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Post by andi on Jan 17, 2007 20:56:34 GMT 10
Dunvegan and the Cuillin The most narrow-crested, airiest, moodiest mountains in all of Britain - many climbers would put the Cuillin at the top of their list. These most atmospheric of Scotland's high places dominate the skyline of west Skye. Some rate the walks and climbs as suitable for only the most experienced, but novice walkers and the less fit should not despair - there are places where a flavour of the magic can be enjoyed. The road to Glen Brittle is one angle, giving motorists a fine view from the north, while from the road-end at Glenbrittle itself, a path leads up from sea level to the base of the high slopes. Sligachan is another popular base for Cuillin excursionists. A choice of guiding operators and guided walks are available for the area, for all levels of climbing experience. Dunvegan Castle is the most famous fortress for miles around. Though altered and extended over the centuries - with the oldest part dating from the 14th century - the castle is still in the hands of the Macleods of Macleod, descendants of the original builders. Relics on display include the Fairy Flag, the sacred clan banner, said to have miraculous powers of bringing victory to the Clan Macleod in battle. Other places of interest in the area north-west of the Cuillin include the Talisker Distillery, (the only one on Skye) with an exhibition on the history of distilling in the area. The Giant Angus MacAskill Museum near Dunvegan tells the story of the tallest recorded Scotsman. Also by Dunvegan, the Colbost Croft Museum is a blackhouse-type traditional dwelling with 19th-century furniture and implements, while Borreraig Park is another local history museum. The sea-loch coastline north of Dunvegan has little coves and white beaches to discover. These fascinating beaches, notably around Claigan, are made from pieces of tiny pinkish Hebridean coral. This area in general also has many historic footnotes - tales of clan massacres at the ruined Trumpan Church, and local legends of the Clan Macleod and their dealings with the "wee folk" at the Fairy Bridge. But, inevitably, it is the Cuillin which will draw the eye. www.visithighlands.com/skye/dunvegan/
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Post by andi on Jan 17, 2007 20:57:27 GMT 10
Broadford, Sleat & Southern Skye The Skye Bridge and both the ferry links bring visitors into this "first impression" of Skye. While all of Skye is a visual delight, the Sleat peninsula is sometimes described as the garden of Skye, with its woodland and pasture adding a softer aspect to the island. Towards the southern end of Sleat, Armadale Castle and the Museum of the Isles tells the story of the powerful Clan Donald. There is also an attractive garden and nature trails here. Both Sleat and Strathaird are easily reached from Broadford. This community, a well-resourced village with a range of craft outlets and shops, is strung out along the shore and looks over to the Applecross peninsula. Broadford can also be easily reached from Kylerhea with an added attraction on this route being the Otter Haven near Kylerhea where a carpark and short walk lead to a Forestry Commission otter viewing hide. (Otters are thriving in many parts of Skye and Lochalsh - and the sea-lochs and sheltered waters are also excellent for spotting whales and dolphins.) The road to Elgol is a must for every Skye visitor. At the little village of Elgol is what has been described as the finest view in Britain - the end of the Cuillin ridge seen across Loch Scavaig. Boat trips from Elgol go for a close-up view or there is a vertigo-inducing path north from Elgol itself. On the way to Elgol there is another classic Skye view, this time of Blaven, a jagged Cuillin outlier, from across Loch Slapin. Note, on the way, how the black gabbro rock of the spiky Cuillin Hills (the Black Cuillin) contrasts with the pinky-red granite of the more rounded Red Hills (or Red Cuillin) which come into view towards Torrin on the Elgol road and, from another angle, by the A87 beyond Broadford Wherever you travel in this area, look for signs for crafts: painters, sculptors, photographers, jewellers, weavers - all inspired by the landscapes of Skye. Other places to visit include the Brightwater Visitor Centre, with its wildlife theme, and the Skye Serpentarium in Broadford, a reptile breeding centre and refuge. There are plenty of places offering boat-trips, including Armadale and Elgol, and the spectacular seascapes are great for water sports, including sea kayaking opportunities. Golf, pony-trekking and angling are all easy to find, and with such spectacular landscapes, walking and climbing, from forest walks to testing rock-work, are inevitably hugely popular. www.visithighlands.com/skye/broadford/
