My travels in Europe:
Eleven days by car in Scotland

2. Aviemore to Kinlochewe, day 4 to 5:

Map of driving from Aviemore to Kinlochewe, 283 km:

Aviemore:

Now we are leaving Aviemore after we had the breakfast.

Everyone has heard of England's all beautiful impeccably maintained parks and gardens? We wondered if there was any such here in Northern Scotland. Nope, but we find flowers in the nature.

Carrbridge:

Old Packhorse Bridge in the little town Carrbridge, damaged in the flooding year 1829.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Carrbridge (Carrbridge, Old Packhorse Bridge, Wiki)

We are now heading north toward the city of Inverness. It is located at the eastern entrance to the famous Loch Ness with the monster Nessie, you know.

On the way we saw a train passing by in the forest, stopped and try to had a look on the railway bridge, the heavy forest make it almost invisible.

A stop at Inverness canal with locks, the sign shows that our Swedish engineer Polhem was here in the 17th century. He studied these locks before he started building the Göta Canal that cuts across Sweden.

Loch Ness lake:

Loch Ness lake, we stopped and looked for Nessie, nothing.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Loch Ness (Loch Ness, Wiki)

We climb down to the lake to get a better view.

No Loch Ness here either!

Disappointed after not have seen her, we continue our driving.

Drumnadrochit:

This night we decided to stay in the small village Drumnadrochit close to Loch Ness. Here we paid 28 pounds and breakfast was included. B & B has otherwise remained in the range of 24 to 29 pounds per day.

It was a fanny and elderly couple who we rent the room of.

Before we went to bed we had time to visit this magnificent old defense castle, the Urguhart Castle.

The castle was built in the 13th century.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Urquhart Castle (Urguhart Castle, Wiki)

In the year 1296 they were conquered by Edward I and they choose themselves to blow it to pieces when they gave up.

From the tower we can see a replica of a war machine, a trebuchet. It throws away heavy stones with heavy force and brake walls.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Trebuchet (Trebuchet, Wiki)

Part of the wall still standing, but for how long?

Green vegetation everywhere, we are close to Loch Ness lake.

We have many of these arc stone bridges in Sweden too and they are always interesting to look at.

Under and after the bridge there was this waterfall.

When we by mistake come inside a car camping a women chased us and shouted at us. Sorry if we did something wrong, but why don't ask if we want to stay for the night or eat something in the restaurant. Do I need to say, we didn't stay here for the night! Other than this all Scottish people was very friendly and polite.

Ross-shire:

Whiskey production are Scotland famous for and we want to have a look, but this distillery was closed today :-(

Glen Ord Distillery.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Glen Ord Distillery (Glen Ord Distillery, Wiki)

Rogie Falls:

We parked the car and walk along a forest path to a waterfall, Rogie Falls.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Rogie Falls (Rogie Falls, Wiki)

Achanalt, Scottish Highlands:

Up here in the north we find the Scottish Highlands, the nature changed to resemble of our own Lappland in the very north of Sweden.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Scottish Highlands (Scottish Highlands, Wiki)

Ledgowan:

Here in Ledgowan we could see the remains of earlier coal mines. The coal has been very important in Scotland's history as an energy source.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ History of coal mining (History of coal mining, Wiki)

Taagan:

After we had passing Ledgowan we come to Taagan, a beautiful valley opens up toward a lake. I must say, I really like driving along the roads here.

Loch Maree:

We had read about Loch Maree in a tourist guide that is a very beautiful place, we took a brake from car driving and took a walk here. There where a lot of information signs here to read, very interesting.

You can read in the Wikipedia link provided down here:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Loch Maree (Loch Maree, Wiki)

We could read on the signs that the erosion had carved down more than 3000 meters of the mountains.

Gairloch:

Gairloch is a coast city and the Atlantic Ocean is here.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Gairloch (Gairloch, Wiki)

One interesting thing about this place for me, it is not far from where the ship M/S Canton which my father worked on was torpedoed in 1940 by a German submarine. My father had left the ship a year before, but many of his friends perished.

Gairloch, here we find a nice place to eat at and take a break. When we eat this strange bird came and watched us.

Maybe once it had been a whale industry here.

Loch Tollaidh:

We stood here and looked at the shepherd and was fascinated of the control he had with his dog over the sheep.

Loch Ewe:

Loch Ewe, we didn't come more north than this. Our earliest plans was to drive all around Scotland. But that take much longer time than we thought, there are so many interesting places and things to stop and look at.

At Loch Ewe, we sit and wait for the sunset before we go back to our accommodation for the night. We stay over night in Kinlockewe.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Loch Ewe (Loch Ewe, Wiki)