[Kkumar]

Vow, hats off to you for your wonderful writing style and great pics. It felt as if I was also travelling with you and seeing the places around. Anxiously waiting for the remainder of the travelogue.

[click]

Hello to a fellow Wodehouse fan. Trip sounds lovely so far. Well written travelogue.

[yatesh.92]

A very well written travelogue. Eagerly waiting to read the remainder of your travel journey. Hope your better half is now fully recovered from the lip injury.

Currently, even I’m holidaying in Muscat with my family. Will be posting a travelogue once I’m back home in Pune. Since there’s already a thread for Oman travel, I’ll mostly be adding to that thread.

[mentalmaxout]

Trip to the Lake District

The Lake District is nature’s lush green playground. Here, William bhai Wordsworth’s poems still shiver in trees and ripple on ponds. Nature rules this pristine land and humanity keeps a wide-eyed but low profile.

After London, this is a perfect place to relax,recharge, take a cruise or a hike, and maybe even write a poem - I did attempt to narrate one to the missus - but the glimpses i caught of her face from the corner of my eye, told me that her mood was grimly resolute indicating that the supply of the milk of human kindness & appreciation in her was plainly short by several litres.

While most tourists make a home base at the Southern lake district mainly around Lake Windermere, we planned to spend the majority of our time in the unspoiled North LakeDistrict.The South Lake District—slightly closer to London—is known primarily for its sights related to Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter (of Peter Rabbit fame), and gets the promotion, tour crowds, and tackiness that comes with them. While the slate-colored towns (Ambleside, Windermere, Bowness-on-Windermere, and so on) are cute, they’re also touristy—which means crowded and overpriced.

Ideally, I would suggest to make your home base in or near Keswick and side-trip from there into the South Lake District only if you’re interested in the Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter sights.

A few pictures of the Lake district. sourced from the internet. Didnt take many pics today as i was driving and the wife was busy preventing war being broken out on the back seat between 2 warring parties - the brat & the princess


Lake Derwentwater


Brilliant Blooms in May





The Bluebells are a delight to see - endless fields and fields of blue





More sheep than men



About our drive
We had booked a car from Avis at Euston – and had got a sweet deal. The ride was a Mercedes A200d with only a few thousand kms on the Odo. A few tips about renting cars in UK – and stands true for most places in the world – Book as early as you can and book cancellable options in case one finds a better deal. I generally take Full coverage to get that extra peace of mind that I can take the car back shattered – smile and say “Sorry, I am new to this country”



London to Keswick took us close to 8 hours with halts for food and leg stretchings & coffee. The drive for most parts followed the motorways. Driving for Indians in UK is mostly confortable as the cars are right hand drives - one just needs to be wary of roundabouts & a few street signs. & of course dont overspeed - Big Boss (cameras) are watching.

If one has the time & inclination -one can visit multiple towns along the way like Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, Newcastle, Liverpool etc

Renting a car from Euston meant we had to navigate through Central London before we hit the Motorway. And driving through London is stressful at the best of times – with rules / new signs / avoiding bus lanes etc. At every turn, the threat of getting captured on camera and being slapped with a fine, looms large. After some tensed driving, we finally hit the motorway and started zooming around. Speed limits on motorways are usually 60/70 mph and one has to be extra careful not to go over them. The only confusing parts are round-abouts and once one has reasonably mastered the art of circumnavigating them, then you are sorted

TIP for Car Renting - Another pro tip here – Indian driving license works as long as its in the card-chip format and in English. Even then, upon booking my car online a few months ago, I had emailed the car company a picture of my driving license and had taken mail confirmation that this would be valid for my UK car hire. This proved to be very handy as Avis desk employees at Euston demanded an international driving permit saying the car can only be handed over to someone with an IDP – until I showed them the mail confirmation – after which they wilted like a wet sock.

Reached Keswick at around 8 pm. Our apartment was located on Keswick main steet. Shopped for some groceries, had ready to eat food and called it a day.

