Scotland and the NC 500

Glasgow

We made a whirlwind 2-week visit to northern Scotland, starting with Glasgow. Glasgow is a city that does not easily reveal its charms. First impressions are of an industrial city in decline. Getting past that first impression though, Glasgow has a lot to offer.

Many Victorian era buildings remain, along with later architecture of noted Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Glasgow’s wealth at its peak is obvious from the elaborate homes and office buildings that continue to line the main streets.

In an effort to channel its many prolific graffiti artists’ energy, Glasgow council has commissioned the better ones to paint murals on unused buildings. Some of the paintings are terrific. Keep your eyes open for them, or download the free app that guides you through a walking tour.

Glasgow’s cathedral, known as St. Mungo’s, is the oldest in mainland Scotland and one of the principal tourist sites in the city. An interesting feature is that much space is devoted to honouring Scottish military regiments and officers, something not typically seen in churches.

Adjoining St. Mungo’s is the Glasgow Necropolis, a hilltop cemetery founded in the 1830s. Fifty-thousand people are buried there. It is fascinating to walk among the many elaborate tombs to Glasgow’s rich and famous.

Being a few thousand miles from home, we were astonished to bump into Vic, an old friend from running days, and his wife! We hadn’t seen them in over a decade and had to go all the way to Scotland to catch up.

Despite our first impressions, we much enjoyed our two days in Glasgow.

Isle of Skye

Leaving Glasgow we headed north along the shores of Loch Lomond, out to the west coast to Oban (including a stop at the distillery) and on to the Isle of Skye, the largest and most accessible of the Inner Hebrides islands. Isle of Skye was added to our itinerary almost as an afterthought. It ended up being one of the highlights.

We stayed at a B&B in the sheep-farming hamlet of Drumbuie, about four kilometres off the main road along a one-track, winding trail. To say it was quiet does not begin to describe the isolation. Nearby was the picture-postcard perfect seaside village of Plockton. The restaurants alone were worth the visit. We had two world-class dinners of seafood fresh off the boats in the harbour.

We had only one day on the Isle of Skye. That seemed reasonable given that the island is only 50 miles long. We were wrong. It was a long, full day. There are few communities of any size on the island. The main attraction is the breathtaking scenery. We drove the only one-lane road around the northern coast – up and over steep mountains inhabited mainly by sheep, and in and out of craggy fjords.

Besides the mountain and ocean scenery and the quaint fishing and farming villages, the two main attractions are Dunvegan Castle and the Talisker Distillery. Dunvegan Castle is the seat of the Clan Chief of Clan Macleod, the dominant clan on Isle of Skye and at one time one of the most powerful (and ruthless!) in all of Scotland. Talsiker whisky dates back to 1830. Curiously, it is not actually in the town of Talisker. Tours of the distillery were fully booked a week in advance. Since we had neglected to book a tour there was nothing left to do but relax in the tasting room sampling the Talisker line!

If you go to Isle of Skye, beware that it is very popular with tourists. The southern end of the island has many tour buses. Thankfully they cannot navigate the more scenic northern coast road. A lot of people camp, sometimes in organized campsites, more often just parking by the side of the road. If you want a guided tour at Talisker, book well ahead on their website.

North Coast 500

The focal point of our visit was the North Coast 500 (NC 500), a 500-mile drive around the northernmost part of Scotland. We only set aside six days, thinking that +/- 85 miles per day would be a breeze. How wrong we were. Every day was long driving, with not enough time to get out of the car and enjoy our surroundings.

What sets apart the NC 500 as a drive is the roadway. Most of the route, particularly on the western and northern portions, is on one-track road just wide enough for one vehicle. There are large sections of winding mountain roads with blind corners and hills. There are periodic “passing points” just wide enough to let another vehicle squeeze by. If you happen to meet another vehicle between passing points one of you has to back up. Astonishingly, the speed limit is generally 60 miles (yes, miles) per hour.

Day one of the NC 500 started with driving the notorious Bealach na Bà (Cattle Pass) to Applecross. It is a steep, winding road that goes up and quickly back down a 620 metre summit. It was challenging and exhilarating at points, but not as death-defying as some publications warned.

