Tag: travel writer

NC500 Day 10 – Itinerary

Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series.

Let’s crack on shall we, this is the itinerary for Day 10 on our NC500 tour of Scotland.

Our day changed dramatically due to the weather. So I’m going to give you our planned itinerary and you’ll be able to gain all information and thoughts about what we actually experienced here and on my summary of the day in the blogs linked below. Up until we arrived in Skye we had been very smug about how kind the weather had been to us and then… well, the waterfalls we had seen so far seemed to open above us. 

Today’s plans are not for the faint hearted. It is a very packed and strenuous day with two big hikes in it. This may seem too much but it will open up all of Skye to you. The big attractions are all there for you to see and love. Enjoy!

A little advice on this one. You will want to check your sunrise/set times on this one. The activities at the beginning and end rely on seeing the sun on the horizon. I think it would create the most amazing views.

Start your morning in the dark and drive up to the Old Man of Storr. This is a hike we unluckily didn’t venture on. We sat in the car park for a long time determining whether we should attempt it as the day’s hours ticked on. We decided it wasn’t the timing we had planned and therefore left it to our return trip. I advise making this your first point of call and parking up before sunrise to guarantee a space in the very busy car park and to also see some of the most spectacular views over the Applecross Peninsula on the mainland when the sun makes its appearance. The car park charges £2 for 2 hours and there are toilets on site. Below are some pretty clear instructions to help you make this walk safely and without too much confusion. Snacks will be needed I am sure. 

‘The path starts through the gate near the back of the car park.The wide path winds uphill through an area intended to regenerate with native woodland. Keep ahead/slightly right when the path forks although it doesn’t really matter as both join up later. The path passes through two gates to eventually reach the open moor with the spectacular cliffs of the Storr up ahead. The Old Man can be difficult to pick out from the cliffs behind from this point. Continue up the wide footpath. As more height is gained, look out for a clear path branching left; take this turning. The path contours a little before ascending, swinging right to climb up to the left of the Old Man. The next section of walk has some danger from rockfall – it should certainly be avoided after heavy rains. Follow a path that descends to pass around the back of the Old Man; the path is clear but crosses a short section of fallen rocks. This area – with towering cliffs and pinnacles all around – is known as the Sanctuary. Beyond the Old Man stands the Needle Rock – also known as the Cathedral, which has a window right through it near the top. Continue towards this, but turn right before reaching it to begin the descent. There are several variant paths at first but all soon join as the descent continues, passing well below the east side of the Old Man. Once back on the main path, follow it down to eventually retrace your steps back onto the made path through the felled area. Further down, you can turn right at the fork to follow an alternative, equally well made path for the descent section. This weaves about and passes a small lochan before rejoining the outward route. Continue down to return to the car park.’

Sounds impressive right? Even from the car park the view of the Old Man of Storr is impressive and should you get to experience this walk please let me know how it is. Please?

Make sure you have a big drink to replace all that expended energy. 

The next stop is really easy so don’t worry about those achy legs. The car park is free (as of this blog) and it’s quite literally a minute’s walk away from the cliff’s edge. As mentioned in the previous days, itinerary sites on Isle of Skye are considerably busier than the mainland and you may therefore have a long wait for an up close photo opportunity. Be patient, it is absolutely worth it!

Unfortunately we didn’t go on the next visit. It is supposed to be great with actual dinosaur prints that aren’t roped off so you can get up close and personal. I know you are down at the water’s edge so take waterproof clothing and enjoy! Don’t linger too long, you have lots more to see and the next stop is the busiest point on today’s itinerary. 

The Quiraing viewpoint is absolutely breathtaking. The smallest amount you’ll pay at the car park is £3 but you do get 3 hours. The car park is bigger than most on the island and although busy you won’t find yourself waiting long for a space to become vacant. On site there is a food van selling hot dishes to warm you up after the strong winds found here. You can spend anywhere between 20 minutes to 2 hours here. There is a hike which looked absolutely incredible from the viewpoint and if the weather had been kinder we would have definitely given it a go. Take note of the signposted areas to prevent you from quite literally slipping down to meet the land below. Wrap up warm!