Attaching some pictures of this small beautiful town Keswick at night - where the streets get empty and people retire to the warmth of log fires and rocking chairs with a pipe in hand

[mentalmaxout]

Day 2 – Keswick

Keswick is an ideal home base, with plenty of good B&Bs, an easy bus connection to the nearest train station at Penrith, and a prime location nearthe best lake in the area, Derwentwater. In Keswick, everything is within a 10-minute walk of everything else: the pedestrian town square, the TI, grocery stores, the main bus stop, a lakeside boat dock, and a central parking lot. The town square is lively every day throughout the summer, especially on market days—Thursdays and Saturdays.

Since I am abig fan of multi-activity based holidays, we had planned a trekking day - TODAY. The plan today was to hike up to the CatBells High Ridge Hike– which is the highest in the Lake district. By the highest in Lake district I meant the peak is at 1500 feet, quite low compared to most Himalayan towns situated at heights of over 6500 feet. ( I had trekked to Deoriatal Chandrashila in March -peak being at 12500 feet and our base camp was at 6600 feet) -

We left our accommodation at 10 AM and walked to the Derwentwater Lake. The Keswick Launch Company runs two cruises an hour, alternating clockwise and “anticlockwise” (boats depart onthe half-hour, daily 10:00-16:30, July-Aug until 17:30, Dec-Jan)







Having fun with the ducks





Keswick has a lot of peaceful retired brits with lovely dogs. Fun for the kids



For a great “king of the mountain” feeling, 360-degree views, and a close-uplook at the weather blowing over the ridge, we took a two-hour hike above Derwentwater from Hawes End up along the ridge to Catbells (1,480 feet) and down to High Brandelhow. Because the mountaintop is basically treeless, we were treated to dramatic panoramas the entire way up.









Ukraine & Russia walking together

















Out came Theplas and chundo on the hilltop




From HighBrandelhow, we caught the boat back to Keswick and back to our apartment.










An intellectual discussion as to who climbed the mountain better


competition as to who can stifle a yawn - guess who won



The woods are lonely , dark & deep - must have been written here



Happy surviving family - In this travelogue, no animals were harmed. Only the said humans were tired trekking.

[mentalmaxout]

Day 2 Keswick continued

.After the ardouos trekking, it was only proper to have a relaxing siesta. After lunch and a brief siesta, we set out again to visit the Castlerigg Stone circle.-

For some reason, 70 percent of England’s stone circles are here in Cumbria.Castlerigg is one of the best and oldest in Britain, and an easy stop for drivers. The circle—90 feet across and 5,000 years old—has 38 stones mysteriously laid out on a line between the two tallest peaks on the horizon.They may have served as a celestial calendar for ritual celebrations. Its free and ideally one can visit around sunset to get an unforgettable view.



Our chariot - Merc A 200D


checking if my modern phone works at a neolithic site













We drove around Keswick to the nearby towns of Ambleside and Grasmere before heading back to our apartment and calling it a day. Dinner was the usual Pizza & Pasta. With kids watching “Circus” on TV, I chuckled to myself how one can have such small pleasures in foreign lands and feel comfortable with near-home delights.




Walking around the town



Was in splits imagining if this pub had to be named in any Indian regional language




Just making sure the ape wasnt real



Watching CIRCUS - check the sunlight outside - was well past 9 pm

[mentalmaxout]

Day 3 Kesick

The idea today was to explore and drive around Lake district. The first scenic drive we took was to Aira force falls.



While the falls itself were "meh" - (Monsoon waterfalls near Mumbai are better - accompaned by vada pau & cutting chai) - the drive all along was the highlight of the day







Deep level counselling on how to make the parents tear out their hair



Bluebells in bloom



Bum of stones poses for Game of Thrones



"I dont know game - of - thrones but I am copying my brother pose"



Villages such as these where sheep are the real inhabitants


customary family pose on instructions by the missus

After the Aira force, we drove to the dramatic Kirkstone pass, crossing over to Bowness on Windermere. Heading south from Ullswater to Windermere, we drove over the 1,500-foot Kirkstone Pass. The stark Ullswater Valley is famous for its old, dry stone walls, built without mortar. Its one of the best scenic drives in the Lake district



A few photos of the drive and the awe-inspiring Kirkstone pass












We reached Bowness-on-Windermere at Lunch time. This is possibly one of the most tourist flocked towns in the Lake district and it was buzzing with activity. Situated on the banks of Lake Windermere - it offers a nice holiday vibe with a lot of activities to do, right from bowling, boating, skating and comes alive in the summer time






Notice the number of dogs in this town





Picnic Lunch on the banks of the Lake



For a moment, my heart was overjoyed...



