Loving Life in Scotland – The Scottish Highlands by Campervan

Welcome to the Scottish Highlands, the third in a series of posts on our tour of Scotland. Highlights include swimming in Loch Ness, the colourful moors, the Isle of Skye, the Isle of Harris and Lewis and a special excursion at sea.

The Why?

The Scottish Highlands and the moors were always on my bucket list, ever since I saw movies like The Hound of the Baskervilles and An American Werewolf in London. From these movies I visualized the moors as dreary, permanently fog-covered lowlands. Instead, we experienced a mountainous terrain alive in shades of purple, green, yellow, and rust. I will forever associate the colour purple with Scotland.

Deb wanted us to tour the Scottish Highlands in a campervan, which is not a mode of transport or accommodations I am accustomed to. My motto has always been “4-star, or better”. So we rented a campervan. 😆

After thorough lessons on how to fill the water tank, drain the gray (used) water, fill the cooking gas tank, operate all the controls, and yes, empty the chemical toilet, I felt empowered. Off we went.

It was fabulous. 

We didn’t have Maggie Mae yet. At this time, our Jack Russell Terrier, named Jumpin’ Jack Flash, was still with Deb’s parents in Canada. So it was just Deb and I on this journey. It would have been a perfect trip for a dog (except for our special adventure at sea on day 4).

The logistics of our camper trip are covered at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy the read. Click on the photos to see them full size.

After reading about our tour of the Highlands, please click on Travel Scotland for more of our adventures in Scotland, including our special day trip at sea.

Loch Ness

We left from Glasgow and drove nonstop through Cairngorms National Park to Inverness. Cairngorms is a large National Park northwest of Glasgow. The park consists mainly of moorland, dotted with castles, lochs, and a few mountain peaks. Certainly, the most famous residence in the park is Balmoral Castle, the vacation home of the British monarchy. Being far out of our way, we decided not to pop over and visit the Queen.

Besides, we had a special adventure booked for day four in Leverburgh, Isle of Harris, which is on the western edge of the Outer Hebrides. Also, we experienced unspoken excitement about seeing what is surely the most famous lake in Scotland. We did not stop in Inverness either; we headed straight for Loch Ness.

Inverness is located at the mouth of the River Ness. When you leave Inverness for Loch Ness you have to decide early on whether you want to see the north shore of the loch or the south shore. There are no bridges spanning the river or the loch once you leave Inverness. We chose the south shore for two reasons: the highly rated Lochness Viewpoint along the south shore, and the incredible Suidhe Viewpoint moors. Also on the south side of Loch Ness are the Falls of Foyer and Loch Tarff Viewpoint, both highly rated sights. From our research, the north shore offers only two advantages: the ruins of the 1509 Urquhart Castle and a road that hugs the loch for its entire length. Your choice; we chose the south shore, taking road B862 out of Inverness.

Our first sight of Loch Ness was from Loch Ness Beach, near the eastern tip of the loch. Our preconceptions of a mysterious or comical place were blown away by what we saw. The tranquillity and beauty of Loch Ness belies the myth of the monster. 

Instead, we met a young lad watching the ducks on the calm waters of Loch Ness. 

Nearby, a man casting his fishing line into Loch Ness…

…while the owner of this establishment casts a different kind of line into the lake, looking for the Loch Ness Monster. This was more like what we expected. Unfortunately for us, the proprietor was out, perhaps hunting. We saw no other references to Nessie. 😄

When we headed west from Loch Ness Beach, we took road B852, which hugs the south shore of the loch. As we continued along the shore, we stopped at Lochness Viewpoint. The view was lovely, with calm, blue water and wildflowers adding more colour to the shore. We could barely make out the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the other side of the loch. We had read the loch’s water temperature is 4-5 Celsius degrees all year round. We are hardy Canadians, use to the cold, so we went for a swim. Brrrrr!! They were right. We both had sinus colds the next day. 

[Deb says I didn’t go for a swim since I didn’t put my head underwater. What do you think?]

At every stop, Loch Ness is beautiful and serene.

Foyers

Just before road B852 veered away from Loch Ness, towards Suidhe Viewpoint, we stopped for the night at Loch Ness Shores Camping and Caravanning Club Site. This is a nice trailer park near the shore of Loch Ness, with good washrooms and showers.

Nearby, the Falls of Foyers is reputed to be a picturesque waterfall, surrounded by verdant walking trails. We didn’t stop for a look as, once again, our special adventure was awaiting us in Leverburgh. If you check out the Falls of Foyers, please let us and our readers know what you think.