Next, take the very scenic drive to Rha waterfall. You will find the road here very steep in places and much of it is single track so act as the locals do and be kind and courteous. It becomes second nature after travelling so much of the NC500 to accept the to and fro of the single track road however due to the influx of day tourists you may find some impatience forming. Remind yourself it is the journey not the destination and you’ll be fine. 

I’ve given you two sets of details (both What3Words) to find Rha waterfall. One for the parking, which is free, and one for the gate which opens onto the short walk to the falls. This is a very short but rewarding walk. It is much less busy than other sites on the island and you’ll find yourself lucky to find some peace and quiet in this beautiful spot.  

We found the next spot quite difficult to find and therefore I’ve given you another set of What3Words instructions. In most cases you will be given a postcode to find sites in Scotland. This covers a vast amount of space and with very little SatNav signal and/or phone signal it can become quite difficult to find places. I advise downloading the W3W app and using it offline as much as possible. The car park at the Fairy Glen in Uig is brand new and charges £2 for 2 hours. Which I think is a generous amount of time for this site. It is fairly straightforward walking around the base of these mounds. Take care if you wish to take a birds eye view, rain causes very slippery conditions and there are some fairly steep sections. As we arrived in the rain I know we didn’t fully appreciate this site which is a damn shame.

Now, the next and last stop of the day is a biggie. It’s one of the big reasons we will return to the Isle of Skye as we also missed this walk due to the weather. Neist Point Lighthouse is a 2 hour hike to the coastal area of northern Skye. There have been sightings of whales from here and in my opinion as a sunset chaser, it will be a wonderful end to a full but exceptional day. As we didn’t accomplish this walk I have given you the information below for the walk. I would like to think that a well trodden path would be easy to see but you never know!

‘Begin by following the path through the gate, which if locked can be easily walked round. Almost immediately turn left on the path, which then swings right to ease the descent to the headland far below. There is a metal handrail for most of the descent. Continue along the now level path. It is possible to detour to the right to visit the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the great prow of An t-Aigeach, the dramatic upstanding crag half way out on the headland. To the left are great views to the impressive cliffs of Waterstein Head and the Hoe, the second highest on Skye. At the highest point of the constructed path, a grassy path heads off to the right – this is an optional detour to the top of An t-Aigeach. If you decide to visit the top, take great care near the cliff edge, and retrace your steps back to the main path. As the corner is rounded the lighthouse comes into view for the first time. Continue along the path towards the lighthouse and the former keepers’ cottages. From the path junction, you can turn left along a made path to reach the crane and crane. It is also worth detouring across rougher pathless ground beyond the lighthouse complex to reach the furthest point. The return route is back the same way. It is worth detouring to the left from the path before it heads round An t-Aigeach to visit the cliff edge; from here you can watch seabirds in season but take care as the edge is, of course, unprotected.’

And there you have it. The top sites of the Isle of Skye in one day. I hope it serves you well. You deserve a big dinner and drink to toast the day. 

Staying on the Isle of Skye means you need to just return to your accommodation and relax. Tomorrow we return to the mainland. Our journey draws to its conclusion. But for now, chill.

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2023/02/13/highlight-10-of-the-nc500-the-quiraing/

NC500 Day 9 – Itinerary
NC500 Day 10 – Fairy Glen, Quiraing and Mealt Falls

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2023/02/13/highlight-10-of-the-nc500-the-quiraing/

NC500 Day 7 – Itinerary

Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series. I hope these have been of some help so far and thanks for returning! It has been 121 days since we set off on our huge Scotland road trip. The NC500 route around Scotland is, as you may have guessed, approximately 500 miles. From our starting point in Essex, up to the route, around the Isle of Skye and back home via the Lake District we covered 2800 miles. This journey will see you cover many many miles and have your eyes peeled back as far as they will naturally go. It is a joy to travel this route and explore every corner. 

121 days ago we loaded up our car with as much long life food as possible, A LOT of wet weather gear and what we like to think were sensible purchases to make our experience in the wilds of the Scottish highlands as comfortable and safe as possible. There are other blogs on my page about our purchases and how we also kept the budget down. Keep tuned in for other tips and itinerary hacks. 

