May 15th

We left for Scotland on the 11:30 am ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan. It was a smooth sunny crossing. Seemed liked no sooner had we got out of the bay and said goodbye to Ireland that we saw the shores of Scotland.

May 16th

Mid morning, we went to Culzean Castle, just a 15 minute walk from our campsite. We walked the grounds and toured the inside by of the castle.

Then we walked the trails through the estate and had some beach time. The amount of beach glass we collected in a half hour is unheard of at home. There was heaps of glass. I hope I find room in the suitcase later😆.

May 17th

We set off from our campsite at Culzean to visit Guy’s cousin Nick and his partner Ruth in Glasgow. It was a relatively easy one hour drive.

It was wonderful to see them and learn about their lives in Glasgow. Ruth made a fantastic lunch for us and we ate under the umbrella in their backyard. It was another very hot day, probably 24C. Unusual weather, our friends and acquaintances in the UK and Ireland keep telling us. Yet the sun shined on for us. 🌞

Later in the afternoon, after it cooled down a bit, we took the bus into the west end of the city for a look around.

After a rip around the west end for a few hours, we headed back home. We had a nice meal and an evening of visiting ,and then, a good rest in a comfy bed.

May 18th

In the morning, Nick and Ruth took us to Loch Lomond. We took the low road😁.

We had a walk, saw some gorgeous views, had lunch and Guy even got in a swim. It was a great day.

May 19th

We got up in the morning, had breaky and headed off to Stirling Castle, about an hour north of Glasgow. We were a wee bit tired of castles but this one was a have to see. It’s very intact and has an interesting history with many battles fought at the castle and the lands below. We took a guided tour for an hour. Our guide with his thick Scottish accent needed subtitles but we got the gist of some of Stirling Castle’s history.

Later in the day, we met Nick in Glencoe. The scenery without a doubt was some of the best on the trip yet, stark and vivid, green, un-treed hills and mountains and ominous looking clouds as a backdrop, an awesome feast for the eyes around every corner.

We parked in the heart of the mountains and went on a walk over to the other side and up the trail a ways to get a better view.

After the walk, Nick joined us at the campsite for a bite to eat before he made the long drive back to Glasgow. Our meal started out el fresco until the midges and light rain chased us into the van.

May 20th

We left our van at the campsite and took a wander that day. We started at the visitors centre near our campsite and looked at the excellent exhibition there that touched upon the history of the area of Glencoe and the people and hiking clubs that helped build the interest in these mountains including work in mountain rescue and avalanche research.

Then we wandered into Glencoe Village and had a coffee and looked around the town.

We walked a trail near the town that brought us to a lovely river where we whiled away some time and Guy cooled off his feet. It was a heavenly spot.

Then we wandered back on the trail to our campsite.

May 21st

We got up and started the drive to Skye, about 3 hours long. We took the A82 road to Invergarry then from there the A87 to Skye. It was 2 lane roads the whole way but good condition. We passed a lot of lakes and again, stunning scenery at every turn.

After about two hours of driving, we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle. It had a huge parking area that was jammed but we managed to find a spot. We took some photos outside of the castle and saved about 23 pounds ($43 CDN) by not going in, used the facilities and had a coffee.

We went on to Skye over the Skye Bridge. It crosses Loch Alsh and was opened October 16, 1995. Guy took the ferry over to visit his Aunt Adia in 1988.