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Post by andi on Jan 17, 2007 20:58:12 GMT 10
Lochalsh Lochalsh and Kintail are visually stunning with fjord-like sea-lochs and high peaks. Main roads from south and west converge here for the Skye bridge crossing at the area's main centre, Kyle of Lochalsh. The Glen Shiel ridge on the south side of the glen is a favoured location for experienced hillwalkers, offering a variety of high-level routes taking in several Munros. The north side of Glen Shiel includes a large area in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, including the famous mountain profile of the Five Sisters of Kintail. Guarding the mouth of Loch Duich is one of the most-photographed of Scotland's fortresses, the restored Eilean Donan Castle, which (before its later rebuilding) was destroyed by naval gunfire in the 1719 Jacobite uprising. Aside from the main roads, there are some smaller roads to discover, including the historic through-route to Glenelg, a former cattle-droving route and military road connecting with the (summer-only) ferry-crossing to Skye. The former barracks here at Bernara, formerly controlling the Skye crossing, are further reminders of Jacobite times. The road continues to the remote settlement of Arnisdale, passing the Glenelg Brochs, the two best preserved of these curious defensive towers on the Scottish mainland. Plockton is a famously attractive and popular village, curving round a sheltered east-facing shore on outer Loch Carron. (It was the location of the British television series Hamish Macbeth.) There is also a rare breeds farm nearby. Kyle of Lochalsh offers a good range of shops and services, as well as a fascinating small museum of local transport housed in the railway station here.. Among the many fine scenic features of the area, the Falls of Glomach at 370ft (112m) are one of Britain's highest. They lie 5 miles (8km) from the carpark at Dorusdain. A less demanding walk through pinewood and rhododendron can be enjoyed at the NTS's Lochalsh Woodland Garden by Balmacara. The rugged and unspoilt coastline are good places to see otters (especially around Plockton), while the elusive pine marten can be found in the woodlands. Cruises and boat hire are available from Kyle of Lochalsh and Plockton. Overall, this is a visually spectacular and wild area, ideal for lovers of the outdoors. www.visithighlands.com/skye/lochalsh/
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Post by andi on Jan 18, 2007 1:52:02 GMT 10
Inverness, Loch Ness & NairnInverness, 'the city in the Highlands' is a modern city that is the Highland's main settlement and the hub of a transport network leading to and from all parts of the Highlands and the rest of the UK. Through serving the needs of an extensive and rural hinterland as well as visitors Inverness is a bustling place with an excellent shopping choice, including the most northerly locations of many 'High Street' retail chains. Located at the top of the Great Glen a great variety of different kinds of landscape lie within easy reach. Loch Ness is only a few minutes drive. To the south and west lie the big hills in the heart of the Highlands, notably around Glen Affric. West of Inverness and with the little town of Beauly at its northern gateway, the long glen of Strathglass leads into these heartlands. East of Inverness, the hills gradually give way to the narrow and sheltered lowland strip around the edge of the Moray Firth, where the main town is Nairn, a long-established small resort notable for its golf and fine beaches. Overall, this area offers plenty of Scottish strands to follow, with a good range of historic sites and castles, as well as Europe's best preserved 18th-century fort at Fort George. The sport and activity choice is also wide-ranging and includes both cruising on Loch Ness (monsters, maybe) and also on the Moray Firth (dolphins, almost definitely). Shopping for Scottish crafts, plus all the nightlife and the cultural programme of Scotland's most northerly city, are just a few of the other options. There's also the region Beauly & Strathglass www.visithighlands.com/inverness-loch-ness/
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Post by andi on Jan 18, 2007 1:56:46 GMT 10