The most I can hope from these blogs is to help you have the most fantastic experience in Scotland and on the NC500 route. These blogs try to give you the much needed information for your trip without too many of my feelings and thoughts on each experience. Should you be needing more of a push to try these itineraries, the links to each day’s blogs will be linked below. 

This is the itinerary for Day 7 of our NC500 road trip. 

After staying in Lochbroom or Ullapool for the night your journey to Clashnessie Falls will take approximately 1 hour 10 minutes.

Clashnessie falls is a site dependent on the right weather conditions for two reasons. Should it rain before your visit the falls will be at their most dramatic and beautiful. However the route to the falls will be, as we found, extremely boggy and unstable. Alternatively if there has been a dry spell, of which is uncommon in the western highlands, you will find the route easier to tackle and yet be greeted upon a fine mist of a waterfall at the end of your walk. The car park can be found using the what 3 words instructions on the itinerary below. The walk from the car park to the beginning of the waterfall route is very simple. From the car park opposite the beach turn left and walk back up the road. You will pass a red phone box on your left. Keep going up the small hill and you will come to a sign post indicating where the walk to the falls begins. It is down a track and when you get to the Falls Cottage you can choose to go either across the stream using the stepping stones or to the right along the fence. Both lead you to a good view of the falls. The route from the car park to the falls should take no longer than 20-25 minutes on a good day, however considerably longer should the ground become boggy in bad weather. I would definitely plan accordingly.

The timing of this day will depend on the weather and how much you care about soggy feet, coats and bodies. Saying that, regardless of the weather the next stop is an absolutely must do. Achmelvich Bay was an absolute pleasure to visit and I’ll post the link soon to why it was my highlight of Day 7. Out of all the places we went to along the route I can hands down, without any hesitation say for both myself and Mr W that we would return to this beautiful slice of paradise. The car park is situated next to the Shore Caravan site and I suggest using (again) the what 3 words app to get you to the exact spot you need to be. The car park does have a charge, although like other sites, it is more of an invitation to pay rather than a demand. There is a single large toilet cubicle on site, which would be great should you wish to change out of swimming gear and such like. This again is chargeable, however the pay machine was broken on our arrival and we were still able to use the facilities. Out of all the activities today, should you be a brave traveller and like to swim, I would bank on spending a lot of your time here and plan your day around this particular site. There is a small cafe which sells fish and chips. Honestly, you can’t go wrong!

From here, you can pretty enjoy the route while you scope out more food to recharge your batteries. Lochinver Larder is highly rated among the NC500 enthusiasts. They will heat the pies should you desire and although pricey (£14 for two pies) they are very filled and tasty. There is nearby free parking. Next, treat yourself to a hot drink at Sovi’s Coffee. The car park is a sharp left turn en route to Ullapool and I suggest slowing down as you approach. The parking is used by hikers to the Bone Caves which takes between 30-60 minutes depending on your fitness level. Although we didn’t do this particular walk, we saw a few people coming and going which leads me to believe it is a popular spot. I have read that the route can be quite uneven and the final climb to the caves is steep. I advise some further research before planning this into your day. 

After your pause for drinks, head onto Ullapool for a real treat. For the first time on your route, you will find a beautiful town with lots of shops and places to eat and explore. We ate at the Seafood Shack, and despite my hesitation with fish, I enjoyed my food immensely. The town has wide avenues and although nothing like the size of Inverness or Edinburgh it had the bustle of a small town that feels very warm in its invite. We found street parking plentiful and were lucky to park a stone throw from the Seafood Shack itself. 

After you have reacquainted yourself with the familiar sights and sounds of buildings and signposted streets you will notice the return of road markings and busier roads on your journey to the Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve. 

With its utterly mesmerising view of the gorge and path-making waterfall, this is an absolute must do for any visitors to the Ullapool area. Although a quick visit at just 40 minutes, its effortless snaking paths and views are the best way to end day 7. Parking was plentiful.

Finish your day by making the stunning drive to Aultbea for your overnight accommodation. The drive itself took on the coastal roads which gave dramatic views out to the Summer Isles and the dark navy waters of . On a clear day you may see the island of Lewis and Harris, an island in the Outer Hebrides.