The ever suspecting princess keeping a close eye on ice-cream consumption of the brat

We continued our drive further to the picturesque town of Grasmere and stopped to have the world famous Grasmere Ginger Bread

This fascinating little shop was built in 1630 as the village school, and is where Wordsworth occasionally taught. In 1854 it became the home of Sarah Nelson's world famous original celebrated Grasmere Gingerbread. This unique and delicious gingerbread is freshly baked everyday to the secret recipe and is only obtainable from this shop or through the international mail order service. Its a nice and unique tasting experience and goes well with our indian "adrak-chai"





We then continued our drive to the Scenic Circle drive, south of Keswick which is a must-do route.This hour-long drive, which includes Newlands Valley, Buttermere, HonisterPass, and Borrowdale, offers the North Lake District’s best scenery. Distances are short, roads are narrow and have turnouts, and views are rewarding. Get a good map and go exploring here. Along the way we passed through the majestic Newlands valley. The valley is dotted with 500-year-old family-ownedfarms, where sheep rearing even today is a pride in the family. With the price of wool depressed, most of the wives supplement the family income by running B&Bs (virtually every farm in thevalley rents rooms).

The road (six miles to the pass) has one lane, with turnouts for passing. We kept driving ahead to the Newlands pass, enjoying the scenery and wishing it never ends













From the pass, we descended to Buttermere (scenic lake, tiny hamlet with pubs, a café, and an ice-cream Store, turned left, drove the length of
the lake, and climbed over the rugged Honister Pass—strewn with glacial debris,remnants from the old slate mines, and curious shaggy sheep (the local breed,with their curly horns, look more like goats). We drove all the way to Lodore and from there returned back to our home at Keswick.


A day very well spent.. and 3 days fully exploring the Lake District. Thankfully the weather Gods were on our side. Lake district - traditionally the wettest part of England, remained dry for us.

Packed up for the day, slept peacefully and got ready to move to our next destination – Scotland

Stay tuned... Scotland coming up next !

[Kkumar]

Vow, it’s getting better and better. Anxiously waiting for the next part.

[xantia]

Lovely travelogue! Russia Ukraine walking together was very funny.

[aqualeo2040]

Originally Posted by mentalmaxout

Day 3 Kesick

A day very well spent.. and 3 days fully exploring the Lake District. Thankfully the weather Gods were on our side. Lake district - traditionally the wettest part of England, remained dry for us.

I suppose you gave Hardknott & Wrynose Passes a pass
I had driven up there in 2015 in a Hyundai i30. Definitely not a confidence inspiring drive.

Also, another one for the kids would have been Lake Coniston. Thats where Sir Don Campbell set the water speed record. It used to have a nice restaurant on the beach.

[mentalmaxout]

Originally Posted by aqualeo2040

I suppose you gave Hardknott & Wrynose Passes a pass
I had driven up there in 2015 in a Hyundai i30. Definitely not a confidence inspiring drive.

Also, another one for the kids would have been Lake Coniston. Thats where Sir Don Campbell set the water speed record. It used to have a nice restaurant on the beach.

I missed this... Maybe next time... The whole region is beautiful and one can easily spend multiple days driving here

[mentalmaxout]

Day 1 Scotland - Lake District Keswick to Oban

I was super excited about visiting Scotland. There are few places in my life that I’ve found more ruggedly beautiful than the Highlands of Scotland. The place is magical – it’s so far north, so remote, that sometimes it feels like you’ve left this world and gone to another. It is one of the most hauntingly beautiful places in the world, the history is fascinating, the people are proud and the views are sweeping

For a taste of Scotland’s west coast, Oban is a good base- a port town that’s equalparts endearing and functional. This busy little ferry and train terminus has no important sights, but makes up the difference in character, in scenery with it slow-impact panorama of overlapping islets and bobbing boats, and with one of Scotland’s best distillery tours. Oban is also convenient: It’s midwaybetween the Lowland cities (Glasgow and Edinburgh) and the Highland riches of the north. And it’s the “gateway to the isles.

