#kyle of lochlash

[fuckitandmovetobritain]

Scotland: Isle Of Skye & NW Scotland - The Quiraing, Sligachan Bridge, Glen Brittle/Fairy Pools, Kilt Rock, Eilean Donan Castle, Bealach Na Ba/Applecross, Mealt Falls/Kilt Rock, Loch Torridon, Loch Torridon, Bealach Na Ba/Meall Gorm 

[aoibaratraveler]

Just some of the more amazing views from the Ullapool to Kyle of Lochlash stretch of the NC 500. Probably my favourite part of this route by far. Absolutely stunning but it helped that we had the weather on our side that day. #ukroadtrip2019 #Scotland #nc500 #gorgeoussight #canadianabroad https://www.instagram.com/p/B1diOJAh3vX/?igshid=3k8rg5f0kk9y

[sinkingandmelting]

Duncan Macpherson’s Map of Skye and Lochalsh A3 Print School of Plural Futures with ATLAS Arts, courtesy of Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre Kyle of Lochlash, Highland 10th August 2021 57.28195, -5.62763 Various: “including rising sea levels and tourism(!)”

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Duncan Macpherson was the chemist in Kyle of Lochalsh, he was also a keen photographer who for over 30 years produced an annual Vest Pocket Guide to Kyle of Lochalsh and the Isle of Skye, printed his own postcards and wrote three books on the area. Macpherson drew this map and sold printed versions to people visiting the area. The map shows different locations in Skye and Lochalsh - including the sites of the objects we have shared for the archive - Waternish, Varrigill, Carbost and Reraig. We were thinking about how the landscape of Skye and Lochalsh has changed from when the map was first drawn in the 1920’s, and how tourism has played a significant role in these changes recently. There are often tensions between tourism’s role in supporting the fragile economy of Skye and Lochalsh, and the environmental and social wellbeing of the area.

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SCOTLAND COLLECTION 08.21/6156 Annex I, II, B

[roundtheworldwithtaytay]

Today we leave the lovely Isle of Skye and it has been purely magical.  I have to say that the next leg of our trip I am looking the most forward to as it has to do with my favorite man, person, grandpa on the planet, my Popa Ray and his family, the Chisholms.

We leave Hamie and Katherine and thank you for their amazing hospitality.  Katherine gives us a delightful care package and we are on our way, stopping briefly at the beautiful Eilean Donan Castle, in Kyle of Lochlash.  It is truly spectacular and one of the most, if not the most picturesque castle that I have ever seen in my life.  The MacRae’s seem to know a good spot.  That is the last of things we will see today that have no significance of either my family or Tam’s

Next stop… Loch Ness (yes that Loch Ness) and Urquhart Castle which were it not in ruin would rival Eilean Donan.  Urquhart Castle was a castle that my family had stronghold of in the 1600’s.  It is perfectly positioned in one of the most beautiful areas of Loch Ness.  We take a walk around.  This is my second time to see the castle, but a first from the inside.  I saw it last time via a boat.   We don’t spot Nessie, so we decide to move along.  Next off to Cannich and Glen Affric which were my family’s clan lands.

We drive into Cannich, stopping briefly at a church and later a house that I believe to be Comar Lodge, my family’s original clan seat.  There is a sign out front threatening to shoot anyone who trespasses.  Seems to check out with my feisty family.  I don’t want to rock the boat so we move on.

We drive down through Glen Affric, stopping to hike up to a viewpoint of the gorgeous lands.  I collect some thistle flowers, 5 total as representatives of my direct Chisholm family (Popa, my mom, brother, sister and me) and put it aside to dry.  We walk down and then drive further to the Chisholm Bridge and clan land marker for Clan Chisholm.  The moment is indescribable with both beauty and emotion.  I breathe in as much of the gorgeous Glen Affric air before we get into the car to drive on to another overlook of the area with a Chisholm stone.  We drive past sheep and then out of the corner of my eye saw a sign.  “Comar Lodge.”  We in fact had not seen my family’s clan seat.

We drive up and I get out to knock on the door.  I don’t want to just taking pictures of this privately owned home.  I am met by Mr. Ian Muir who kindly invites us into the property to take a look around, explaining that his family bought it from the Chisholm’s and had changed very little. 

He allows us to look about the place asking us to pay attention to the fireplace in the master bedroom.  It has my ancestor Roderick Chisholm’s initials in it.  He also later shows us where the Clan use to sharpen their blades on the front entryway stone before imparting more knowledge of my family, most of it I already knew.  His favorite explaining that Bonnie Prince Charlie was rumored to have stayed there when fleeing the British after the Battle of Culloden.  I knew this story well as there is a story that 8 men hid the Bonnie Price, 3 of them were apparently Chisholms.