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/16/nc500-day-6-itinerary/
https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2023/01/17/highlight-seven-of-the-nc500-paradise/

NC500 Day 7: Clashnessie Falls, Achmelvich Bay and Corrieshalloch Gorge
Highlight six of the NC500 – The weakness in me

Happy 2023

Hello 2023. I won’t pretend I’m shocked at how long it’s been since I’ve written. There’s been a lot going on, there always is and somehow writing has taken the biggest back step to everything else. It’s a shame because of how much I love it, how much there is to tell you and just how much it helps. However, forcing it also isn’t great. 

So where do I begin. We’ve had SO many days out in London which have been amazing. Unfortunately, the saturation of the word amazing in social media these days is quite something but let’s take it back to basics. ‘Amazing.’ It is when something amazes you and I’m not talking about the perfect frothy detail on your cappuccino, no I’m talking about something that quite literally feels your mind with amazement. Whether it be on the day, that evening, the day after and/or when you look back at pictures taken. We obviously have the great pleasure in doing the latter frequently because we are big photo takers and we had 4, 5, 6 (can’t remember until I recap them) amazing days out which means there are plenty of photos to go through. Two of those days in particular would not have been possible without meeting our new friends from America, which I’ll go into more detail when I recap those days. 

Mr W and I had a lovely Christmas, which after 2 years of covid disruptions (it took me a long time to think of polite word ‘disruption’), was really nice to just again get back to basics.  Lots of family time, good food and just stopping. That actual stopping of work and plans and obligations, as such, and rushing around. It was really important for us to do that and we knew the benefits of stopping because we do it every year. Every Christmas Mr W will have off a big chunk of time and we halt the horses so to speak. However after the last couple of months it’s been just horrifically busy and we have been (I think) closest to burnout that we’ve ever been. It was both nice and necessary to just stop and we really did. There were days where we didn’t get dressed. We didn’t eat anything but Christmas leftovers. It was absolutely great.

Moving forward into this year things are going to look a bit different for us both. We’re already planning some big big renovation works in the house. Which is very exciting. It does mean that our travel budget is cut in half this year. Which seen as we are on year 2 of working on a travel budget it’s quite strange. It is all very new territory for us. I must say that Mr W and I do shine best when we have a project as a couple and I am so excited for our ideas to come together. Of course, it will be lovely to have our very own bathrooms rather than a shower that doesn’t work and a bathtub we have to vault to get clean. Back to travel; we’re maybe going to have a weekend away before starting the renovations and then a big travel trip at the end of the year. We’re going to do a lot more days than in 2022. I’ve actually taking it on myself to write a list of all the day trips we planned last year and never got to. This is done to other commitments and the fact there are only 52 weekends in a year. I mean, hardly fair is it!

Last March, we planned to do Dancing Ledge on the Jurassic Coast when we spent time in the New forest but we simply ran out of time. So 2023 will be the year we catch up doing things like that. It would be great to do these big days out and freshen our weekends up with adventures. We’ve got the wet suits, so who knows what we’ll get up to! There is a lot more we both want to see in London but we also just want to enjoy the silly things. This Saturday, rather than you know have a coffee in bed (something we love and certainly plan on doing a whole lot more of this year, adding our books into the mix) or drive to town and having a coffee, we’re going to drive into London for free parking and have one in St Katherine’s Dock. It is honestly just such a lovely place. Even though you’re in the middle of the city, you find this micro community hidden behind the tall buildings of Tower Hill. It feels like nobody really knows about it or if they do it’s like it’s our little secret. It’s like our own little club of people that’s waiting for the waking up of the city that surrounds it. And that is a simple moment between us, coffee and the city noises. 

The big trip this year is looking like it’s going to be in September. Shocker right? I don’t want to tell you too much right now because although it’s not heavily reliant on budget it is slow in its emergence from ideas and trying to push ourselves to go new places and do brand new things. There seems to be a form of doing less in the way of tours and entrances and yet more in experiences that mean more to us. There will be some moving from country to country via train. To gain the most from this means a lot of research, as you can imagine we don’t just want to move from country to country and not be on the best route to see what the new country is all about! 

