The Highlands (Day 1)

Blogging about my Highlands trip in retrospect is pretty hard, because I have to suppress the urge to gush about it in rather sentimentalized terms, whilst utilizing alarming-looking CAPITAL LETTERS WITH NO BREAKS AND EXCITED PUNCTUATION!!!!! However I shall try going about this chronologically so I don't miss anything out, and yes, as a historian-in-the-making I always endeavour to be as truthful and objective as possible.

So here goes - March 6 2009, Day 1 of my Highlands trip!

Driving past:

The Falkirk Wheel - Stirling - Loch Lomond in the Trossachs - Glen Coe

So after a slight delay when picking up the cars in the morning, we set off from Edinburgh about an hour later than projected. Nevertheless, hail the GPS system we had decided to rent. It got us to our first destination without frustrating detours and aimless wandering, and served us exceedingly well over the next 3 days. When in doubt, always always always get the GPS.

1. Falkirk Wheel

Our first stop for the day.

Now, I know I said that I would try to be truthful, but everyone knows that complete objectivity is impossible. Nevertheless, I'll do the next best thing and alert you to my personal biases and prejudices so you know where I'm coming from. I am an Arts student interested in pretty landscapes, casual walks, galleries and cultural monuments. I went along to the Falkirk wheel after having heard inspired comments like "marvel of Scottish engineering," and "you will just go there and stare at it in awe." So I went expecting to nothing short of floored.



This is the Falkirk wheel. It is a rotating boat lift. The most objective assessment I can give in a word is: Yawn. I'd recommend it only if you're an engineer, or it's along the way. And if you go, don't linger.

To counter this rather bland appraisal, I should say that some of my friends thought the wheel was very interesting and 'cool.' I suppose it is indeed an engineering feat though I'm not sure how exactly to appreciate it. So there you go - two sides of the story. Decide for yourself.

2. Stirling Castle, Stirling


Now this is something worth going for. Make the drive uphill to Stirling castle. You'll be greeted by a statue of Robert the Bruce, one of Scotland's most famous kings on the castle esplanade. The castle is not as big as Edinburgh castle, and parts of it are sadly under renovation and will continue to be for quite some time. Nevertheless, go if only for the magnificent panaromic landscape you'll enjoy from the castle rock. Unlike the busy cityscape you spy from Edinburgh castle, Stirling offers much more greenery and large expanses of countrified scenes. Admittedly not as breath-taking compared to other sights later on in my trip (won't jump the gun here!), but very pleasing and relaxing.





Other than the awesome views, there are lots of little nooks and crannies within the castle which you can check out. My favourite was the Chapel simply because it looked warm, inviting and was bedecked with lovely wall tapestries.



I wish we could've spent more time in Stirling, but we had to leave after an hour to make it in time for our next destination...

3. Tarbet, Loch Lomond


Would have easily been the highlight of the day if not for the weather. You might have discerned this already from the picture, but we were unfortunate enough to pick an overcast day for our cruise down Loch Lomond, supposedly one of the most beautiful lochs in Scotland.

But clouds and drizzle aside, it's definitely possible to see why Loch Lomond is said to surpass even its more well-known sister, the Loch Ness. The loch is ringed by picturesque hills clothed in a canopy of trees - a scene I imagine would look strikingly vivid on a sunny day, with bursts of colour along the banks, and patches of golden sunlight illuminating the waters of the Loch.




As it was however, the weather put quite a damper on our plans. The Loch was misty and the grey colour of iron when we sailed through it. Nevertheless, definitely glad to have gone on the cruise. We got a dimmed version of the Loch's beauty, but it was pretty nevertheless. The weather actually gave it a rather enigmatic and picturesque cast. I'd go back again if I could and watch the sun rise over the Loch.



4. En Route to Glen Coe

Headed off to our accommodation in Glen coe - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was filmed around this area though I don't think we passed through the exact site where Harry, Ron and Hermione gallavanted.

The landscape we drove through was absolutely surreal. There were wild, precipitous mountains, capped in layers of pure white snow. At some points I felt I was passing through an unearthly moonscape. We didn't exactly get out to look around since it was obviously very cold, but driving through this other-worldly space was definitely a memorable part of the first day for me. Now that's the kind of thing that really makes you stop and stare in awe. Sadly I only managed to take pictures from inside the car while we were moving - they really do not capture the vast, almost deathly beauty of the mountains.




An awesome conclusion to our Friday drive. We spent the night at the Glen Coe Independent Hostel which is located in the very small, sleepy town of - you guessed it - Glen coe. I frankly don't have much to say about the place except that it was cold and the showers didn't come with hot water. However I slept extremely soundly helped no doubt by the celebratory beer we had for dinner that night - a fitting and bubbly end to our first eventful day, and a toast to the days ahead.