White Bridge

The next morning, while crossing a bridge along road B852, we spotted a quaint stone bridge beside the bridge we were crossing. We stopped for a look. The original White Bridge shown above is a stone, hump-backed, single-span bridge. This original bridge was built in 1732 under the direction of British Marshal George Wade. The bridge crossed the River Fechlin and is still standing, but the road has been rerouted over a newer bridge. 

The original roads that became B852 and B862 were built as part of Marshal Wade’s efforts to construct military roads in Scotland to fend off the Jacobites. The bridges Wade built have come to be known as “Wade bridges”. According to Wikipedia and several other sources, a verse was temporarily added to the United Kingdom’s National Anthem during Marshal Wade’s day to capture the anti-Jacobite sentiment of the day:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring;
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush
Rebellious Scots to crush!
God save the King!

[Excerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_King]

Suidhe Viewpoint

Further along road B852, near the western end of Loch Ness, we came upon an explosion of colour at Suidhe Viewpoint. We stopped to capture the colours and it is hard to imagine there could be a better location for it. As I said earlier, I didn’t know Scotland and the moors were so colourful. The moors abound with shades of purple, green, yellow and rust in summer. Purple heather is most prominent on the moors in Scotland’s summer. I will forever associate the colour purple with Scotland.

The colours amazed us, but another surprise was how high the hills are on the moors. I expected a flatter terrain. Gorgeous countryside.

The Isle of Skye

We stopped for dinner at the Invergarry Hotel on road A87. Good food and beer (I only had one with my meal.) As we pulled away from the restaurant we spotted a young East Asian woman trying to hitch a ride in our direction. The sun was long past set and rain was teeming down; we had to be sure this teen/young woman was safe. Lucky for her, she was even heading to a town along our route. 

Our rider was going to a farm on one of the smaller islands of the Hebrides. She had arranged to volunteer on the farm for one of those overseas experiences that young people do. 

The A87 road took us to the village of Kyle of Lochalsh, and then over the Skye Bridge to the Isle of Skye. As it was dark, we didn’t see details of the area, but lights reflecting off Loch Alsh and the wet roads made the drive picturesque. I suspected the area would be worth a stop on the way back to the mainland, provided it was in the daytime. 

On the Isle of Skye, we dropped our rider off at the ferry terminal in Portree. She planned to catch the morning ferry to a nearby island where the farm is located. She slept overnight in the ferry’s waiting room.

[27/08/2024 update: The ferry from Portree has stopped operating.]

We continued along road A87 to our next destination, Uig, so we would be sure to catch our early morning ferry to the Isle of Harris.

After spending the night in a trailer park just outside of Uig, the ferry took us and our campervan from Uig to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris. The ferry to Tarbert takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Tarbert, Isle of Harris

Tarbert is a small port village on the Isle of Harris. Tarbert means “isthmus” in Gaelic. The village is named after the narrow isthmus there that connects the northern and southern parts of the Isle of Harris.

You may be aware that the Isle of Harris is actually connected to the Isle of Lewis, but they are often referred to as separate islands. And you would be forgiven for assuming the dividing border is at the isthmus. In fact, the border between the two “Isles” is farther north. The original boundary was defined by two MacLeod clans, referred to as Clan MacLeod of Lewis and Clan MacLeod of Harris. I don’t know if the two clans were ever one clan.

Many people refer to the single land mass as the Isle of Lewis and Harris. The two isles are famous for the production of Harris Tweed products.

Leverburgh, Isle of Harris

After arriving at Tarbert, we took a leisurely drive down to Leverburgh, a small village of about 230 residents on the Isle of Harris. To be honest, we didn’t find much to see or do in Leverburgh, but this is where our special excursion at sea begins.

We spent the overnight in the parking lot, waiting for our excursion the next morning.

St. Kilda Archipelago

The sun highlights the beauty and ruggedness of Boreray Island in the photo above, while birds add their own splash of interest.

St. Kilda Archipelago is Scotland’s western-most point. The islands are a natural spectacle of a few islands, towering sea stacks, a massive bird sanctuary, and a fascinating story of the people who inhabited the islands and eventually abandoned them. St. Kilda Archipelago is recognized as a dual UNESCO World Heritage Site for both culture and nature.

To read about our adventure to St Kilda Archipelago and to see some fabulous photos of the islands, please click LOVING LIFE IN SCOTLAND – ST. KILDA ISLANDS. 

Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris

After our day trip to St. Kilda Archipelago, we drove north along the west coast of the Isle of Harris and parked for the night at Luskentyre Beach, located on the Sound of Taransay. Our plans were much more fluid now. The next scheduled arrival was in Glasgow in 4 days to return the campervan. We explored the Luskentyre Beach in the morning.

