) some restaurants work at all or work after 17-00). I was surprised by the old stone narrow one-lane bridge next to the restaurant with semi-circular "ears" for pedestrians to hide from cars. Next, there was a long journey through the famous Highland to the famous Cawdor Castle, famous by Shakespeare, in the shop at the castle, the children bought warm hats from the wool of Scottish sheep (at least, I hope so). I remember intricately trimmed trees in the form of labyrinths and various geometric figures. Entrance to the castle, garden and park is paid (you can buy a ticket only to the park or to the castle with a garden). And on the second day the final point is Inverness.
I liked Inverness more than Aberdeen.
In the evening we walked around the pedestrian center (we had dinner at a restaurant recommended by the owner) and went out to the local castle. The castle is not particularly famous for anything, it looks like it is only a year old, but it liked the abundance of fearless hares jumping around it, and fat gulls. A little lower on both sides of the river were the buildings of two old Catholic churches (one of them has a bank), but the buildings are beautiful, as are the bridges (including the pedestrian one). It's worth the walk.
The second night was at Iona Guest House 55 Kenneth Street Inverness.
Small, cramped with a small parking lot for three cars in the courtyard with the owner - an Englishwoman, a house a 10-minute walk across an unusual footbridge from the center. A small room on the ground floor with a view of the parking lot (lucky - the second time! ), the hostess took the payment upon check-in (motivated by the fact that a lot of people would be checking out in the morning? ! There were four guests in total, two of which were us! ).
Everything was in the room, in the bathroom - a bath with a shower, a toilet bowl and a tiny sink (the size resembled a sink on an airplane) with English taps, a built-in wardrobe - a wardrobe could hardly be accessed - we could not use it due to direct purpose. In the morning we ordered a full Scottish breakfast - the food was not to our liking. After breakfast, before leaving, we decided to go for an hour to a shop looked after in the evening, so the hostess asked to vacate the room immediately, although it was not even 9-00 in the morning. At 10-00, having come from the store, we freed the parking lot for her. It seems that she didn’t have anything bad, but still an unpleasant aftertaste remained. We did not like this Guest House.
In the morning, having walked around Inverness, we headed, of course, to Loch Ness, how could it be without it! ! ! Beautiful lake with pretty ruins of Urquhart Castle (admission to the castle is paid). The sun was shining and the pictures were great. They went down to the shore to call Nessia, and sailed ...ducks.
Further, the distillery beloved by our Dalmore family, the most amazing beaches of Dornoch (I found a shell from my palm on the surf), it’s a pity the rain drove us away again, had lunch at a local restaurant and - forward to Dunrobin Castle. A bright and memorable castle in the baronial style of the Dukes of Sutherland (by the way, the Scots themselves do not like this castle), with a beautiful well-groomed large park. We walked around the castle and in the park (admission is paid).
Next - to the Falls of Shin waterfall (the salmon did not jump, no matter how much we looked) and through the continuous tundra to the end of this day - Ullapool. The rain began and ended twenty times. Tired of taking pictures of rainbows, even double observed (I have not seen so many rainbows in one day and in a year in Russia). Highland landscapes are specific, harsh, fascinating, endless and calm. It is difficult to describe - you need to see them once and you will understand everything. Photos do not convey that peace-creation, silence and the feeling of flight. And so we got to the edge of this miracle, in front - Ullapool.
Ullapool is a quiet, calm port village, the main and only attraction is the ferry.
The third night was at Birchgrove Guest House, 2 Kanachrine Court, Ullapool. I met the sweet and cheerful hostess Don. A small cozy room with everything you need (except for the standard set there were bathrobes, slippers, ice in a thermos, whiskey, sweets and fruits, adapters for sockets). There is a shower cabin in the bathroom. Very pleasant, homely atmosphere. Breakfast was agreed in the evening and in the morning we were waiting for oatmeal with honey and fresh raspberries, boiled eggs and a standard continental breakfast set. Living room with fireplace, sofas and a fat black cat lounging lazily on the carpet in front of the fireplace. Idyll! The hostess suggested a restaurant where you can have dinner. We agreed on an earlier breakfast, as there were still plans before the ferry.
