A full car ready to go... Although I do look half asleep.
This little beast of a car scored the nickname Kenneth Menmuir!
We headed north up through the highlands with a quick stop for lunch on the east side of Loch Ness. As the weather was pretty average the scenery was somewhat hidden but we still managed to stop off at a huge castle before making our way to Wick which is on the north east coast where Fiona my awesome cousin spoilt us rotten for the next 2 nights. We also had quick stops in Inverness, Tain and the pretty seaside town of Golspie.
Loch Ness Monster!
Awesome Castle - I forget its name! Sorry Aunty Joy
Last time I was in northern Scotland I was a month too early to see the Orkney Islands which was something I had really wanted to do. This time Isaac and I joined a day tour which included the ferry crossing, a guided bus tour around the islands and the company of many grey haired folk who all seemed a little suprised to see to young Aussie lads on such a scenic tour. The Orkney Islands are absolutely stunning and the history behind the place is extremely interesting. After a great day exploring the different islands we jumped back on John O Groats ferry and headed through some rough seas and rain back to the mainland.
No trees at all on Orkney due to high winds
A common street found in the towns of the Orkney islands
Look at this Orkney Island special! 4 horns! The locals call him Rambo!
As we pulled up he was having a crack at this cow through the fence.
The Ring of Brodga - these things were erected 2500BC! Wowzess.
With our tummies full and enough food to last us for a month thanks to Fiona we drove along the northcoast with a stop at Smoo Cave and some lovely sandy beaches. Pity is wasnt 30 degrees! After having quite an expensive week in Norway Isaac and I had decided that this week was a money saving week and that meant roughing it a little bit. So we decided that we would camp for free in a place called Achiltibuie which is on the North West coast of Scotland, basically down a one way track in the middle of nowhere! The shitty weather continued and the '2 man tent' was the smallest thing I have ever seen. As you can imagine we had a pretty ordinary sleep but the scenery sure made up for it.
HAHA! A quick stop along a highway to say hello to this beast! He wasn't too happy as you can see he is ready to charge and we are somewhat ready to run!
The storm clouds were ready to roll in over this secluded beach
The next day we awoke with the sun and set off on a big driving day through Ullapool, Kyle of Locash and around the Isle of Skye. We managed to catch the last ferry from Armadale to Mallaig and continued driving until basically dark where we decided that tonight we would sleep in the car just outside of Fort William. I scored the back seat whilst Isaac decided the boot would be far more comfortbale than one of the front seats! After some bread and baked beans for dinner (very nutritious) we actually slept quite well although woke up in need of some fresh air!
Another early start as we continued driving through Glencoe and then stopped off in Kinlochleven where we found an awesome waterfall. After a couple of days without a shower and too much testosterone in one car you might say we went a bit bonkers! We decided that a swim in this freezing cold waterfall would be the best thing to freshen us up.... And it was! I think we only got one funny look whilst trying to get changed in the carpark!
This guy was happy to see us!
Post swim snap! Now the hard bit of getting around the slippery rocks and back to the car!
Glasgow was our next stop and we decided due to this cities reputation that maybe a hostel might be a safer option than the car! We treated ourselves to a hearty pub meal and a few pints of guinness and a night out on the town with the Glaswegians. Plenty of rough folk but a good night was had in the party city of Scotland.
After breakfast the next morning we headed out for some sightseeing of Glasgow and then onto the beautiful town of Stirling. A quick visit to the jail, a walk around town and then we made the trek up to the Wallace Monument which provided some great views. We would have loved to haved stayed in Stirling but time was against us as we still had St Andrews to visit. With the sun on our backs it was great to walk the 18th hole of the golf course and to explore the small uni town.
The little bridge on the 18th hole
The ruins of St Andrews Cathedral
We then continued a crazy day of driving back to Aunty Joys where a home cooked meal, hot shower and a comfy bed were well and truly needed after a fast but extremely fun week around Scotland.
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