Perhaps surprisingly, beaches on the Isle of Harris show up on many rankings of the best beaches in the world, along side beaches in Thailand and the Caribbean. Luskentyre Beach tops some of those rankings, but it is never crowded. There is very little sign of civilization and no vendors of any kind. The beach is secluded, peaceful, scenic, and HUGE, with kilometres of white sand, turquoise water, and mountains in the distance. Not only is the beach extremely long, but it is also half a kilometre wide when the tide is out because the water is so shallow. They say the Gulf Stream from the Caribbean Sea, and the shallowness of the water, keep the water warm enough for swimming, but the colds we caught swimming in Loch Ness prevented us from testing that; we limited ourselves to wading on the beach. The water was warm and calm. The panoramic shot above of Luskentyre Beach doesn’t do justice to the size and beauty of the beach. We saw dozens of jellyfish and starfish stranded on the beach, waiting for the tide to rescue them.

These shots above help to illustrate the vastness of Luskentyre Beach.

The Callanish Standing Stones, Isle of Lewis

In my youth, while dreaming about travel adventures, the prehistoric stone monuments of the British Isles always held a fascination for me. My interest centred on Stonehenge, but also on the Callanish Standing Stones. The Callanish (aka Calanais) Monuments are located on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. I never dreamed I would actually get to the Outer Hebrides, so being this close to Calanais I just had to drive the extra 50 minutes to live my dream.

There are several stone monuments to explore in the Calanais area, some with multiple stones and some with a single stone. Calanais I is the most famous and largest Callandish Monument, and it is the one we are featuring here.

Calanais I is in a field among a scattering of farms and houses with a road running beside field, a fence around the field, and a visitor centre to enter the field. No entrance fee; very little commercialization; no elaborate security, like there is at Stonehenge; nothing special here, except the megaliths. You can walk right up and touch the stones.

Calanais I has been dated back to the Neolithic period. The stones are in a cruciform pattern, but they were not all erected at the same time. The stone circle in the centre of Calanais I was erected around 2900 BCE. The tallest stone, referred to as the monolith stone, was erected at the same time; it is off-centre within the stone circle. The monolith stone is oriented to the north and south. Many historians think Calanais I was originally some sort of prehistoric astronomical observatory.

Calanais I is thought to have been re-purposed for religious rituals. About 500 years after the centre circle was erected, a small cairn (mound) was built within the circle. The stones that form the cross of the cruciform are thought to have been added around the same time. The purpose of the cairn is not known. The cairn has a hole in its centre and several smaller stones scattered within it. Some describe the cairn as a chambered tomb and believe someone was buried there. It doesn’t look to me like a very big tomb.

Some interesting folklore claims the stones are men turned to stone as punishment for transgressions or religious beliefs. Still others believe druids used the site for their rituals.

What is clear is that the numerous other stone structures within a few kilometres of Calanais I indicate a high level of activity in the area.

It was difficult to shoot compelling photographs of Calanais I. The cruciform pattern is hard to see/show from the ground. The photo above shows part of the central circle with the monolith stone and the long base or stem of the cross. A drone would have come in real handy; eh sweetie? 😁

[Note: Permission must be pre-arranged to fly a drone over the park.]

Sunrise or sunset would be the best times of day for photography here. Unfortunately, the Calanais Monument Park is open only 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., which makes it impossible to walk among the stones during summer’s golden hours of photography. 😞

Calanais I can be seen from the road at two spots; both spots are along the road to the village of Calanais. One spot is to the north-east of the stones, and the other is to the north-west of the stones. From these locations, you might be able to get good shots at sunrise or sunset.

[20/11/2024 update: The visitor centre is closed for renovations as of Nov. 1, 2024. It is scheduled to reopen in the spring of 2026. Until then, there will be no facilities at the park: no toilets, parking, or access to the stones from the centre carpark. The good news, however, is the stones will remain open to the public 24/7.]

Welcome to the Scottish Highlands, the third in a series of posts on our tour of Scotland. Highlights include swimming in Loch Ness, the moors, the Isle of Skye, the Isles of Harris and Lewis and the little-known and unique St Kilda Archipelago.

See the Photo Gallery below for the full story of our adventure.

The Why?

The Scottish Highlands and the moors were always on my bucket list, ever since I saw movies like The Hound of the Baskervilles and An American Werewolf in London. From these movies I visualized the moors as dreary, permanently fog-covered lowlands. Instead, we experienced a mountainous terrain alive in shades of purple, green, yellow, and rust. I will forever associate the colour purple with Scotland.

