farewell to the Highlands

When planning our time in the Highlands I really wanted to find a way to get to the Isle of Skye. It's a beautiful and inconvenient place to get to, how many chances would we ever have to visit?  I had an idealistic itinerary in my head but tried to keep my expectations low.  It’s a large-ish island full of natural wonders and you honestly need more than a day to do any of it justice. Unfortunately the day we had set aside for Skye we woke to our first signs of rain. Skye is about 2 hours away from Fort Augustus and is another incredibly popular destination this time of year- rain or shine- so we made another early start. Since we were passing by, we pulled in to Eilean Donan on the way so I could quickly admire this picturesque castle. You need tickets to tour the castle but the grounds are free to visit before and after opening and closing hours so we had the place to ourselves.

The landscape is a totally different kind of stunning on a rainy day, more atmospheric and moody with the clouds and mist. We crossed the bridge onto Skye and continued north up the east coast of the island. Our first stop was the Quiraing, a landform that looks like the side of the mountain just slipped away. We white knuckled our way up the steep single track road and were still surprised to find the parking area again was already quite full, though I do think this spot is hard for tour buses to reach which helps. Dressing and undressing kids in rain coats, rain pants, and rain boots just to get blasted by rain and wind on a slippery and precariously narrow trail was a bit more than we bargained for. When we reached a part in the trail where all I could picture was one of the kids careening down the mountain-side we decided to head back to the car.

When traveling with kids I've found that choosing "one big thing" to do each day works best. A castle or a hike or the Quiraing in this case. Then we keep a little list on hand of things we could maybe do as well if the timing, the moods, the appetites allow us but otherwise give ourselves grace and keep expectations low if all we can manage is the one big thing. So that's what we did. We skipped the Fairy Glen, and the Old Man of Storr (see, doesn't Skye sound like something out of Lord of the Rings??) and set off in search of a warm lunch. We carefully made our way down the western side to the little coastal village of Carbost. The kids and I parked ourselves here to dry off and grab a bite.  T.J. ate quickly and then walked up the block to Talisker Distillery. We met him after his tour and after we had warmed up with salted caramel hot chocolate and shortbread. Even though we barely scraped the tip of what I had hoped to do on Skye, the weather and crowds made it much too stressful to navigate and instead we carried on back to Fort Augustus.

The rain held off most of the next day and we peaked through the ruins of Invergarry Castle and then stopped at the Falls of Foyers.  Brunch was enjoyed in the company of shaggy highland coos at  Cameron’s Tea Room and Farmshop. Sipping earl grey and destroying a scone with clotted cream and berries, we debated what we should name our own cow one day. Back in town that evening we narrowed down our chosen souvenirs and went back to the Bothy for one last dinner in Fort Augustus. 

The next morning it was time to load up our tiny car again and bid farewell to Loch Ness. The drive back down to Cambridge is quite the haul so we decided to break it up. This also meant we got to stop for a boggy hike through Glencoe and T.J. could do one more distillery tour.  Most all of the distilleries do not allow children under the age of 8 but Glengoyne Distillery offered a particular tour that was open to all ages and it was so well done, in such beautiful surroundings straddling the dividing line between the Highlands and the Lowlands, and we all truly enjoyed it. We stopped for the night in Luss at the Lodge on Loch Lomond, another charming little town I wish we'd had more time in, before carrying on the rest of the way in the morning. 

All the in and out of cars and carseats, boots on and off, refilling water bottles again and again,  adds a humbling level of reality to even the most spectacular of vacations. Soaking in the magnificent vistas we were often simultaneously refereeing little boys who can't keep their hands to themselves, or consoling Daisy who fought us every time we had to get back in the car. It could sometimes feel like at least one person was upset at any given moment but I know that's not how I'll remember this trip. I'll remember Daisy shouting "sheeps!", the boys skipping rocks on Loch Ness, and eating chips with every single meal, and happily kicking a football in the rain with their dad,  all of us excitedly counting the points on the stag's antlers, learning how to play chess in a place that looks like a fairytale, and discovering the goodness that is english custard on a warm pudding. 

T.J. and I are already day-dreaming about going back for a proper stag hunt someday but when our last day in Scotland arrived we were ready to be off the road, out of our suitcases, and back in our own "home." Of course these days home is kind of a vague and fluid word for our family.  And while our vacation may be over but our UK adventure is really just beginning. 

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North, 

The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth ; 

Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, 

The hills of the Highlands for ever I love. 
-Robert Burns