We thank Mr. Muir for his kindness and take one last look around before heading off to the Chisholm stone lookout and then onto St. Mary’s of Eskadale where many of my ancestors are buried.  The church is picturesque and tucked off the road.  To find it I had to do a lot of research as it is not easily discovered and does not appear on GPS.  We find the church and take a look around.  I attempt some grave rubbings while Tammy documents all of my ancestor graves. 

Time is not in our favor so we leave, stopping briefly at Cnoc Hotel and have a beer in the Chisholm Bar before heading off to try to see Erchless Castle, my family’s castle clan seat.  Unfortunately this is a private estate now that rents out for a lot of money so we are unable.  We instead opt for the cemetery close by.  After ducking through a heavily vegetated area we round the corner to one of the most magnificent Celtic cross tombstones that I have ever seen in my life along with some smaller ones, all bearing my family’s crest and motto, “feros ferio,” meaning “I am Fierce With the Fierce.”  Essentially this was a call of warriors of which my family was.  There is historical significance that they fought with Robert the Bruce, William Wallace and were Jacobite’s who fought at the Battle of Culloden.

This whole experience is so surreal.  Just a year ago I heard, for the first time, the history of this side of my family.  This family is still warriors, all serving in the United States Army.  They are very humble, but come from extraordinary beginnings.  Loyalty and honor still a cornerstone of my people and one that I pride myself on.  In this moment, in this beautiful cemetery I know where I come from and I understand myself for probably one of the first times in my life.  There is a reason I love Scotland.  It is in my blood and is in my bones.

I begrudgingly move on from this sacred ground.  Once again time is not on our side and we are hoping to make it to Tulloch Castle (once clan seat of Clan McBean, Tammy’s mother’s family).  The castle has since been turned into a beautiful hotel.  We make it to the castle as the sun is setting.  It is much later than we anticipated, around 9pm.  The restaurant is closed so we decide to go into the bar.

I order a Scotland brewed, “Woohah,” and we sit down and chat.  As we are finishing off our first beer a man come’s in to alert guests of the castle to grab another drink as they would be permitted to carry it through the ghost tour of the castle.  Without hesitation I tell Tam, “we are going on this tour.”  She battles me slightly before determining there is nothing that is going to stop me from going.

We head through the castle with other guests learning that it is haunted by a young girl who broke her neck falling after catching her father with another woman, not her mother.  The tour is fun and like most ghost tours, but the best part is it affords us to see parts of the castle we otherwise would not have seen had we just had dinner or a drink.

It is getting late and although we have a final check in time of midnight, it is sometime around 11 p.m.  We have to get to Inverness to check into our BNB.  We just make it, pulling suitcases in around 11:45.  We manage to settle in and immediately go to bed, both exhausted from an amazing day. 

[cgphoto-graphy-blog]

A view of Eilean Donan Castle near to Kyle of Lochlash. From the mid 13th century, this area was the quite seperate “Sea Kingdom” of the Lord of the Isles where the sea was the main highway and the power of feuding clan chiefs was counted by the number of men and galleys or “birlinns” at their disposal. Eilean Donan offered the perfect defensive position. Taken on a @canonuk 550D. For more pictures like this, visit my website: www.cgphoto-graphy.co.uk #landscape #landscapephotography #adventurephotography #adventuretime #castle #beauty #nature #naturephotography #loch #highlands #visitscotland #scotland #bestukpics #hiddenscotland #water #mountain #seeingisbelieving #instagood #photoshoot #natgeo #nationalgeographic #uk #unitedkingdom #instacool #scotspirit #scottish #history #architecture #photooftheday #photooftheweek

[scottishdreams]

Scottish News | 4 of the best Scottish railway holidays

...your first train to Inverness before carrying on to Kyle of Lochlash ... Rum, Skye, Plockton, Inverness, Thurso, the Orkney Isles and... http://ift.tt/2pqTMuI

[fuckitandmovetobritain]

Isle Of Skye, Scotland, UK

[roundtheworldwithtaytay]

Today we start our day in the most perfect of Scotland conditions.  Cool.  Heavy Fog.  Light Rain.  In any other place this would almost be annoying but the weather here just adds to the charm and the fantasy of this place.  We first drive to the Three Sisters Parking Lot which gives one of the most iconic views of the Scottish Highlands in Glencoe.  The sisters are massive, impeding yet beautiful.  Today they look a bit ominous with a low lying cloud.  We take a moment before going off to find one of my off-road hikes of whimsy, up to Ralston Cairn.