The Logistics

Deb wanted us to tour the Scottish Highlands in a camper, which is not something I am accustomed to. My motto has always been “4-star, or better”. So we rented a campervan from Atlas Motorhome and Campervan Hire. They were a pleasure to deal with. Because it was a last-minute rental we had to pick up the campervan in Glasgow. The bus from Edinburgh to Glasgow was quick, comfortable, and inexpensive. And after thorough lessons on how to fill the water tank, drain the gray (used) water, fill the gas tank for cooking, operate all the controls, and yes, empty the chemical toilet, I felt empowered. Off we went.

We drove at a leisurely pace along a scenic route and stopped often to take in the sights. It was fabulous. We spent 4 nights to get from Glasgow to Leverburgh, on the Isle of Harris.

After our day tour of the St Kilda Islands on the Sea Harris boat, we spent 5 nights driving back to Glasgow, again taking a scenic route. And again, it was fabulous, but it did rain a lot. We plan to return to the Glencoe area someday in the middle of summer to camp, hike and kayak.

The last half of August is the end of the camping season on the Hebrides, so we were able to book campsites last minute. But on the Isles of Lewis and Harris, the campsites are few and far between, and some do not provide services. One night we asked a local if they knew of any campsites nearby. He looked around and said “Wherever you want.” So we pulled into the driveway of a house under construction, with a view of Luskentyre Beach, and we “wild” camped. We had no problems.

Scottish Highlands Photo Gallery

Click on the photos below for the full story of our adventure in the Scottish Highlands.

Then click on Travel Scotland for more stories about our adventures in Scotland, including our day trip to the mysterious and abandoned St. Kilda Islands.