Beauly and Strathglass Though only 10 miles (16km) west of Inverness, Beauly represents a different and gentler pace of Highland life. Beauly's regular main square is a reminder that this is a 'planned village', laid out in more peaceable times of the late 18th century when demobilised soldiers needed housing around 1760. The village was also settled by Highlanders cleared from other estates and it became a market centre for local produce. Today, Beauly is noted as the home of the Highland Tweed House and also Made in Scotland, with its unbeatable range of quality craftware and gifts. The ruined Beauly Priory, just north of The Square, was originally founded by Valliscaulian monks around 1230 and prospered ultimately under the patronage of the local land-owning Frasers until the Reformation. After that, like many other monastic seats in Scotland, it fell into decay, its stone re-used in various buildings. It is associated with Mary Queen of Scots, who stayed at The Priory here in 1564. The Queen was charmed with the attractions of the place, ordering outfits in tartan for her entire court. Beauly is also the northern gateway to the very attractive wooded 'riverscapes' of Strathglass. This strath (Gaelic: broad valley) in turn offers a choice of magnificent hill scenery to discover in the glens which branch off it. These include Strathfarrar, accessed via Struy Bridge on the A831. The road continues to follow the course of the river to the peaceful little village of Cannich, set amid yet more fine hills. From here, visitors have a choice of glens to explore, including Cannich and Affric, both of which lead into higher mountains with an air of remoteness about them. Another option is to discover the little village of Tomich and make a trip to the spectacular Plodda Falls. Glen Affric has a reputation for being the most beautiful glen in Scotland and is a National Nature Reserve. It also has the Dog Falls and at the road end, a choice of high level day-long routes for experienced hillwalkers, including Carn Eige, the highest summit north of the Great Glen. However, there are also lower level waymarked walks through the glen which explore the native pinewoods for which the area is noted. As well as walking, this area offers golf, angling and pony trekking and among the places to visit are Highland Wineries at Moniack Castle. Overall, this is an area almost wholly rural in character with a taste of wildness and grandeur about it. www.visithighlands.com/inverness-loch-ness/beauly/
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Post by andi on Jan 18, 2007 2:00:18 GMT 10
Loch Ness Perhaps one of the most famous names in Scottish tourism, the fame of Loch Ness and its monster is known all over the world. The reporting of something unusual and unexplained in Loch Ness took its modern form and began to interest the media in the 1930s. It has been a tourist attraction ever since. Loch Ness is Scotland's largest Loch in terms of its volume, and it is more than 600ft (180m) deep for much of its 23 miles (37km) length. The sightings over the years are at the core of the Loch Ness 2000 Exhibition Centre and the Original Loch Ness Monster Visitors Centre, both at Drumnadrochit. In addition, the complex here has wide-ranging quality souvenir shopping, including kilts and whisky. Loch Ness has much more than an elusive monster. There are plenty of attractions on both sides of the loch. These include the interesting 3-acre garden at Abriachan, while just below Drumnadrochit is Urquhart Castle with its visitor centre telling the story of this important Great Glen fortress. Fort Augustus is a good place to watch the life of the Caledonian Canal at the series of locks here. Also here, visitors can enjoy the Caledonian Canal Heritage Centre, a Rare Breeds Park and also the Clansman Centre, a living museum based round a reconstructed 17th century turf house. Costumed (and armed!) clansfolk give a vivid insight into Highland life of old. The east side of the loch is the quieter of the two sides. The roads here were originally built as military roads to connect the garrison at Inverness with Fort Augustus and Fort William. From the Suidhe Chumein viewpoint on the B862, the straightness of the soldiers' work can be appreciated. The Falls of Foyers on the B852, as the road descends to loch level, are also worth viewing and there are places along this narrower road where good views of the loch can be peacefully enjoyed. Activities in the area include walking the Great Glen Way (though there are also shorter walks), cycling on the Great Glen Cycleway, also pony trekking, golf and angling. In summary, this is an area close to Inverness with fine scenery but also a good choice for families, especially on the water, with motor-cruisers for hire and also guided cruises available on Loch Ness. www.visithighlands.com/inverness-loch-ness/lochness/
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Post by andi on Jan 19, 2007 21:03:52 GMT 10
