Day 6 – to Fort William

We said goodbye to Aviemore after breakfast. First stop, 20 minutes away was Ruthven Barracks. This was built by the Government to defend against the Jacobite uprising. The Jacobites did eventually destroy the buildings in 1746.

The route towards Fort William has stunning scenery particularly along the banks of Loch Laggan. We’d lost track of our travelling party, and we pushed on without a rest stop, as we believed we were behind. We agreed to meet up in Fort Willian for lunch. Alison and Vic however found themselves already through Fort William and decided to keep going to Glencoe. The car needed refuelling, so we found a petrol station and had a quick lunch at McDonalds.

We eventually all met up in Glencoe and walked one (easiest) of the Glencoe Lochan Trails. It was a little rainy but the views around the small Loch (or Lochan) were stunning.

As the rain continued, we drove around Loch Leven. Again, the views were amazing.

We returned to Fort William and checked-in to our accommodation, Victoria House. Fort William is a popular hub for tourists. Situated close to Ben Nevis, it is a gateway to Western Scotland, including the Hebrides Isles, Glencoe and Oban.

Victoria House is on the outskirts of Fort William and not really close to any restaurants. It was close to a laundromat however, so we took the opportunity to freshen up our clothes. There were varying ideas for dinner, with the others opting for a takeaway sandwich from M&S. Jane and I drove into the town to a restaurant we’d found, however there was a queue out the door. Tired, we settled for a takeaway Thai curry from Cafe 115. It wasn’t anything special, but it hit the spot.

Day 7 – Glencoe

After breakfast we decided to rest, while Keith and Lynn joined in a Park Run in the Nevis Range.

When they returned, we drove back to Glencoe. Glencoe has got to be one of the most spectacular places on earth. With towering mountains and flat glacial valleys, there are postcard pictures at every turn. This was my favourite place, not only in Scotland, but of the whole trip.

Keith and Lynn offered to drive. It was a welcome relief for Jane as she has shouldered all the driving, not only here in Scotland, but in Ireland last week as well. We parked our car in Ballachulish and Lynn picked us up from there.

We caught the Mountain Resort Chairlift. It was a chilly ride, but the views were breathtaking. The chairlift took us up the mountain over waterfalls. There was a cafe at the top for a warm cuppa.

We decide to visit Oban for a late lunch. Oban is a seaside town renowned for seafood and a ferry port for the Hebrides Islands. Lynn was keen for fresh mussels, while the rest of us stuck with the old standard fish and chips. Oban is a pretty town and it was lovely to eat the fish and chips on the docks.

As we had a late lunch, we decided a cheese and cracker dinner in the Victoria House’s lounge would be a great way to finish the day. Accompanied by beer, wine and whisky of course.

That sadly, concluded our Highland trip. It’s back to Edinburgh tomorrow.