England and Scotland Day 8
England and Scotland
Day 8 - October 8, 2006 - Inverary, Oban, Ellenabeich, and Ballachulish
We woke up before our alarm went off at 7 AM and showered, packed up our bags, and then went up to breakfast at 7:45. We had a nice meal and then checked out of the hotel. Our early morning treat was to be greeted by Kenny, our driver, who was dressed in his tartan kilt of his clan and other full formal regalia.
We left the hotel at 9 and the city streets were very quiet after all the revelry last night. In no time at all we were out of the city and headed northwest to the coast and Oban. We took the motorway over the River Clyde crossing the famous Erskine Bridge. We got off the main roadway and continued on through Loch Lomond national park that covers 720 square miles.
This was a very densely wooded area with a few huge manor houses, whitewashed stone villages, and coves with small sailing boats. We stopped at the little village of Luss where we were able to get out and stretch our legs. We walked down to the Loch and spent a little while enjoying the beautiful views of Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond in the background.
We passed through the Argyll National Park noted for its timber growth used for paper production. The forests in Scotland are managed by the National Forestry Commission which has planted and harvested the hillsides.
This area is specially noted for it opportunities for rock climbing, fishing, hiking, and camping. We made another stop at the summit of these hills at the Rest and Be Thankful rest area where in the olden days travelers could take shelter while passing through this treacherous area.
We arrived at 11 at Inveraray, made a quick drive and brief stop at the castle and then drove on to the town. The Whisky Shop that I was so looking forward to visiting was closed until 12:30 because it was Sunday.
We did have a chance to walk around the city, but because it was Sunday and at the end of the tourist season, most of the shops were closed. The Woolen Mill was open and they were having many half price sales but things here were still very expensive, especially considering the dollar to pound exchange rate.
We met at the bus at 12:15 and continued north. On our route we stopped for a photo of Kilchurn Castle, the most photographed and famous castle in Scotland. The further north we went, we noticed a definite change in the weather; the clouds were higher, the winds were stronger, and the temperature was dropping.
When we arrived in Oban, we walked around for a little while and then on the wharf we found a local seafood shop where we bought a shrimp sandwich to eat for lunch. Oban is considered to be the unofficial capital of the West Highlands and also known as the "Gateway to the Isles,"
It serves as the embarkation point for the islands of the Inner Hebrides: Skye, Mull, Islay, Jura, and lona -- among others. In addition to its own lovely bay, the town offers views of the lochs, mountains, and islands typical of Scotland's west coast.
There weren't many tourists in Oban and again, many of the shops were closed but we did find a few places open, one of my favorites, The Whisky Shop! We found Carol in there and talked to the proprietor about the black scotch (whisky) that I have been searching for. He was very knowledgeable and gave me a lot of new information as well as giving Carol and I a sample of a new whisky - Oak Cross - that will be coming on to the market soon. It will be worth looking into.
We went back to the Caledonia Hotel where we met our group at 2:30 for an opportunity to explore Seil Island. We crossed over the "Bridge over the Atlantic", a very narrow stone bridge to this outer island of Scotland. We spent about 45 minutes in the village of Ellenabeich, an old slate mining compound where we were able to walk on the piers and photograph the outer islands.
At 3:45 we were back on the bus and retraced our path back over the famous bridge where we stopped for a few photos. We continued on through Oban to Ballachulish. Just before we arrived we stopped to photograph Castle Stalker on Loch Linnhey built in the 1500s and belonging to the Stewart clan before it was lost as a gambling debt to the Campbells.
We arrived at the hotel at 5:15 and were shown to our room in the 3rd floor. It was very hot as they have already turned on the heat. By adjusting the old steam heat and opening the window we were able to cool off a bit. We had a few minutes to settle in and found that the Wi-Fi system had open access. Lucky us!
We have gotten so used to free internet at all hotels and motels in the US, the heavy charges by British establishments were quite a shock. We went down to dinner at 6:30 and had many choices for entrée, main course and dessert. We returned to our room a little after 8 PM to work on the journal and answer our emails.
Ballachulish Hotel - Ballachulish, Scotland - - - Meals: B, D
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