When we went to Brussels in November (blog coming soon) we were there for roughly 30 hours.It was just so thrilling to be in a brand new country (for us, tick!). We didn’t feel rushed even though it was a very short amount of time. Those kinds of experiences wake you up a bit and it felt revitalising to have left the UK for the first time since late 2020. 

We have had such a busy but beautiful and blessed life since our return from Scotland that there has been a vast array of things to write about. However, lately it’s been problematic to find the time to write. There is a lot going on and in all honestly when Mr W gets home I just want our time to be together. I don’t want to be typing or editing. I came to the conclusion on our return from Scotland that we really only have a very small window each weekday to be together. 3 or 4 hours away from the office in which we can live our married life and just enjoy ‘us’ without the interruption of other hobbies and choices. It won’t always be so easy. We aren’t simply a family of ‘two’, we have a large family that is important and it is my goal this year to see as many of them as possible and more often. It’s never a duty or a chore, it’s just a case of prioritising. So if I can write during the day. Perfect. 

Speaking of nightly activities, when Mr W gets home we inherently have dinner and watch TV. Which is fine. When you consider that the nights have been darker, it’s been colder, the snow, oh god the snow (!) laziness is put into perspective weather-wise. But since New Year’s Eve (and this was very subconscious on both our parts) we kind of realised that we didn’t want to sit on the sofa every night, just watching something for sake watching it. This was called into conversation when Mr W asked me out on a date night last week! How cute. We went out to dinner, which we never really do, we’re always so budget conscious that we don’t go out. Most of the time, we cook, it’s rare that we get takeout, if we’re gonna have pizza we’ll dig one out of the freezer. Which is obviously everybody’s nightmare. You always want takeout pizza, they just taste better and that’s a fact. I digress! We went out for dinner. It was lovely. Really lovely. And last night,  we went to the cinema. The fact that it cost a tenner is just awesome and I am pushing myself to think that £10 here and there will not blow our chances of travelling this year out of the water. Or… other obviously important things like paying bills and house renovations. Of course. Last night we had a very very cheap Costco dinner sitting at the plastic table and chairs, you know the ones, inside the store. And for a supremely awesome dessert, I smuggled in my pocket some leftover Christmas chocolates. It really was a really cheap night out. Something  like £17/18. We’re planning on doing a lot more of these kinds of nights out and chop and change it up a bit.

2023. It’s here. It’s almost unexpected to be here. Not living, but that 2023 is here already, where did 2020/21/22 go? It is is time to get back into the writing and there are a few other projects I’m working on at the moment. All time consuming but worthwhile. Just need to find my rhythm again. I’ve been dictating this particular piece if you have noticed how much my writing changes when I do so. It just gives me a chance to get back into the swing of it before starting with a big piece with just typing. There’s so much to write about as well. I’ll need to write a little list of what I can share with you all. I’ll be heading back to the Scotland pieces soon, as I’m a hater of unfinished business and the itineraries could really help you, someone, plan that NC500 trip you’ve been longing to go on. 

I really love the fact that I’m still getting followers despite my absence, hello to all of you, it may mean that this blog resonates with people which is really special actually. I didn’t think it would to be honest and in the beginning it was just some way of me talking through things. If you like what you’re reading and feel like sharing it please do send the link on to people you think may like it too. Thank you for sticking around if you’ve been here since the beginning and thank you to everyone who has ‘liked’ and shared the odd writing over the last couple of weeks. Until next time, be kind to yourself. I think that’s the most important thing we can learn from the past couple of years. Do what makes you happy. I’ll see you soon.

Highlight five of the NC500 – Our wee cabin

This is my highlight from Day 5 of our recent trip to Scotland to drive the NC500 route. 

The links for the itinerary and recap of this day are below. I hope one day you experience this magical route for yourself. 

Turning up at the cabin nestled in the grasses and ferns of the Skail area of Scotland, the River Naver flowing steadily a short walk away, was definitely a break from the accommodation we had so far stayed in on this trip. The pod built by the owners shares the space with three others along with an honesty caravan and firepit area. On the inside varnished wooden planks curved over us in the arched ceiling and the bed greeted us at the opposite end of the space. 