Bealach na Bà set the tone for the next four days. Each day we drove about 160 kms of mostly one-track roads. The roads wound up and down mountainsides and along the Atlantic coast. The scenery was spectacular but whoever was driving only focused on the road, ready to brake for the ubiquitous sheep (who have priority on the roads), or dodge into passing points when vehicles approached.

The towns and villages were lovely. The town of Ullapool was probably our favourite. It’s main street faces the loch with fishing boats bobbing in the harbour. The historic building facades are maintained in traditional bright white.

We took a detour (down an even narrower road!) to the village of Badachro. We visited the Badachro Distillery. A couple distils gin in their garage (literally) in a still named Delilah using botanicals they forage from the nearby hills and shorelines. Quite a contrast to the big brands.

A particular highlight for Maria was being able to scratch and pet the handsome Highland Cattle. Despite their formidable size and large horns they are actually quite tame and enjoy a good scratch.

The final two days were less challenging. The east side of Scotland is more developed and has better roads. The scenery is not as rugged. We spent more time exploring the castles and homes of wealthy nobles now opened to the public to raise money. The Castle of Mey was the personal home of the Queen Mother. After her death it was opened to the public, but is still used by the Royals for vacations (Charles was visiting the week after we were there). It remains as it was in the Queen Mother’s lifetime. Fascinating.

A sobering counterpoint to the ostentatious lifestyles of the aristocracy is located at Helmsdale. Helmsdale hosts a monument to the Highland Clearances, a tragic episode in Scottish history. Tenant farmers were evicted en masse from their homes. Many of those evicted families settled in Canada. The monument “The Emigrants” depicts a family leaving Scotland for their new home. A twin monument – “The Settlers” – stands in Winnipeg, Canada where many of the Scottish refugees found a new home.

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If You Go

We highly recommend the NC 500. The scenery is spectacular. The seafood is amazing. We had some of the best seafood of our lives in nondescript restaurants in tiny villages. The people are unfailingly friendly. The history, especially for those with Scottish roots, is fascinating. Of course there is the Highland whisky. The roads, though challenging, are exhilarating.

If you go, set aside more time than we did. We had little time for the many walks and hikes that are everywhere in the Highlands. In good weather there are many nice beaches. If you’re renting a vehicle, go small but with enough power to get up hills. The best guidebook we found is “North Coast Journey” by Brigid Benson.

Edinburgh

We have travelled to a lot of popular tourist destinations. We have never seen one as full of tourists as Edinburgh! Be prepared for crowds if you go in the summer.

The main attraction for most people is Edinburgh Castle. It is an imposing structure overlooking the city, though not terribly attractive from the outside. It was built for defence, not appearances. It was overwhelmed with visitors. Even booking tickets in advance online (highly recommended), there were long waits to get in. Before the gate opened at 9:30 am there was a two block queue. Get there early. To make it worthwhile, spring the couple of extra pounds for the audio guide. Touring the castle is primarily a history lesson. Without the audio guide much of what is inside would be meaningless.

The second most popular attraction in the city is the Royal Mile – the street from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. There are some historic and attractive buildings and monuments but mostly it just tacky tourist shops. (Note to shopkeepers – please stop renting kilts to hideous looking tourists.)

A much more worthwhile stop is Holyrood Palace. It is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. When the Royals are not in residence much of the Palace is open to visitors. Some of the rooms are museum pieces, Mary Queen of Scots’ bedchamber for example. Others are still in use and are exactly as they would be when the Royals are in residence.

One sight many people bypass because it is a few miles from the city centre is Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia. The yacht was decommissioned in 1997. It is open to the public, almost exactly as it was on the day it was decommissioned. The tour covers the whole yacht – the crew’s quarters, engine rooms, kitchens, dining room, and the Royals’ quarters, including the Queen’s bedroom. A must see.

Edinburgh was our last stop in Scotland. Now it is on to new adventures.

Next Stop: Portugal

For more photos check our photo gallery. We packed a lot into two weeks so this gallery has more photos than usual. You may want to fill your wine glass before opening the gallery.