Inverness Though it is the capital of the Highlands, the first impression of Inverness is that of a modern town with few signs of antiquity - because, in ancient days, as a meeting point of Highland and Lowland, it was a place of conflict. Clan Donald is said to have burned the town at least seven times, while Bonnie Prince Charlie's forces destroyed the fort here in 1745. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery displays the heritage of the area, from archaeology to natural history. Inverness Castle, dating from the1830s, is a castellated prominent gothic-style building in red sandstone, now the setting of the Castle Garrison Encounter, a costume re-enactment of life for an 18th-century soldier. Inverness today is modern and go-ahead - a small, fresh northern city with its streets in summer a busy mix of residents and visitors. The new extension to the Eastgate Centre, with its many High Street names, reflects the city's important commercial role, while the refurbished Victorian Arcade nearby, with its smaller businesses, is a reminder of the continuity as well as the variety of Inverness shopping. The city also has an excellent selection of pubs, restaurants and late-night venues, as well as Scottish Showtime, traditional music and dance performed in costume, said to be Scotland's longest running show. Another important cultural centre is the Eden Court Theatre and Cinema, with an entertainment programme to suit all tastes, though this is just one venue for a very varied events programme which also includes the music and martial spectacle of the Inverness Tattoo. The city environment is very attractive, with Inverness a Britain in Bloom award winner. Among its parks and gardens, the tropical gardens under glass in the Bught Floral Hall are notable. Nearby are the attractive walks by the Ness islands on the river. Minutes from Inverness, the National Trust for Scotland's visitor centre at Culloden vividly tells the story of the defeat of the Jacobite forces led by Bonnie Prince Charlie and the government troops (including many Scottish soldiers) under the Duke of Cumberland in 1746. The impressive Clava Cairns date from around 3000BC and make another interesting excursion from Inverness. Inverness is truly "the city in the Highlands" - a well-resourced small city and an ideal touring centre with plenty to see and do all around by way of sport and leisure activities. www.visithighlands.com/inverness-loch-ness/inverness/
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Post by andi on Jan 19, 2007 21:07:37 GMT 10
Nairn This is a fascinating area whose character has a hint of the sea air about it. Yet the hills are close at hand and a backdrop to views across the Moray Firth, looking north from the ramparts of Fort George, the golf courses of Nairn or the woodland-edge of the Culbin Forest. Long ago, it was said of Nairn that it was so big that different languages were spoken at either end of it - a reference to the Gaelic-speaking crofters to landward and the Lowland Scots-speaking fishers by the sea. Today, Nairn still has a sea-town and a landward town, split by the main Inverness-Elgin road. It also has the air of a traditional seaside resort with its Victorian villas and hotels - a role which became important in the mid-19th century when the railway arrived. The story is told at the Nairn Museum. The town boasts two championship golf courses (Nairn Golf Club hosted the Walker Cup in 1999) and a modern swimming pool and leisure park. Nearby Fort George is Europe's best preserved 18th-century military fortification and a direct result of the battle at nearby Culloden - a reaction by the Hanoverian government of the day to ensure the Highlands would never again rise in rebellion. This fascinating place, built on a huge scale, has never fired a shot in anger. Cawdor Castle is also close at hand and makes for an entertaining visit - a family residence for six centuries and filled with fascinating artefacts. It also has an excellent garden and a choice of paths through the estate. There is also a good path network leading out from Nairn, notably up the River Nairn, connecting with Cawdor, as well as eastwards into the Culbin Forest and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' reserve of Culbin Sands. There are plenty of other points of interest all around: picturesque Dulsie Bridge, a military road bridge of 1764; the Ardclach Bell Tower (a fortified belltower of 1655); also the village of Auldearn, where the Royalist forces routed a Covenanting army in 1645, during Scotland's religious wars. An explanatory panel by the 17th-century Boath doocot sets the scene. Overall, the Nairn area offers key historical sites in Scotland's story, plus a gentle landscape with excellent beaches and a good range of things to do. www.visithighlands.com/inverness-loch-ness/nairn/
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Post by mcnass on Jan 19, 2007 21:12:00 GMT 10
Mmmmh, your pictures make me dream... Hope to be soon back at Dunnet Bay and have a bath... McNass + Kids:
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Post by andi on Jan 20, 2007 1:28:11 GMT 10
This is picture is beautifull, too... must be such a great area up there.