In a small fridge Mr W found two tupperwares of breakfast ingredients along with pots of butter and marmalade. In a cardboard egg box were nestled further treats as well as hash browns in the small ice box and tinned beans thrown in for good measure. The small but brilliant kitchen was met with gusto by Mr W as he set about cooking the food to be boxed up for our journey on Day 6. As he cooked and swigged his cup of tea, the rain fell outside and I prepared ham and cheese filled rolls also for the next day’s journey. 

As I sat on the bed, the owner’s dog Cap came to greet us at the open front door. It felt good to have the comforts of home around us again. The collie-dog being the biggest one we have missed in the last 3 years. As the cooking progressed and the rolls were packaged away, I sat on the bed writing the blog about ‘Day 5’ (link below) as I occasionally glanced at the rain splashing against the doors panes of glass. 

This was the most remote part of Scotland we had stayed in. One single road ran past the complex outside running north/south and it was exceptionally quiet. Every so often you would hear the crunch of loose stones underfoot as the owner Kevin went about his business or other people arrived. 

It was here that I felt most at home on this trip, we felt like us again. Working together like we do at home to get organised. It wasn’t that the trip hadn’t succeeded so far in making us happy or that it lacked excitement. There was just something about the space that defined the word ‘home’. Often when Mr W and I go camping, one will raise the fire while the other chops various vegetables with a crude knife and adds it to the meat in the pot for dinner. 

It felt very similar although this type of camping was a far cry from the tent we are used to. Next to the bed hangs a curtain to act as a doorway to the bathroom. As people who play the radio or sit on the balcony as the other spends more than a penny, it became obvious very quickly one would either need to sit with headphones on or out in the rain. We’ve been in a similar situation once before in Iceland where a glass walled bathroom gave us a view of each other we certainly did not expect. It is funny but after all these years it is something we both prefer to keep a mystery. Noises and all!

There were ingenious touches around the pod which we found amusing. As people who upcycle and attend to our own DIY home projects it’s always a big pleasure to see it in other peoples homes. As the walls of the pod were curved, owing to the arched structure, the shaving mirror in the bathroom was held in place when not in use by a small chain. Small lengths of thin rope acted as curtain ties and the traditional kitchen oven had been replaced by a portable stove. Which Mr W loved. The whistling kettle took us back to our first year of being homeowners and reminded us of the worth of patience when it comes to a good cup of tea and the very idea of taking something slow for the sake of it. 

As I continued to sit and sip my tea, I watched the rain come down in its never ending capacity and marvelled at the simplicity and rawness of the Wee Hoose Glamping site. This place is incredibly simple but effective and yet complex in its re-introduction to what we take for granted and the joy of returning to patience and unpretentiousness. 

NC500 Day 5 – John O’Groats, Duncansby Stacks and Dunnet Head
NC500 Day 5 – Itinerary

NC500 Day 2 – Itinerary

Hello and welcome back to the Scotland itinerary series. 

The most I can hope from these blogs is to help you have the most fantastic experience in Scotland and on the NC500 route. These blogs try to give you the much needed information for your trip without too many of my feelings and thoughts on each experience. Should you be needing more of a push to try these itineraries, the links to each day’s blogs will be linked below. 

As you may have seen from the itinerary from Day 1 (link below) we started our trip on the eastside of Scotland which is quite unusual as it approaches the NC500 in an anticlockwise manner. Most tips tell you to combat the route in a clockwise form, however as we had plans in Edinburgh and we had plans to finish in the Lake District this worked better for us. Mr W had also heard a tidbit about travelling anti-clockwise too. In all honesty, everything I heard prior to our trip suggested that the east coast of Scotland is vastly different to the western side. In a way I would agree, they are very different. However, in the opinions I read it became quite obvious that people favour the west coast of the Highlands which is a shame. The east has so much to offer and I found it was just the best build up to the rest of the journey. It gradually envelops you into the route. The villages are pretty and the coastline is easier to navigate on foot. 

So without much ado, let’s continue with the itinerary. This was one of the easiest days in terms of navigation.

Day 2 was such a beautiful day filled with wonderful activities to help you stretch those legs as you introduce yourself to Scotland.

We ate in our hotel room in order to save time and money. We used our pre-packed oats and our hotel had a kettle so this really helped us. 