Before sailing, we decided to visit the Corrieshalloch Gorge and Falls of Measach, which is a 20-minute drive from the city.
A small but very deep gorge is striking, a pedestrian bridge is thrown over it, and there is an observation deck a little further away. After walking there for 40 minutes, we went to the ferry, especially since registration for it ends 40 minutes before departure. Having changed the printouts of the reservation for tickets, they began to wait.
Ferry Ullapool -Stornoway (isle of Lewis). A huge ship the size of a five-story building (you can have an inexpensive meal on it, there is a bar) brought us to the Isle of Lewis. During the journey there was a slight pitching, they tried to go out to take a picture on the deck - it almost blew away, they held out for about 5 minutes and ran back inside. Inside, too, everything is clearly visible through panoramic windows. The main attraction of the island (and for us the only one, since we did not want to spend the night on it and hurried to the return ferry (we had about 2.5 hours)), was the Callanish megalith park.
We visited Callanish I, the largest and most visited (having walked there in a piercing wind for about 40 minutes), there are several smaller structures - we did not get to them. Feelings are mixed, but the impressions received. The island itself is sparsely populated and practically without trees - the tundra, the road is single-lane with widenings for crossings with a pass (Passing Place) with sheep running across the road. After moving to isle Harris, we headed for the Tarbert - Uig ferry to cross to isle Skye. The ferry itself was the same. The sun and lack of wind even made it possible to go out on the open deck and sit there. The day went well and at 6-00 pm we arrived at the Isle of Skye. According to the plan, for this day we also had a visit to the ancestral castle of the MacLeod clan, Dunvegan Castle. Having found a hotel and ordered dinner for the evening, we headed to the castle of the clan known from the movie "Highlander". We did not manage to get to this place, the entrance to the castle park was closed (it was already 19-00, the entrance was paid, and the working day had already ended).
We did not have the opportunity to wait until 10:00 am, because we were going to start traveling around Sky early in the morning. We went to the coast and decided to ride along it, and then we suddenly got a view of this castle - taking a picture against its background, we continued our motorcycle ride, driving through the island, we drove to Portree. A particularly unremarkable town located on a mountain above the bay. Having arranged the already familiar evening promenade, we returned to have dinner at the hotel.
Fourth night at Skeabost Country House Hotel, Isle of Skye, Skeabost Bridge, Portree. It was the most expensive hotel on our trip - £.110 per night. Impressions from him remained ambiguous. This is our unfortunate choice in terms of the fact that we only needed to spend the night and ride on (in this sense it is not worth the money), and in this hotel you need to spend at least a weekend. This is an old mansion with a large landscaped area around, with a fishing pier and a golf course, with a large parking lot.
The first floor is given over to many public areas with antique furniture and interiors: a bar, a restaurant, a fireplace room with a melted real fireplace and huge soft sofas, a billiard room, etc. The room seemed small (and it was normal) because of the high ceilings. All furniture and plumbing in the room was new. This hotel is for lovers of antiquity, not restored for a long time, with a bumpy entrance from the highway, far from settlements. Thanks to all this, he was well remembered and left a pleasant memory. In the room, in addition to everything, there were bathrobes and a mine-rake.
After paying at the hotel, we drove to see the beauty of the island of Skye. The first stop was Duntulm Castle of the MacDonalds. This is the first castle that was not worth going to. It was raining, a small, poorly trodden path led from the road to the ruins of the castle, located on a small ledge, around which all the same sheep were grazing.
The approach to the ruins themselves was closed. It was enough to take a picture of him from the road and go on. As a result, we got wet and went back and went to shoot the landscapes of Quirang (Quirang), then from the observation deck we admired the waterfall and the black basalt rocks of Kilt Rock (we didn’t see whales and dolphins) not far from Staffin and, having reached the Storr mountains , climbed on them to see the Old men of Storr. For me, this ascent turned out to be difficult, after three halts, I refused to climb further and sat down on a pebble (I didn’t care that it was wet) to catch my breath, and my husband climbed to the very base of this huge rock, saying later that the most difficult It was this last piece of the road that was on the rise. After a short rest, I saw an unusual picture lying in front, to the right one could see three identical mountains, which are called the Three Sisters. The spirit is captivating! This is beyond words! And even the ubiquitous sheep got here!