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Post by andi on Jan 25, 2007 0:43:41 GMT 10
Aviemore & the CairngormsWith its mountains, pine-clad slopes and wide river valley setting, Aviemore and the Cairngorms area is yet another very distinctive Highland setting. The high plateau of the Cairngorms is a backdrop to every view, and ever-changing throughout the day as sun and shadow move across these high hills. These high places lie at the core of the Cairngorms National Park which, at 3800 sq km, is the largest in Britain and was established in 2003. At a lower level, the area is also a stronghold of the ancient Caledonian pinewoods - the descendants of the natural forests of old. As well as high mountain tundra and rocky passes, moorlands and forest, there are also extensive marshlands and lochs, whose best-known visitor in summer is the osprey - and one that is quite easy to spot, particularly around the Boat of Garten area. This is an area which has a huge range of activities for visitors right through the year. A chain of attractive little towns and villages along the river valley, from Grantown-on-Spey upstream to Dalwhinnie, make good bases to discover the huge choice of walking at all levels, the winter skiing at Cairngorm, watersports and golf, plus the equally wide range of visitor attractions, which even includes the world's highest distillery, and a steam railway with, arguably, the best views of any preserved railway in Britain. The Regions Dalwhinnie to Kincraig Carrbridge, Boat of Garten to Nethy Bridge and Dulnain Bridge to Grantown on Spey belong to Aviemore & the Cairngorms www.visithighlands.com/aviemore/
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Post by andi on Jan 25, 2007 0:49:54 GMT 10
Dalwhinnie to Kincraig The traveller by road (the A9) or rail enjoys mountain and moor for much of the journey north, with the high Cairngorm views beginning to open out as soon as you enter the National Park at Dalwhinnie (distillery). By Newtonmore, road and rail join with the River Spey flowing from the west out of the Monadliath (Gaelic: the grey moors/mountains). Newtonmore has a choice of museums giving an introduction to Highland culture - the Highland Folk Museum and also the Clan MacPherson Museum, Scotland's oldest clan collection. Only a few minutes further downstream, near Kingussie (Highland Folk Museum here as well), are Ruthven Barracks, visible from the main A9, their ruinous state the result of being attacked by the forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746. They overlook the River Spey which meanders gently in this upper part of Strathspey (where 'strath' is Gaelic for broad valley). This part of the river forms the Insh Marshes, a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve noted for wildfowl (and ospreys). The river-marshes in turn give way to Loch Insh, a noted area for water sports, with the community of Kincraig beyond. There is a wealth of things to do in this area between the mountains. The popular tv series 'Monarch of the Glen' was filmed in several locations all around - to the west, for example, Laggan was Glenbogle village. The museums at Newtonmore and Kingussie with their reconstructed buildings give a vivid insight into Highland life of old. Native wildlife (including former inhabitants such as wolves) can be seen at the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig. There are very entertaining working sheepdog displays near Kincraig. The area offers a good range of activities. In addition to the watersports centre on Loch Insh, Newtonmore and Kingussie both offer fine golf and also ponytrekking. Walkers also have a huge choice, from the high-level routes on Creag Meagaidh (a national nature reserve) west of Laggan, (itself a good waking base). There is a Wildcat Trail round Newtonmore, plus an interpretation trail around Loch Insh - though with miles of mountains and forests, this is all excellent walking country. In summary, this area makes a good base for discovering all that Speyside has to offer. The wildlife park , working sheepdogs and watersports in particular broaden the appeal for families. www.visithighlands.com/aviemore/dalwhinnie/
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