Start your day as early as sunlight allows. The Old PackHorse Bridge needs at least the beginnings of sunlight to fully appreciate. We made sure to get here mega early so we were alone and there was just one other vehicle in the car park when we arrived. The walk to the bridge is along the main road in the town of Carrbridge. It was very easy and yet packed a punch for those early morning thrills. To get the best view of the bridge itself there is a wooden staircase just a few metres off of the current bridge. Please take care using these stairs, they can be extremely wet. 

From here we journeyed to the House of Bruar which stands in front of the pathway to the Falls of Bruar. Parking is free. There is much advice online to use the toilets in this establishment as they are rumoured to be the ‘poshest’ toilets in the highlands. I cannot confirm or deny this fact as we were quick to leave after spending a lot more time on the hike than we originally planned. There is advice online about the walk itself. It says to turn left as you approach the first bridge on this walk. One thing I can advise to the unsteady on their feet is to cross the bridge and take the walk up the hill on the right hand side of the river. It is a steep walk which I for one could only tackle uphill. If I were presented with that steepness on the descent I would not have been happy. We did the loop walk anticlockwise in its entirety and still got to see everything. The descent on the left hand side had long stretches of large rocks embedded in dryer earth to walk down. This is something for you to consider as you approach this walk. 

Something I do wish we had done is visit the House of Bruar which is a huge complex of shops with clothing, trinkets and even plants. It looked so decadent and by the time we had returned from the falls it was really filling up. Maybe add an hour onto your day and take time to look around? I also spied a coffee area which would be a welcome treat after your walk!

Having spent so long at the falls, we head straight to Clansman Harbour, Inverness for our Loch Ness Cruise. Our cruise time was at 2pm. There are other times for the cruises so you could potentially get a cruise at 4pm if this suits you better. We went with the 50 minute Clansman cruise which was perfect for us. If we had had the time, we would have approached Inverness via Fort Augustus to give us the perfect introduction to Loch Ness. By doing this you will drive from Fort Augustus up the left hand side of the Loch to Canmans Harbour and be able to peek out at the water as you go. 

Not usually one to jump on the typical tourism bandwagon the cruise was a welcome relief from walking and driving. When you think of Inverness and Scotland in particular you, or maybe just I, always think of Nessie. So I just had to include this on our trip. It was relatively cheap and, as expected, packed with tourists. We had no trouble getting a seat. The only trouble was the grey sky and the condensation on the inside of the windows. It meant we didn’t see much of the Loch itself and as it is a looping cruise, you see the same bits out and inwards. Would I do it again? No. Am I glad we did it? Yes. It feels like a rite of passage for sure. I have linked the website below for you to book your tickets. The car park for the harbour is located across the road so don’t let the location fool you. Try and arrive ahead of your journey time as there aren’t many car park spaces and there are lots of people arriving by coach. There is a walkway that gives you safe passage under the busy road to the harbour. This is conveniently located next to a large ‘Nessie’ statue at the far end of the car park. A large gift shop can also be found at this location. 

Be aware, there are not very many gift shops on the route and therefore you should buy any desired trinkets when you see them. Prices remained similar in the few shops I did see. For example, magnets were generally £2.50-3.99.

After our brief cruise we made our way to Plodda Falls, which was well signposted on the approach. There is a charge for the car park which is very reasonable. We found there were quite a few midges here so grab those midge nets or deet sprays. We didn’t fare too badly on this entire trip but it is always good to be prepared. The waterfall here is exceptional and the observation deck is NOT to be missed. There are two trails you can try. The white marked Plodda Falls Trail and the green marked Tweedmouth Trail. Somehow we started on the white trail and finished on the green trail. I know I know, we did not start very strong on our trial following. But there are no complaints about doing it this way. If you have time constraints, definitely do the first trail and if unsure, just retrace your steps. 

A perfect end to a fantastic day! We stayed in Strathpeffer and booked in for two nights for the next few days’ activities. (Review to be linked below soon!)

