Moving on from Orkney and the weather is amazing. We have been blessed with clear skies, 12c~ 21c, dry weather; wonderful considering it is Scotland. President Trump visited Scotland while we were here, no we didn’t see him, and as you can see from the cover photo, not all the locals were happy. Not sure why they choose to call him Donald John instead of Trump. Since leaving the Orkney Isles, we have taken 3 car ferries and visited Kylesku, Ullapool, the Isle of Lewis and we are currently in Torridon. Each stop showcases different parts of the NC500, and really highlight the regional diversity. Before we move onto the blog, a special thanks to Melissa at Audley Travel for planning such a great trip!
Kylesku
Remote, barren and desolate all come to mind when driving to Kylesku. I read a statistic that almost 90% of Scotland has little to no population and I can believe it. To reach Kylesku, you cross huge expanses of the highlands, where there is nothing and no one to see. Just lots of fields, rocks, stones, lochs and mountains. The early highlanders were of Norwegian stock, and it is easy to see why they liked Scotland. In Kylesku we focused on hiking, beaches and sea life.
For one of our tours, we hiked for fiver hours to arrive at a gorgeous beach. This was the last day of questionable weather and the winds buffeted us the entire way. Arriving at the beach, we were virtually alone, but there were a few intrepid Scotts willing to brave the cold waters. Average water temperature was around 12c. Have I mentioned sheep? They are everywhere and provide both wool and delicious chops. They don’t really care about people and make driving fun. You never know when taking a corner if you will come face-to-face with one.
Ullapool
We slowed down and enjoyed exploring ruins and bonding with the semi-wild animals. An intentional feature of this trip is to take our time and build in down periods. The opportunity to play with the Scottish cows was too good to pass up. So gentle and they absolutely love to be combed. Eunjae had a great time combing-out the long hair, and the animal really preened and leaned into the experience.
Isle of Lewis
I was going to say this was one of our favorite hotels, and then we stayed in The Torridon and were totally spoiled. That being said, Lews Castle is an actual castle and was abandoned for many years until it was repurposed as a hospital in Wold War II and then became a school. Eventually, it became a historical center and boutique hotel. Sadly, the hotel rooms are all modern and do not reflect any of the original charm; first world problems.
Spending time inside the main halls of the castle was a treat! They retain the original charm, and the best part is that after 17:00 only the hotel residents are allowed into the rooms so we could explore all by ourselves. Isle of Lewis is the 3rd largest island in the UK and is right next to the Isle of Skye. The beaches on the Isle are so beautiful and deserted. They honestly look like the Bahamas and we walked for hours on several of them and hardly encountered anyone.
This is a memorial cairn commemorating Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) and his escape after the Battle of Culloden (1746).
Dolphin and Whale chasing were some of our favorite activities. We saw a couple of Minke Whales and so many Common Dolphins that we lost count. The Common Dolphins will bow-ride and play right next to the boat. Fortunately, the tour company provides full body suits as it gets cold and wet during the ride.
During this trip we visited multiple weaving sheds. Scottish herringbone tweed is so distinctive and classic. When I purchased the jacket, I was informed that there was “Good News and Bad News.”. The “Good News Was that the Jacket is original Harris Tweed, and the Bad News was that I would have to Bequeath the Jacket because it would Outlast Me.”. Not sure how I feel about this, but I suppose it is the price to pay to appear stylish.
Scottish Food – Not what we expected!
Food continues to be a pleasant surprise. Generally, the Scotts are known for Scotch, Haggis and frying anything that doesn’t move fast enough. The Fish N’ Chips have been magnificent and the Atlantic Fish and Muscles. One of the stand-out meals so far was at the Dipping Lugger where we enjoyed a 7 course pre-fix menu. Each dish was sourced locally and tastefully arranged. The pacing was very good and the restaurant served each dish at the same time to each table. This meant that everyone was experiencing the same bite simultaneously.
The Torridon
We have died and gone to heaven! The Torridon, originally built in 1887 as a shooting lodge, evokes a castle-like aura—complete with a turreted entrance, robust façade, and a sense of refuge overlooking the loch. Our room has a view of the Loch and surrounding mountains and the bar and lounges are classic elegance.
Final Thoughts
Such an amazing trip and it is almost over. Less than a week to go and then back to Serbia for a while. Looking forward to seeing our friends and sharing stories and whiskey together. One unexpected delight is finding an actual record turntable. For those of you under 40 year old look it up. Some classic Oasis while sipping a peaty scotch was perfect while writing this blog. Take care and write soon.