Adventuring in the Scottish Highlands!
Every once in a while, we all need a break. A break from the hustle and bustle and stress of every day life. Where better to head for a week, than the Scottish highlands. A vast rural landscape, with so many more mountains than people, what better way to refresh & recalibrate, than some time away from everything in the freezing cold of the Scottish highlands, Where the only thing that matters, is the next adventure!
A recent video from Alastair Humphreys sums up my approach to my trip to Scotland; get back to basics. Cut out the unimportant stuff from everyday life, which we allow to become so urgent when engrossed in the hustle of everyday life. I took the approach; if I havent got it in my van, then I don’t need it. If I can make do without in the freezing cold highlands in November, I can do without it anywhere.
Apart from a kayak & some walking boots, nothing else is really that important! So, I packed both those things, (a few other bits which would keep me warm and fed!) & off I went, chasing adventure, adrenaline & breathtaking views.
In hindsight, some skiing gear wouldn’t have gone amiss either!
Arrived in Loch Lomond, where I thought I had a fantastic park up on the shore, thinking ‘great, i’ll wake up to a beautiful sunrise’. Turns out not, I was quickly reminded this is Scotland & it is November after all! After being rudely awoken at 1 am to gale force winds and rain battering my van (ending up moving for more shelter), I was greeted to a stunning sunrise to the southern shore.
Every time I visit Scotland I am reminded why i’m always drawn back to it. Granted, I don’t spend nearly as much time here as I’d like to, but the highlands always win me back over! The rugged, untouched landscapes are simply stunning; snow capped mountains encompassing the roads, giving breathtaking, incredible, beautiful & awe-inspiring views every direction. This part of the world makes you feel like you’re somewhere so remote, miles away from all the hassle, hustle and bustle of every day modern society.
Mountains; I love them. Hiking up them, kayaking down the rivers, skiing down them, mountain biking on them – they offer everything for adrenaline! They also offer the solitude I was after – a reminder that time outside in the fresh air, time to think & unwind is good for the soul. Time for my first adventure of the trip; a hike up Ben Lomond – my first Munro.
The mountains are deceptive, when its sunny & mild warm at the base, its easy to forget that when you climb just shy of 1000m vertically, the weather is somewhat different! Windy, snowy, yet so spectacular!
Although there hadn’t been much in the way of rain, I was lucky enough to meet up with a group of kayakers, looking to freeze their b***s off & scrape their boats down some low volume Scottish white water!
Heres some kayaking footage from the Rivers; Coe, Etive & Orchy. Cheers for the rally guys!
https://www.facebook.com/pg/ExploreEverything17/videos/?ref=page_internal
One of the main reasons for heading to the highlands was to get up up onto the Isle of Skye. I had never been to this island, yet had heard so much about the sheer beauty of it.
I’m not really one for castles, I came to Scotland for adventure. However, I’ll admit the Eilean Donan Castle, lit up red at night was pretty spectacular. It was equally impressive in the morning, when I awoke to a stunning view over Loch Duich, with typical snow capped mountain in the background.
Wet and overcast days in the highlands bring out the true inner beauty of the rugged and unspoilt landscapes of Scotland. However it isn’t inspiring to spend the day spent outside, instead, I opted to spend the day inside, exploring the island from behind the wheel of my van.
This was great for a day and all, however true adventure lies outside and up in the mountains for me! Whilst being inside all day, listening to the therapeutic sound of wind & rain on the van and the waves crashing against the rocks, allowed me to be productive & catch up on a few things, no-one really wants to be inside when the mountains are outside – it is mind numbingly frustrating.
As the weather cleared up & the clouds parted, off I went chasing adventure to the north of the island. The days agenda; an early wake up call, for a sunrise at Kilt Rock viewpoint, followed by a some time exploring in the hills of the Quiriang and Old Man of Storr.
The Cuilin range was the destination for the next leg of my adventure. This dramatic mountain range is situated to the south of the island, south of Sligachan & east of Glenbrittle. There is something very eerie about the Cuilin range – dramatic peaks, dark in colour, jagged edges, shear cliffs, combined with a shrouded mist of cloud and wet weather. Abnormal to everything else around it. Incredibly spectacular to witness, but makes you feel slightly intimidated!
Nestled at the bottom of the Cuilin range, The Fairy Pools are worth a trip. This series of waterfalls carved into the rocky landscape, with water of a turquoise colour was fascinating, especially when set before the immense backdrop of the Cuilin range. Trying to encapsulate all this scenery into a single photo, without falling in, was somewhat challenging!
My last mini adventure on Skye took me down to the Point of Sleat, the Camais Daraich beach. I had seen pictures of this idyllic beach, with sands reminiscent of those you would see on the Mediterranean – unfortunately Scotland doesn’t guarantee a stunning sunset in the same way the Mediterranean does! But I’d highly recommend, as the beach is a superb setting, with views across to Isles of Rùm & Eigg.
Auroras on skye are a popular thing, obviously this would’ve made my trip, but I went not expecting, thus I was not disappointed when I didn’t see anything major. I caught a glimpse of some green shadow behind some clouds on Tuesday night (14th) approximately 2am. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for me to call it my first Aurora. If you are chasing Auroras, the locals know a thing or two about spotting them, so be sure to speak to them!
If theres one thing I regret about my time on Skye, its not getting down to the Elgol peninsula and checking out the Cuilin range from Loch Coruisk and Sgurr na Stri. However, this gives me another reason to return!
I would’ve also liked to have checked out Neist point lighthouse, however the wind and rain was pretty violent when I was in the area, so it seemed pointless given the conditions!
Verdict: Awesome! Potential to do so much on the island, with something for all tastes. I would love to come back in summer, with hopefully some clearer weather – as ever, its highly impossible to plan a trip anywhere in the UK & be guaranteed clear weather for the duration! Glencoe; I love it – the place simply wins me over more and more each time I visit… I need not say anymore about it really!
Thats about a wrap from Scotland! Next up, New Zealand!
#ExploreEverything
Useful info:
Check out the following useful websites;
https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/isle-skye/
Check out Stuarts Fish & Chip shop, on Quay Street, in Portree – absolutely belting!
Facts:
Weather: Novemeber, Scotland, the weather can be harsh!
Tourism: Be aware that Skye is a heavily touristy area, IN SUMMER, when visiting outside of peak season, majority of cafes and B&B are closed. If like me, you are camping, make sure you are prepared to be self sufficient, as outside of the main towns, shops & facilities are few and far between.
Park Ups:
For obvious reasons, I won’t disclose online the exact locations I camped – however I’d be happy to share with people upon request.
Loch Lomond, check out the east side of the Loch.
Glencoe, between the village and the Mountain Centre, there are plenty of spots just off the road.
Dornie, park up opposite Eilean Donan castle.
Be aware of mobile phone signal issues on Skye! For this reason, I did rough it a bit in some car parks (where no overnight parking permitted, however the chance of being disturbed beyond 8pm in the wet, cold, dark Scottish night are very slim!)
A lot of campsites open in summer time only, the best one I came across was the Glenbrittle campsite & cafe – idyllic setting right on the beach, in front of the Cuilin range. However, don’t let that put you off any of the others!
