Driving to Ballachulish (Thursday, Sept. 17)

We reluctantly said goodbye to Georgie at Canowindra B&B this morning after another delicious breakfast. I'm afraid we're spoiled now for other breakfasts. I'll let you know what happens tomorrow.

Even though there was some blue sky showing when we first looked out our window in Portree, we spent most of the day in a light rain. This kind of weather obviously obscures the view but we didn't mind. We wanted to experience the many different moods of Scotland. Today was a soft day!

Old Sligachan Bridge.

Our first stop was at the old Sligachan Bridge on Skye just at the junction of the roads to Portree, Dunvegan, and Broadford. You can get a nice view of the Cuillin Mountains, and the old bridge is quite interesting. This is a favorite tour bus stop, but we managed to hang around until one bus left, so we could get some photos without a lot of people.

View of Cuillins from old Sligachan Bridge area.

Lovely wet area beside the stream under old bridge.

Next we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle. We stopped there on the way onto the Isle of Skye, but since it was late in the day, we elected not to go inside the castle. That was on the agenda today. This castle is privately owned, having been bought by Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap in 1911. His dream was to restore the castle to its former glory. It took 20 years of hard work, but the castle reopened to visitors in 1932. 

Eilean Donan Castle on cloudy morning.

This is a classic view of the lovely old castle.

View of Eilean Donan Castle from bridge.

Photography is only allowed outside the castle. The inside is actually used as a gathering place for groups and especially for weddings. It has been furnished thoughtfully, including quite a few period appropriate items. The addition of electrical lines means the castle is warmer than some we've been in!

View from castle portcullis.

Inside castle courtyard looking out on the loch. 

The first fortified castle on this small island was built in the 13th century. Since that time, at least four versions of the castle have been built and rebuild. It was partially destroyed in a Jacobite uprising in 1719 and lay in ruins for almost 200 years before MacRae-Gilstrap bought it.

Gull on its favorite rock outside
Eilean Dunan Castle.

Today's rain and clouds gave the castle a different look from the last time we photographed it, but the photographs were still beautiful.

After the castle stop, we drove to Fort William and on to Ballachulish to our B&B, Ardno House. We're staying in the MacDonald Room. 

Smoky's photos are up!

--Shann