Leaving Lake district

Getting up in the morning, I committed the cardinal sin of asking the wife if she could get ready fast so we could leave early and reach Oban early. The look she gave me was eerie to say it mildly. You know how it is with some wives. They seem to take the stuffing right out of you. I mean to say, there is something about their personality that paralyses the vocal cords and reduces the contents of the brain to jelly. With 2 kids, hauling of luggage, final packing of bags, we finally left around 11 AM

The drive was serene and takes approximately 4-5 hours, passing by the beautiful Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park with scenes of turquoise blue lakes sneaking between the dense forests and a cool air wafting our senses. It was a beautiful trailer of things to come in Scotland and we reached our apartment at 4 pm.





Grinning like a buffoon and enjoying the Merc power

The apartment was fantastic place with a log fire, immaculately clean and close to the town itself and yet situated in a peaceful area. It was located close to the structure built like a mini colosseum towering over Oban – McCraig’s tower



Oban (pronounced OH-bin) is a low-key town. Its winding promenade is
lined by gravel beaches, ice-cream stands, fish-and-chips joints, a tourable distillery, and a good choice of restaurants. Everything in Oban is close together, and the town seems eager to please its many visitors: Wool and tweed are perpetually on sale, and posters announce a variety of day tours to Scotland’s wild and wildlife-strewn western islands. When the rain clears,sun-starved Scots sit on benches along the Esplanade, leaning back to catchs ome rays. Wind, boats, gulls, layers of islands, and the promise of a wide open Atlantic beyond give Oban a rugged charm.

We took a stroll to the McCraig’s tower - While the building itself is
nothing to see up close, a 10-minute hike through a Victorian residential
neighborhood led us to a peaceful garden and a commanding view of the seas and a brilliant sunset. At the height of the Cold War, Oban played a critical role when the world’s first two-way transatlantictelephone cable was laid from Gallanach Bay to Newfoundland in 1956—a milestone in global communication. This technology later provided the WhiteHouse and the Kremlin with the “hotline” that was created after the CubanMissile Crisis to avoid a nuclear conflagration.

Some pics of the McCraigs tower and views



















We then continued our stroll around the town, catching an early dinner at a seaside restaurant with our usual vegetarian fare (you know – Pizza, Pasta, Fries and sandwiches











As family travellers, all of us are always on the lookout for unique local things to do and not the touristy ones. We got a great opportunity to attend a “Ceilidh” (pronounced Keelie) – which is kind of a group dance and celebration. It was a wonderful experience and one which even the kids participated in. It took place in one of the sea-side restaurants and happens once a week, luckily for us, the day we were there.













Tired and thrilled with the day, we walked back to our apartment over the hill, and retired for the night. Oban even at night looked stunning









I sat in the armchair, reliving my childhood visions of a cozy home on a winter's night, with one's slippers on one's feet, the dog on one's lap, an open fire in the grate, and the good old pipe drawing nicely. Except there was no dog & no pipe.

[mentalmaxout]

Oban - Day 2

Today was a full day. Morning started with me going solo to the Oban distillery for a tour and tasting, while the Missus, the brat &the Princess woke up leisurely and enjoyed the luxury of a relaxing breakfast with hot chocolate and coffee, listening to the sounds of birds chirping, bees buzzing, cats meowing and cows coo-ing.

Founded in 1794, Oban Whisky Distillery produces more than 25,000 liters a week and exports much of that to the US. It is rumoured to be the oldest in Scotland. The distillery offers serious and fragrant one-hour tours explaining theprocess from start to finish. For a nerd like me, it was interesting to walk through each step of the process: malting, mashing, fermentation, distillation, andmaturation. Photos are not allowed inside and hence only few secretly clicked.









A note for distillery visitors – Book your slot beforehand – slots get filled up really fast and don’t expect to walk in and find a slot. Since we had only a day to spare, I had booked my slot for 10 AM so we could have the rest of the day free.


