The Ferry that Doesn’t Run & the Best Dinner Ever

Sep 8

Day 8: To the Isle of Skye

Some days start with the greatest of plans, and sometimes they work out perfectly. Day 8 was not one of those days. Started out by watching the train to Hogwarts (or seeing the steam train cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct) and taking in a castle before hurrying to Mallaig for our ferry. Unfortunately the ferry was cancelled, and so we backtracked through Fort William and made our way to Skye via the Skye bridge.

Neptune’s Staircase

"In the suburb of Banavie, the Caledonian Canal climbs 64ft in less than half a mile via a punishing but picturesque series of eight locks known as Neptune's Staircase. There are stunning views from here of Ben Nevis and its neighbors, and it's a popular point from which to walk or cycle along the canal towpath."

~Rough Guide to Scotland

Glenfinnan Monument

"The spot where the Young Pretender raised his battle standard on August 19, 1745, is marked by one of Scotland's most iconic structures, Glenfinnan Monument, a 60ft column crowned with a Highland clansman in full battle dress, erected as a tribute by Alexander Macdonald of Glenaladale in 1815. It's a beautiful, brooding spot at the head of the loch that's best appreciated from a viewpoint behind the Visitor Center. "

~Rough Guide to Scotland

Glenfinnan Viaduct

The imposing arched viaduct near the Glenfinnan Monument is crossed by the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films.

Road to the Isles

Castle Tioram

"Castle Tioram (pronounced "cheerum") is one of Scotland's most atmospheric monuments. Perched on a promontory above Loch Moidart and accessed via a sandy causeway (its Gaelic name means "dry land"), the thirteenth-century fortress was the seat of the MacDonalds of Clanranald until it was destroyed by their chief in 1715 to prevent it falling into Hanoverian hands. There's no entry into the castle, but for a slice of a picture-postcard romantic Scotland, it's hard to beat."

~Rough Guide to Scotland

Road to the Isles (Ctd.)

Eilean Donan

"After Edinburgh's fortress, Eilean Donan Castle has to be the most photographed monument in Scotland. Its tower rises on an islet, joined to the shore by a stone bridge and set against a backdrop of mountains. Small wonder it has featured in Highlander and the James Bond adventure The World is Not Enough. The castle was established in 1230 by Alexander II to protect the area from the Vikings but was destroyed during the Jacobite uprising of 1719. It was rebuilt between 1912 and 1932 by a British army officer, John Macrae-Gilstrap, because of the Macrae clan's ancestral links to the area."

~Rough Guide to Scotland

Talisker Distillery

"One ideal wet-weather activity is a guided tour of the Talisker whisky distillery, which produces a sweet full-bodied single malt with a whiff of smoke and peak. Skye's only distillery is situated on the shores of Loch Harport."

~Rough Guide to Scotland