Last day in scotland

Ended the hoilday on a high with trip out to the isle of Skye once we driven out past the stunning lochs and valleys on route though rainy first thing driving up the road to Kylerhea giving some nice views the got to Kylerhea by which time it was starting to brighten up but while getting out the car all i could heardwas the sound of a Grasshopper Warbler calling and after much hunting appeared briefly after which carried on down to the Otter Hide had no luck with them but had sighting of a Stonechat and lots of Common Seals out in the river.

View from Kylerhea back to the main road

View across Kylerhea river

Then carried on back to the main road and headed to Portree but the day was brighting up quickly passing some lovely views on route. At Portree it was getting quite warm so had a nice wander and with the folk festival in town a nice festival feel to it.

View of Loch Sigachan from the main road

One of the mountain by the Lochside

Portree Harbour

Colourful houses at Portree

Then carried on up the road to the Storr which was looking impressive before having a little walk along the eastern coast giving great views across to Raasay with the bright sky before driving west to Uig to get some views cross country before heading south back to the mainland.

The Storr

Raasay from the coast

View from inland looking to the coast

The Cuillins on the way home

Spent the last few hours of the hoilday driving past the breathtaking beautiful of the scottish mountain to end a very successful hoilday.

Loch Long near Dornie

Loch Cluanie looking towards the Five sisters

Applecross area

A cloudy and sometimes wet day pouducing a very intresting start out at the charming village of Plockton with its beautiful Loch which was the scene of the TV series Hamish Macbeth before driving around the Applecross area. From Plocton headed around Loch Carron which gave some nice view and the added bonus of a pair of Twite feeding by the loch actually in the village of Loch Carron.

Plockton Bay

Summer Twite

Then headed further around and with superb views of the mountain and up to the applecross Pass where the cloud had started building and by the name we got to the top was almost blizzard condition with light snow on the ground but heading back down toward the village of Applecross was just drizzle and even a bit of sun.

Mountain views before the Applecross Pass

The Beach of Applecross

Then drove round with great views of Skye before heading back round past some beautful Lochs and through the Beinn Eighe NNR with super views yet again.

Loch Maree

The West Highland Line

You can really go to the west coast without doing the Fort William & Mallaig line which is regarded as one of the best rail routes in the world so as luck would have the day we booked was quite a bright day and fully sold out heading along side the main road for quite a bit with beautiful mountain and loch views on both sides before we go over the Glenfinnan Viaduct with a view over Loch Shiel and a brief stop at the station before carrying on to Mallaig a charming village port and a main ferry terminal to skye and beyond. You don't like in the village but being by the sea fish and chips was a well deserved option before heading back down the line.

Jacobite steam train

Some of the views

Loch Shiel

Train going through the land

Then to end the day headed to Neptune's staircase and had a nice walk along part of the Caledonian Canal with some wonderful mountain views a great way to end the day.

Caledonian Canal

 

 

The Black Isle

Back to the 2nd week of scotland where we had a charming Red Squirrel in the place where we where staying though in the rain then headed to the Black Isle first of all explored the lovely little village of Cromarty before a nice lunch in the Hotel in the village before a nice walk further down the coast at Rosemarkie in the Fairy Glen which is a nice little wooded glen walk with a few waterfalls some of the most impressive of the hoilday with a good number of birds with Dippers and Grey Wagtails collecting food for the young nearby and a few warblers with Chiff-chaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap all around and a bonus Treecreeper feeding in the woods.

Red Squirrel feeding in Garden

Then walked along Rosemarkie beach by which point the sun had come out which was great to walk on the edge of the Moray Firth and watch the Gannets fishing and the odd Yellowhammer sing before we headed the day at Chanonry Point with the Dolphins showing well though so fast and with the Common, Sandwich and Artic Terns overheard and getting chased down by Greater and Artic Skua a wonderful end to the day.

Greywagtail by the waterfall

Treecreeper in the wood

Moray Firth along Rosemarkie beach

Artic Skua

Common Tern

Dolpins mainly showing their Fins

Sunset at Chanonry Point