slowly she turned

This seemed like a really full day – by the end of it everyone seemed ready to get back to the hotel. At the same time, a lot of us would have liked to have had a different itinerary with more time in Fort William and Glencoe and less time on other stops. If there’s one major thing I regret about this trip other than having to cut it short, it was that I wished for time to walk on some trails, especially in Glencoe.

Our first stop was nearby at the Commando Memorial, a tribute to the elite corps that served in WWII and beyond. There were stunning views and a garden of moving mementos to the soldiers who had died.

After that, a long stop at Neptune’s Staircase, a set of eight locks on the Caledonian Canal that moved ships and boats a total of 85 feet up or down in 90 minutes. The Caledonian Canal connected the lochs through the Highlands to provide a navigable channel for some pretty large boats.

On our way to Fort William, the bus stopped at the lower falls of the River Nevis. I took a close up photo of the tree with red berries that seemed to be everywhere. Our assumption was that the berries were not edible since we never saw any birds snacking. They provided a nice pop of color to the roadsides.

Our bus driver constantly seemed to be on the lookout for Highland cows, or as he pronounced them, “heelin coos.” You see them depicted in all the gift shops in Scotland. “Hairy coos” is the other term you hear. Yes, they are interesting looking, with long fur and long horns. I never got a close up photo of them though.

We went to Fort William for lunch, and had lamb stew and a toastie (grilled cheese sandwich) at a pub called the Croft, then hurried over to the marina where we boarded a small cruise ship to take a ride on Loch Linnhe. The boat took a long slow circle around this little island covered in seals.

After the cruise on Loch Linnhe, we rode through Glencoe on the bus and stopped at the visitor’s center. It was as lovely as you see in all the photos. I was grateful for a bit of solitude beside a wee ferny burn, but it didn’t last long! There was a reproduction of a thatched cottage.

Back on the bus, and there were a lot of people and cars about. A major trail ran through here, and someone was getting wedding photos made. Absolutely gorgeous scenery.

So, we get back to the hotel, and a few of the younger women headed out for a forest walk to a little 16th century chapel nearby, but for all my grousing about not having time to take a good walk in the woods, I was too whipped to go!

We had a fabulous dinner at Glenspean Lodge, and Sandy and I actually ate haggis, neeps, and tatties and liked it! There was a whisky tasting afterward. Sandy and I passed our whiskys over our water to signal that we are Jacobites. Again, there is video, if I can add it later. Sandy actually participated in this one!