We had then pre booked an afternoon Sea wildlife tour to get a good look at Scottish coastal wildlife. We booked Seafari Adventures company which operates from Easdale village 20 kms out of Oban. The drive and landscape were beautiful with narrow curvy country roads. Wanted to do whale watching but we were told it’s early in the season and whales are sighted usually in June & July. We did catch sights of porpoise dolphins, seals, sea eagles, and heard plenty of tales from the Captain of the boat. All in all, a day well spent.











Tomorrow we leave for one of the most beautiful drives of the day onward to Inverness.

[mentalmaxout]

Day 1 – Oban to Inverness via Glencoe – Glenfinnan viaduct – Loch Ness – Inverness

Oban to Glencoe
As I mentioned before, Scotland is a land of great natural wonders. And some of the mostspectacular—and most accessible—are in the valley called Glencoe, just an hour north of Oban and on the way to Fort William, Loch Ness, or Inverness.

The evocative “Weeping Glen” of Glencoe aches with both history and natural beauty. Beyond that, Fort William anchors the southern end of the Caledonian Canal, offering a springboard to more Highlands scenery. This is where Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, keeps its head in the clouds.On a quick visit, this area warrants just a few hours between Oban and Inverness. If one has more time, one can easily spend 2 days here and squeeze in multiple hikes.

However having completed our quota of hikes in Lake district, we planned to just spend a few hours driving around.

Our route for today


It was easy one-hour drive from Oban to Glencoe. From Oban, we followed the coastal A-828 toward Fort William. After about 20 miles—as we left the village of Appin—we came across the photogenic Castle Stalker marooned on a lonely island. Its a beautiful remnant of Scotland's past. Took a break at a coffee shop with fabulous views
Attachment 2475630








I had carefully planned the drive of Glencoe trying to get maximum thrills per minute on our drive. At North Ballachulish town, we turned off and followed the A-82 into the Glencoe Valley for about 15 minutes. After exploring the dramatic valley, we made a U-turn and returned through Glencoe village. One can easily spend an hour more or so following the A-82 through the valley, past the Glencoe Visitor Centre, up into the desolate moor beyond,and back again. We enjoyed grand views, dramatic craggy hills, and, if you’re lucky like us, you may even get a chance to hear a bagpiper in the wind

From Glencoe Village to the End of the Valley.
Leaving Glencoevillage on the A-82, it’s just a mile to the Glencoe Visitor Centre after which the road pulled out of the forested hills and gave us unobstructed views of the U-shaped valley

After passing through the Glencoe Pass, we pulled into perhaps the best viewpoint of the entire valley, with point-blank views directly ahead of the steep ridge-like mountains known as the Three Sisters. We did a small hike about 100 feet away from the pullout to experience our own privatebluff to enjoy the view alone. This is also the starting point for the challenging Hidden Valley hike(2-3.5 hours round-trip).


As we continued our drive, we passed a raging waterfall in a canyon—
the Tears of the MacDonalds—on the right.


Continuing past here, nearing the end of the valley, The intimidating peak called the Great Shepherd of Etive loomed like a dour watchman. Going ahead we passed an even more remote-feeling valley. The last sign of
civilization was the Glencoe Ski Centre. From here, the terrain
flattened out as we entered the vast Rannoch Moor—50 bleak square miles of heather, boulders, and barely enough decent land to graze a sheep. You could keep driving as far as you like—but the moor looks pretty much the same from here on out. We turned around and headed back through Glencoe. It was safe to say, one of the most beautiful drives in the world through rugged landscapes and wind swept hills.

Some pictures to ogle at





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Visiting Glenfinnan Viaduct
From Glencoe, our next stop was to be the Glenfinnan Viaduct. For the muggles & mudbloods out there, Glenfinnan viaduct in the Scottish Highlands was used in several Harry Potter movies. It is mainly featured in Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets when Ron & Harry are in the flying car and the Hogwarts express arrives just behind them



watch this video

https://youtu.be/byEHjIpVt2A

One can either visit the Glenfinnan viaduct from its base below the bridge or one can take the overpriced & overhyped Hogwarts express train from Mallaig to Fort William. Bear in mind, the Brits sure know how to monetise a theme / flavour of the season. So expect high prices if one takes the train route.

