We have just finished our third day on our Spring Highlands and Islands Tour. We left our home of Oban behind today with a first stop at Dunstaffnage Castle. This is one of the oldest stone castles in Scotland and was built around 1275 on a huge rock overlooking the Firth of Lorn. Built by Duncan, the grandson of Somerled, Lord of the Isles, Dunstaffnage was the mighty stronghold of the MacDougalls for several year until it was beseiged by King Robert the Bruce in 1308. It was a Royal castle until the mid 1400s when it was acquired by the Campbells and was most famously used as a prison for Flora MacDonald following the Battle of Culloden in 1746. We then made our way to Glencoe, which was the site of the 1692 Massacre of the MacDonalds at the hands of the Campbells. Glencoe is also known as the Valley of the Weeping as you can feel the sadness of the area escaping through the ground and mist of the glen. Set against a backdrop of craggy peaks and the tumbling River Coe, the Glen offers some of Scotlands most spectacular scenery! We then stopped just across the river at the Clachaig Inn for lunch. The Inn has been a source of accommodation and hospitality for travelers for over three hundred years and we have been stopping here for several years ourselves! Then on our way to Fort William we stopped at the wee St. Johns Scottish Episcopal Kirk at Ballachullish before continuing our journey to Fort William. Fort William is nestled snuggly on the shores of Loch Linnhe and we took some time to wander around town before continuing on to wee village of Spean Bridge. Spean Bridge is home to the Spean Bridge Woollen Mill and we stopped for some shopping before a visit to the Commando War Memorial for a great view of the UKs tallest peaks, Ben Nevis and Aonoch Mor. We then settled in to our accommodation before making a journey out to dinner at the Station Restaurant. All in all, it was a very lovely day!
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 21:00:56 +0000
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