First cairns, if you don’t know, are piles of stones as a memorial or landmark.  In prehistoric times they were burial mounds.  You will find them all throughout Scotland and Ireland.  Now the story of Ralston Cairn as I understand it.  The location of the cairn is one of the most breathtaking views of Glencoe.  The cairn, which is in memory of Ralston Claud Muir who died at the age of 32, was erected in his memory.  He loved to climb in the glen and his ashes were apparently scattered here.  He died in January of 2000 very suddenly from a rare form of Leukemia.  Hikers celebrate this cairn and it has grown quite big from its original incarnation which included a cross and inscription that read, “These Are My Mountains, And I Have Come Home.”  I wanted to visit here because I felt much the same when I came to the Highlands for the first time.  I have likened it to taking a first hit of a drug.  I will always go searching its majestic landscapes for the immense joy and pleasure it gives me.  Ralston Cairn will always be a place I return to when I come home to Scotland.  To make sure our presence is locked in; we place a lock on the bridge at the Meeting of the Three Waters.  I can’t wait to go back to see if it is still there because I will be back.  I will always go back.

We travel further down the road by Aonach Eagach, Loch Achtriachtan and my dream home Achnambeithach Cottage.  It is nestled so perfectly across a bridge and by the beautiful mountain and lake.  It is owned by the Scottish trust and all I want in life is to live out my existence there.  Instead, I let Tammy pull me away where we tuck into get some coffee, some art (of my dream home) and onto take a look at Ben Nevis.

Ben Nevis is the largest of Scotland’s Bens or as we call them, mountains.  We stop by for a quick look, then a quick trod around Inverlochy Castle, and then Ben Nevis Distillery.  We would love to spend more time but we have to get to the Glenfinnan Viaduct and then be on time for the Jacobite steam train that comes through only twice a day.  We have missed the morning show so we have to make this one.  The Jacobite Steam Train is well loved by Harry Potter fans as it was used in the movie.  Don’t’ ask where, I’m not a fan.  But suffice to say, it is.  I’m more interested in the landscape and viaduct it is atop.  Before we however start our trek to stake our ground for the viewing, I clime to the top of the Glenfinnan Memorial which was erected to commemorate the failed cause of the Jacobite Rising.  The views of Loch Shiel.  The gentleman manning the memorial noted that the area at the top forces you to put your head down and use your right hand to pull up as a mechanism so that you can kill any intruders.  The gentleman is delightful and then further points us in the direction of the best spot to see the train.

We trod through a lot of mud and up rocks and find our spot...  It tends to fill up quickly so you have to claim your space.  We are the second group there so we are doing well.  We wait nearly an hour and then it comes.  It is breathtaking and well worth the wait, though I’m not sure if my counterpart agrees, lurking up behind me like a troll.  Everyone applauds the show and then we run down to watch the train go back over the viaduct.  It is quite a show, but we have a lot of ground to pick up now as we have to make it to the Isle of Skye before it is too terribly dark and before all the restaurants close or have no more room.  Before heading off into what is easily one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever been on, we stop briefly by the Commando Memorial, honoring highlanders that have fought.  We meander through glens and between bens, by waters and cairns with the stereotypical low lying clouds and mist before crossing over the Skye Bridge in Kyle of Lochlash before making our way into the Isle of Skye and eventually Portree.

We quickly settle into our Air BNB and our lovely host Alex suggests we go immediately to eat, so we do.  We take our chances on the one restaurant that can seat us and find that they have a vegetarian menu.  We have a couple ciders that were not your typical cider but a specialty dark fruits version.  I am not a fan of cider but this is fantastic.  We are both tired and hungry.  I grab vegetarian fish and chips (the fish is breaded stilton).  I have another beer with dinner and then I insist on getting a sticky pudding.  Tammy doesn’t seem in the mood, but then she ate ½ so I guess she really was in the mood.  We tuck out but not before heading to grab some more beverages and then into Merchant’s Bar for a couple more beers and then back home for a few more with a picturesque view of the full moon bouncing off the sea just outside our window.

It is a beautiful night, but we are exhausted and have a lot of hiking ahead of us tomorrow.

[scottishdreams]

Inverness > | 4 of the best Scottish railway holidays

...your first train to Inverness before carrying on to Kyle of Lochlash ... Rum, Skye, Plockton, Inverness, Thurso, the Orkney Isles and... http://ift.tt/2pqTMuI