As for us, we didn’t have a spare day and even if we did, probably wouldn’t have taken the Hogwarts express train passing over the Viaduct experience. So my notes below may probably help you if you do visit the viaduct by car.

You’ll want to get to the car park at Glenfinnan Viaduct at least 30 minutes before the approximate passing time to allow for parking, paying for your parking ticket, and walking to the viewpoint. If visiting in the peak of summer or on long weekends, aim to be there even earlier as there will likely be an influx of visitor

There is generally a morning service and an afternoon service, so the train passes the viaduct four times per day, but I would advise only to see the train when it’s heading to Mallaig, not when it’s going back to Fort William, because the Mallaig direction is when you’ll get the ‘proper’ view of the train.

NOTE: Before visiting, do visit the West Coast Railways website https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/timetables to double-check the train timetable in case it has changed. Generally speaking, the trains reach the viaduct about 40-45 minutes after departure in both directions.

The best viewpoint for Mallaig-bound trains is, when you’re facing the viaduct, up to the left, where you’ll get a gorgeous view of the curve of the viaduct, and the train will be coming towards you. Once arriving at the visitor centre at the Glenfinnan Viaduct, there are signs to access a viewpoint five minutes behind the building. Many tour operators also tell you to go to this viewpoint. Although the viewpoint is impressive, this is not the Glenfinnan Viaduct viewpoint you want.To access the viewpoint, walk through the car park, away from the main road you came in from. The river will be on your right hand side. Continue straight until you see signs for the Viaduct Trail and Viewpoints. Pick a spot somewhere at the top and keep in mind it will get busier as train time approaches

Some fan moment pics







An ultra marathon finish being planned here



Drink like a lion - the earliest training of drinking water "on the rocks"









We continued our drive through to Inverness and passing by the Magnificent Loch Ness.



The single track roads around Loch Ness are a pleasure to drive on when you follow some simple etiquette and unwritten rules. It’s partly due to the terrain and partly down to the sparsely populated area around Loch Ness and Inverness, that so many single track roads have survived from being upgraded. On very quiet roads there is little pressure on local authorities to upgrade them. But for those of us who enjoy driving on single track roads, that’s no bad thing. Plus, it’s a great way to see some of the local wildlife. Endless rows of trees, and pristine blue waters continued to be our roadside company till we finally ended up reaching our apartment at Inverness.

Was late in the day at around 7 pm and the missus declared our innings and commanded us to halt our shenanigans and retreat back to pavilion.

[mentalmaxout]

Day 2 - Day trip to the Isle of Skye

Inverness, the Highlands’ de facto capital, is an almost-unavoidable stop on the Scottish tourist circuit. It’s a pleasant town and an ideal springboard for some of the country’s most famous sights. Our plan today was to visit the Isle of Skye – as it showed clear sunny weather there compared to Inverness weather which seemed to be having one of those heavy, gloomy mornings when nature seems to be saying to itself, 'Now, shall I, or shall I not, scare the pants off these people with a hell of a thunderstorm?”.

Thats the thing with UK – keep your travel plans flexible, check the weather and then move out

Our route map for today




The rugged, remote-feeling Isle of Skye has a reputation for unpredictable weather, but it also offers some of Scotland’s best scenery. Narrow, twisty roads wind around Skye in the shadows of craggy, black, bald mountains, and the coastline is ruffled with peninsulas and sea lochs (inlets).

Skye is the Inner Hebrides’ largest island (over 600 square miles), but it’s still manageable: You’re never more than five miles from the sea. The island has only about 13,000 residents; roughly a quarter live in the main village, Portree.

Since we had planned a day trip, we decided to do a Trotternish Peninsula Loop drive (or as much as was comfortable – as we were travelling with our chote-chote bacche whose moods changed faster than the direction of the wind)

Our plan was to cover the Portree harbour, Old man of Storr, Lealt Gorge, The Quiraing.