Oh and your car will be absolutely filthy from the dusty, single track road to Plodda. Sorry about that! The Scottish rain will soon sort it right out.

https://www.jacobite.co.uk/tours

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/09/highlight-two-of-the-nc500-a-tall-observation/

NC500 Day 2 – Bruar, Loch Ness and Plodda Falls
NC500 Day 1 – Itinerary

Scotland, where do I start…

Where do I start…

I sort of disappeared didn’t I? An avid reader actually thought something had happened to us. But I promise day 13, 14, and 15 of our trip ended quite simply and without too much to talk about. It was also our wedding anniversary on day 13 and with a few disappointments in our plans for the day it was easier to focus on us and enjoy the day for what it was than what it could have been. 

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be re-visiting our trip over on my instagram and facebook pages with all the photos I have that I think are worthy of sharing, there are over 2000, and I’ll be updating all the daily itineraries so you can benefit from our learnings. There will also be a mini Lake District blog coming soon and I’ll be discussing just how successful being ultra prepared was. 

So there is a lot in the pipeline and I honestly can’t believe it has been a week since I’ve written. In a way it’s been nice to have a break, as you can imagine writing while travelling did not leave me with a lot of time to relax. It was often the case that the spare hour or so that I had in the evenings, between accommodation arrival and bedtime was purely given over to recapping the day. At times, it felt like a slog, one evening in particular I was puking up my dinner (suspected sun stroke, haha yep, in Scotland) and then back to writing ten minutes later. But most of the time, it really did help me wind down and process the day in a really special way. 

Moving forward I’ll be able to pick apart the days further which will bring the memories flooding back. Which I am really looking forward to. Scotland really was a picture perfect experience. Every twist and turn of the roads gave new light and insight into the landscape and not once did we hesitate to turn round to peek at another roadside waterfall or river. It is safe to say we are addicted!

Down to restraints of weather, time and sometimes physical ability (hi sciatica, you utter tw*t) we actually only managed about 90% of our visits which isn’t something to sniff at but I am rather hard on myself for not achieving the desired 100%!

We also found that a lot of the businesses we were aiming to visit had changed their timings at the last minute or were closed due to unforeseen circumstances. As you can imagine, having missed some bits of this trip means I have already started building a ‘Scotland 2.0’ itinerary and it is already incorporating places we want to go to again. I’ll be discussing these in my ‘Highlights of Scotland’ blogs (also coming soon). So strap on those reading glasses, for it is going to be a whirlwind, much like the windy conditions we are experiencing in Essex today, for the Scotland information coming your way is going to be full on! All in all, I estimate there will be approximately 25 blogs to entice you to try this trip for yourself. 

This month is proving to be really quite busy for Mr W and I. We have a birthday party for a rather special lady to plan, a trip up north to negotiate, a few days out in London, work trips and friends to catch up with. November too, is getting rather full! In the coming weeks we will be setting our travel plans for 2023 (crazy!) and the logistics that they will present.  

Something I have realised in the last three weeks is just how special travel is to me. It is a given that I find travel special having started this blog and taking you through my history and present relationships with worldwide travel. And yet, this trip has ultimately taught me so much about myself and how my (and Mr W’s) tastes have changed. Scotland has opened my eyes to what travel can be moving forward and how you travel ultimately being such an important factor of the trip. So until I really get stuck in to the future blogs, I wanted to say a huge thankyou to Mr W for all the support on this trip, it was NOT easy, sciatica is no laughing matter and on day 2 I was extremely close to coming home, all the driving and all the hysterical laughs that he pulled out of me. It’s also prudent to point out how much trust he had in me in planning this trip. It was enormous in scale and I’m grateful we came out the otherside with more love than ever. Although I’m sure Mr W would gratefully have thrown me off a cliff at some points. 

And then, there are the thank you’s to you all. The people who continue to read about our lives and those who share and invite new people to read along. It’s given me a sense of purpose back and isn’t that just a wonderful thing!

Oh! And one final little preview, I will be reviewing all of our accommodation and giving you all some foodie tidbits. As always I will be completely honest and that means sharing the good and the bad. Once the blogs mentioned in this post have been written they will be linked down below and also on the original ‘NC500 Day XX’ Blogs too. I’ll incorporate all the pre-packed food and the packed essentials into these blogs so you can determine for yourself how worthwhile it all is.

Till then…