A young boy watches the ducks on the eastern tip of Loch Ness in The Scottish Highlands. The tranquil water on Loch Ness belies the myth of the Loch Ness Monster.ducks Loch-Ness Scottish-Highlands Scotland
This fisherman casts his line into Loch Ness, The Scottish Highlands.lake-fishing Loch-Ness, Scottish-Highlands Scotland
...while the owner of this establishment casts a different kind of line into Loch Ness, The Scottish Highlands.Loch-Ness Nessie Loch-Ness-Monster Scottish-Highlands Scotland
The original stone White Bridge is a hump-backed, single-span, wade bridge. It was built in 1732 to cross the River Fechlin in The Scottish Highlands. It is still standing, but it cannot handle today's traffic.bridge stone-bridge humpback-bridge White-Bridge River-Fechlin Scottish-Highlands Scotland
Here is the replacement for the White Bridge to cross the River Fechlin in The Scottish Highlands. It doesn’t look like a big improvement, does it? It is wider though.bridge stone-bridge White-Bridge River-Fechlin Scottish-Highlands Scotland
Beautiful Loch Ness, across from Urqhuart Castle, in The Scottish Highlands. We went for a swim at this spot even though we read the water temperature is 4-5C all year round. They were right. Brrrrr!! We both had colds the next day.lake swimming-hole lake-swim Loch-Ness Urqhuart-Castle Scottish-Highlands Scotland
The full length of Loch Ness is beautiful and serene. This shot was taken near the west end of the lake in the Scottish Highlands.sailboat sailing serenity Loch-Ness Scottish-Highlands Scotland
I didn’t know Scotland and the moors were so colourful. The moors of the Scottish Highlands abound with shades of purple, green, yellow and rust in summer. We stopped near Suidhe Viewpoint to shoot the colours, and it is hard to imagine there could be a better location. Suidhe Viewpoint is at the western end of Loch Ness. moor Suidhe-Viewpoint Scottish-Highlands Scotland
Here is another example of the vibrant colour palette of the moors near Suidhe Viewpoint in the Scottish Highlands.moors heather Suidhe-Viewpoint Scottish-Highlands Scotland
The purple heather is prominent on the moors of Scotland in summer. This shot is from Suidhe Viewpoint, near the western end of Loch Ness, The Scottish Highlands. I will forever associate the colour purple with Scotland.moors Suidhe-Viewpoint Scottish-Highlands Scotland
The colours of the Scottish moors continued to amaze us at Suidhe Viewpoint, near the western end of Loch Ness, The Scottish Highlands. But another surprise was how high the hills are on the moors. I expected a flatter terrain. Gorgeous countryside.nature-photography Moors Suidhe-Viewpoint Scottish-Highlands Scotland
The sun highlights the rugged beauty of Boreray Island in the St. Kilda Archipelago, Scotland, while birds add their own splash of interest. For more photos and information about St. Kilda, check out part 4 of this series of posts: St. Kilda Islands - The Abandoned Islands.seabirds birds seabird-colony rugged-beauty natural-beauty Boreray-Island St-Kilda-Islands Scotland
Walking together on Luskentyre Beach, on the Isle of Harris. They say the Gulf Stream and the shallowness of the water makes it swimmable, but the colds we caught swimming in Loch Ness told us otherwise. The Outer Hebrides, Scotland.Luskentyre-Beach Isle-of-Harris Outer-Hebrides Scotland
This panoramic shot of Luskentyre Beach, on the Isle of Harris, doesn't do justice to the size of the beach. The beach is 2 kms long and half a km wide, if you include the shallow water. Dozens of jellyfish and starfish are left stranded on the beach during low tide. The Isle of Harris is where the famous Harris tweed is made.beach Luskentyre-Beach Isle-of-Harris Outer-Hebrides Scotland
These next two shots better illustrate the vastness of Luskentyre Beach, on the Isle of Harris. I stood in the middle of the beach and took this shot in one direction...Luskentyre-Beach Isle-of-Harris Hebrides Scotland
…and then I turned 180 degrees and took this shot in the other direction. Otherwise, I couldn’t convey the vastness of Luskentyre Beach in one shot. The Isle of Harris.Luskentyre-Beach Isle-of-Harris Hebrides Scotland
We made the drive to the Callanish Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The stones are in a cruciform pattern. They are located in a field among a scattering of farms and houses, with a road running beside them. Nothing special, except the stones.cruciform standing-stones Callanish-Standing-Stones Isle-of-Lewis Outer-Hebrides Scotland
The Callanish Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis, in The Outer Hebrides. It was difficult to shoot compelling photographs of the stones from the ground. Sunrise or sunset would have been better times of the day. But a drone would have come in real handy, honey.standing-stones Callanish-Standing-Stones Isle-of-Lewis Scotland
The Callanish Stones are not nearly as isolated, protected and commercialized as Stonehenge. The Callanish Stones can be seen from the roads and neighbouring farms. And you can walk among the stones and touch them. Isle of Lewis, The Outer Hebrides, Scotland. standing-stones Callanish-Standing-Stones Isle-of-Lewis Outer-Hebrides Scotland
The stone circle in the centre of the Callanish Standing Stones was erected around 2900 BCE, but the rest of the stones may have been added later to create the cruciform pattern. The tallest stone is the central monolith stone, which is located within the stone circle, but off-centre. The monolith stone is oriented to the north and south. The stones are thought to have been erected for religious rituals. There are several other circles, arcs and single stones erected within a few kilometres, signifying a focus on ritual activities in the area.standing-stones Callanish-Standing-Stones Isle-of-Lewis Outer-Hebrides Scotland
The purpose of the Callanish Standing Stones is not understood. Several theories exist. Some think the stones were some sort of prehistoric astronomical observatory. Folklore talks of men being converted to stone for their religious beliefs. Some believe druids used the location for rituals. A small mound was added within the stone circle many years after the stones were erected. The purpose of the mound is not known either, but it is possible the use of the site has changed over the years. The mound has a hole in its centre and several smaller stones scattered about. Some describe the mound as a chambered tomb. In any case, the mound is believed to have been added long after the monolithic stones were erected. What is clear is that the numerous other stone structures within a few kilometres of the Callanish Stones indicate a high level of activity in the area. The Isle of Lewis, The Outer Hebrides, Scotland.cruciform Callanish-Standing-Stones Isle-of-Lewis Outer-Hebrides Scotland
Kilt Rock, on the northeast coast of the Isle of Skye, resembles the pleats of a kilt. Inner Hebrides, Scotland.kilt Kilt-Rock Isle-of-Skye Inner-Hebrides Scotland
Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls on the northeast coast of the Isle of Skye, Inner Hebrides, Scotland.Kilt-Rock Mealt-Falls Isle-of-Skye Inner-Hebrides Scotland
The palette of Scotland's Highlands and Hebrides is colourful, including shades of purple, green, red, yellow, and rust. This shot was taken on the Isle of Skye.Colour heather Isle-of-Skye Inner-Hebrides Scotland
Eilean Donan Castle, near the Kyle of Lochalsh. This location has been used in many movies and TV. It is the heart of the MacRae clan and has plaques to honour the locals that fought in the great wars. Scottish Highlands, ScotlandGame-of-Thrones MacCrae Eilean-Donan-Castle Scottish-Highlands Scotland
On the last night of our tour of the Scottish Highlands we finally managed to be at a campsite that allows campfires, before dark, and without rain. So we cooked over an open fire, roasted marshmallows, and sat by the fire. The marshmallows were not what we remembered from our youth. The Scottish Highlands.camping campervan camper-van camper-across-scotland Glencoe Scottish-Highlands Scotland