We started from Inverness by around 10 am. Our best bet for getting to the Isle of Skye was the slick Skye Bridge that crosses from Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland to Kyleakin on Skye. The island can also be reached by car ferry. The major ferry line connects the mainland town of Mallaig to Armadale on Skye. So if one is feeling adventurous and up for a long drive – one can enter through The Skye bridge & exit through the ferry – seeing a different scenery each time.


When enemies hug each other - with one hand on the sword and other on the gun




Quite enjoying the brat's tomfoolery. My private belief, as I think I have mentioned before, is that the brat is like one of those celestial yogis who bung their astral bodies about — the chaps, I mean, who having gone into thin air in Bombay, reassemble the parts and appear two minutes later in Calcutta. Only some such theory will account for the fact that he's not there one moment and is there the next. He just seems to float from Spot A to Spot B like some form of gas.

Our first stop was Portree where we reached around lunch time. Although Portree doesn’t have any real sights, it does boast a gorgeous harbor area and—in the streets above—all of the necessary tourist services: a good TI, fine B&Bs, great restaurants etc. After having lunch of pizza, pasta, fries (what else) and having a good bowl of ice cream, we set off on our peninsula loop drive. With minimal stops, this self-guided drive takes about two hours—but it deserves the better part of a day



















We soon passed Old Man of Storr followed by Lealt Gorge

Kilt rock & Mealt falls were closed due to some restoration work so we drove on to the village of Staffin and a hidden beach below the village. It was a fun discovery and surprise surprise, we also found a recently discovered megalosaurus dinosaur footprint . It was a fun time to spend with the kids.

Our next stop was the Quiraing

We got fine views of this jagged northern end of the Trotternish Ridge as we drove up. Landslides caused the dramatic scenery in this area, and each rock formation has a name, such as “The Needle” or “The Prison.There are several exciting hikes from here for a closer look at the formations. I wholeheartedly recommend doing the full hike. It is around 6.5 km and should take you around three to four hours to complete the circular path. Most people will be able to this hike as it is only of moderate difficulty. Bear in mind that the steep sections will be slippery after rain! If you’ve got the time, energy, and weather for an unforgettable hike, here’s your chance.




























As the dawn of evening started, the wind picked up and the kids started to exhibit traits of irritability. I wanted to furher explore the peninsula drive going upto the Fairy glen and the fairy pools hike, but a request for the same to the missus yielded a stern glance and a sharp retort.It isn't often that the Missus, lets her angry gaze rise, but when she does, strong men climb trees and pull them up after them. I stood about as much chance as a dandelion in a cyclone.

Hence the trip was halted and we turned back. Inverness was a good 4 hours away. The return journey was beautiful as well passing by Fort William, EileanDonan castle and other numerous hamlets. As evening turned to twilight, the wife and the kids dozed off and there i was, driving long lonely jungle roads in the fading light, with the windows rolled half down and a cool breeze blowing all around – I got the feeling that Nature seemed to unbutton its waistcoat and put its feet up in a showy display of its prowess. I sped the car a bit, taking in the moment, enjoying the speedy turns and the sheer grip that the A200d offered on those long winding evening roads. And that is when i saw this in the rear view mirror



Someone has rightly said – Everything in life thats any fun is either immoral, illegal or fattening.

Out from the police car emerged 2 long stripy policemen. While i looked sheepishly at them and offered my best civilian smile, all i got was stern looks. There's no doubt about it, being a policeman warps a man's mind and ruins that sunny faith in his fellow human beings which is the foundation of a lovable character. There seems to be no way of avoiding this.

Supposedly I seemed to have been going around the bends faster than the speed limit and after my profuse apologies, they were kind enough to let me off with a warning. Lesson learnt. Eyes on the road & not to give in to the enchantments of feminine gender – women or nature.

Took a stop in the twilight at EileanDonan castle – just as a tick on “things to do” – but the princess immediately identified it as the castle from Kuch-Kuch-Hota-hai song.


Reached Inverness at night and dinner cooked at home. All of us were extremely hungry & if a stranger would have been present in the kitchen, he would have heard a sort of gulpy, gurgly, plobby, squishy, wofflesome sound, like a thousand eager men drinking soup in a foreign restaurant.

Exhausted and with eyes filled with visuals of the day - rolled off and went to sleep.