This beauty is worth it to climb up, but the shoes must be non-slip and stronger. My husband still remembers these mountains with admiration.
Having descended (it turned out to be a little easier), having changed into dry and clean shoes (you definitely need a spare pair), we drove along the coast. We had lunch at a seaside restaurant in Port-ree and headed to the bridge to leave Skye. The island did not cause any special emotions (excluding some moments and climbing the mountain).
After getting off the island, we headed to another castle that should not be missed! This, of course, is Eileen Donan, where "Highlander" was filmed (admission is paid). You can’t take pictures inside, so the good-natured caretaker brought a sword with an inscription on MacLeod’s hilt into the courtyard, where you could take a picture. Having climbed enough around the castle, we set off on a long journey to the end point of this day - Fort William.
Having found the hotel, as always, we went for a walk around the city center.
An ordinary port town, thrill-seekers come here - climbing, mountain biking, and in winter - skiing.
The day was good - it started to rain only three times.
Fifth night at Clan Macduff Hotel, Achintore Road, Fort William. Standard hotel with a large parking lot on the shore of a narrow bay. With a view of the low mountains on the other side. We had a room with a good view of this bay through a huge window to the floor and a small balcony-tip. God himself ordered a romantic dinner, which was organized in 20 minutes. We quickly went to the grocery store in the city center and bought all sorts of things and of course a bottle of whiskey. In the morning in the restaurant, in addition to the continental, there were five more types of breakfast to choose from. I had haddock with shallots.
In the morning we went to the Stairs of Neptune. We were lucky when we approached, an old coal yacht was locking.
She had two locks left, and then in a row they turned (bridges do not get divorced, but turn and become parallel to the coast) two bridges for automobiles and a small railway, passing her. The famous Jacobite engine runs from Fort William (it's a sin for Harry Potter fans to miss it). Further, according to the plan, there was an ascent to the highest point in Scotland, the peak of Ben Nevis, but remembering my previous torments when climbing the Storr, I managed to persuade my husband to take the lift to the mountain located nearby (accidentally noticed a sign along the way) - 15 minutes of hanging out between the sky and earth and we are at the top. After walking along two small minibuses and taking a bunch of good pictures, we went down the same way. The sheep themselves were not seen here, but the products of their vital activity came across here too. This walk in the mountains was not tiring at all! It's quite chilly upstairs - hats and gloves came in handy.
Having flown past the French-style Inverary castle (it’s a pity that we missed it - it was not marked on our route in advance), we headed through the famous fantastic beauty of the Glencoe Gorge to the largest and most picturesque lake in Scotland, Loch Lomond. Along the way, we decided to look at another ruins of Kilchurn Castle. This is the second castle, which was not worth going to, it was enough to admire it from the road. But we went closer to him, along a green meadow with little white sheep, we expected to take a walk and bask in the sun, the weather was beautiful. After about 50 meters, the meadow turned out to be a nasty swamp, in some places the legs fell through to the ankles, but we are stubborn people and still reached the bank of the river, on the opposite side of which this castle was located. This is the second time that spare shoes have been needed. Further, the road went along Loch Lomond, so we stopped several times to take pictures, since there were often parking lots.
Arriving in Balloch and finding a place to spend the night, we went for a walk. The local park turned out to be large and beautiful with a long oak alley leading to Balloch Castle (closed for renovation), which is located on a hill above Loch Lomond. The evening was sunny and warm, we sat on a bench near the walls of the castle overlooking the lake and the oaks growing below, under which bright red squirrels rushed. Then there was dinner at a restaurant recommended by the hostess, on the way to which we saw a black swan on the river.
The day was sunny and warm - it never started to rain.
