Wild Scotland
LOCH LOMOND
After Loch Ness this is Scotland’s other famous Loch. Located 30 miles north of Glasgow and covering 27.5 square miles, it is the largest inland waterway in Britain. Take a boat trip across the Loch that straddles the Highlands.
Meet Stuart Harris, a bagpipe maker. It takes 6 to 10 weeks to make one depending on the weather.
Gordon Murray’s ‘Story of Scottish Wool’ features live sheep running amok through the audience.
STIRLING
Stirling Castle is the grandest of all Scottish Castles. It dominates the town, perched high on a rock some say this is more spectacular than the Edinburgh Castle. The ancient fortress played a pivotal role in Scotland’s history.
You can climb the Victorian tower or Wallace Monumen, which (commemorates Willianm
Wallace, a hero of Scottish patriotism) ,and view the panorama of seven battlegrounds, one of them at Stirling Bridge,situated two
miles north of Stirling , where Wallace defeated the English in 1297.
FORT WILLIAM
The Jacobite – West Highland railway ,Scotland’s famous railway journey , features particularly dramatic sections crossing Rannoch Moor and from Fort William to Mallaig. Departing Fort William CAA at 10.35 , it crosses the Glenfinnan viaduct with spectacular views of Loch Shiel. The return journey leaves Mallaig at 14.10 day return costs about £20.
For the adventurous , you can ride across the Highlands, along the Caledonian canal from Fort William to Inverness.
LOCH NESS
Visit the famous lake where the Loch Ness monster is said to be living. Kate and Dave Munro, from nearby Craigcarroch House Hotel, claim to have seen the monster in 1996.
Go on one hour monster cruise, with George Edwards on his ‘Nessie Hunter’. George claims to have seen Nessie many times over his 12 years on the lake. He says he has found a huge underwater cave which he calls ‘Nessie’s Lair’.
Urquart Castle is a 13th castle dramatically perched on the edge of Loch Ness Munro Bagging – Sir Hugh Munro compiled a list of summits over 3000ft. 284 gained the status of ‘Munros’. Hillwalkers aim to complete all Munros – Munro bagging has become an obsession with hikers and climbers . The tallest is Ben Nevis at 1343m / 4406 ft
ORKNEY ISLANDS
Orkney comprises of some 70 islands.
It is possible to go through life in Orkney without ever having crossed a busy street, ridden an elevator or waited at a traffic light.
The islands are also home to some unique customs, such as Traditional ‘blackening’. A few days before an Orkney wedding, the groom is ambushed and blackened with a mixture of molasses, cocoa, eggs and sand. Then he is tied up in the back of a pick up truck and driven around the town. This is an Orkney tradition, which often ends with the groom being thrown into the sea. It may be possible to catch a ‘blackening’ while in Orkney.
Another tradition involves all the local unmarried girls going to a hillside to bathe their faces in morning dew, for the promise of beauty. It happens in May.
The Stone Circles of Orkney were created 5,000 years ago. The Stone Age ruins at Skara Brae are extraordinary – well preserved remains of a village inhabited over 3000 years ago. Dressers fire places beds & boxes all made of stone were revealed after a storm in 1850. They outdate the Pyramids, Great Wall of China and Stonhenge.
Ring of Brogar Stone Circle is a magnificent ring of upright stones in a beautiful setting, ‘better than Stonehenge’
Wreck diving is possible off the Orkneys . At Scapa Flow, one of the world’s largest natural harbours ,there are cliffs, drop off’s, archways, sea caves and 20metre visibility. Here there are remains of the German Grand Fleet of WW1. Seven battleships and cruisers reveal their secrets. This is advanced diving as some of the ships are falling apart.
SHETLAND ISLANDS
The Shetlands are as near to Norway as they are to Scotland and you’re never more than 3 miles from the sea. In summer light here doesn’t dim until after midnight. Lots of people play golf into the night. Pre-historic remains are strong in Shetland. A distinctive Norse character pervades and the locals celebrate a Viking heritage