Sixth night at Gowanlea Guest House, Drymen Road, Balloch, Loch Lomond. It was the cheapest room on our trip - £.60 per night. A small house, inconspicuous in appearance. One of those places where it's hard to judge what's inside by looking at it. Inside there was a cozy guest house with a common living room and a good spacious room. Husband liked that there was an iPhone charger in the room. The owner Andrea is a wonderful and friendly lady.
Breakfast was arranged in the evening.
In the morning we visited Dumbarton Castle, snugly nestled between two rocks and almost imperceptible from the land side, only a part of the fortress wall, located on the top of the mountain, confirmed the correctness of our path.
Glasgow. Surprised and amazed. Not a typical Scottish city. Architectural creations at every turn - out-of-the-box thinking and vision has turned this city into something beyond description. You should definitely visit and see how the old and the new coexist in it. Noisy, crowded, with a bridge overgrown with birches and Glasgow Cathedral in the woods. The famous weather vane tower, unfortunately, did not work again. We liked the city, after several almost deserted days, it literally shook us up. Tourist sightseeing red buses run around the city.
Since we did not plan to visit Glasgow in advance, it happened spontaneously, there was only half a day for it (this is not enough, you need at least 3). Next was, of course, obligatory for all tourists, restored and turned almost into an attraction for children, Stirling Castle. This castle meets all the notions of classical defensive structures: it is located on an impregnable high mountain, paid parking directly in front of the fortress gates was packed to capacity - I had to park below in the town. The entrance is paid, our visit coincided with Sunday, there were a lot of people, there was not enough audio guide, we watched a costume show, walked around the castle, one of the few castles where you can take pictures everywhere, had lunch at a local cafe inside the castle on the roof with beautiful views from this high point on the surroundings.
This is just a paradise for children: they saddled cannons, rolled down hills, dressed in armor, every half an hour in different parts of the castle, mini performances began for them, they could make various crafts with their own hands, everything can be touched with hands.
Leaving the cheerful Stirling, we headed to the building that was erected for the Millennium - this is Falkirk. This is a kind of elevator for boats. There were a lot of visitors there too, the children played with water rides, ran barefoot in shorts and T-shirts, and we wrapped ourselves in jackets, it was +12 outside. Amazingly cold hardy kids! ! ! Further our way - in Dandii.
Seventh night at Balgowan House 510 Perth Road Dundee. A large mansion located next to the old botanical garden.
It was the most luxurious room this time: a huge room with a bed, a sofa and armchairs, and a bathroom with a bathtub and a shower cabin was the size of a room in our second hotel.
A wide staircase with full-length stained-glass windows led down to a dining room with a real fireplace and a large dining table. We were met by the young owner Richie - a tall, buff blonde. What was my surprise when I saw him early in the morning in a white apron preparing breakfast for us!
The next day was Dundee - not particularly remarkable, except, perhaps, the Discovery ship, which is laid up there and turned into a museum, and the huge Tay Bridge. We woke up early and headed to the town of St. Andrews, famous for its university, where the current heir to the throne, Prince William, studied. St. Andrews is a beautiful little aristocratic old town with the ruins of a castle and St. Andrew's Cathedral, with students dressed in red or black capes and a beautiful sandy beach. In addition, it is the birthplace of golf. It was nice to spend time walking there.
In the morning, on the way to the airport, we refueled the car, put it in the parking lot, where they took it, gave the keys and the navigator at the counter inside the airport and flew home. The curtain….
In addition, I would like to add that on this trip we deliberately did not visit the capital Edinburgh. This city is very beautiful and wonderful, it needs to take its time, which we did in the spring. The famous Royal Mile with Edinburgh Castle at the beginning (admission is paid, there is an audio guide in Russian) and Holyrood Palace at the end (there is also an audio guide in Russian), is remarkable for every house, and the streets and bridges that go in both directions, built up in such a way that at first and you don't realize it's a bridge. You have to spend at least five days here. There are tourist sightseeing bus routes around the city.
The trip was successful! ! !