May 28, 2006 04:51 PM
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(Updated May 28, 2006 04:53 PM)
Travelling to Scotland is like travelling into complete wilderness, the unknown. The air of mystery, maybe due to the bone chilling cold or the persistent fog during the wee hours of the morning, or generally the Moorish feeling, it all makes Scotland a very very , well, Moorish experience. Looking at the grand locations of the scores of castles spread all over the country, one can actually believe that ghosts do exist and you could actually bump into them at any corner. Did you know there are actually these ghost sighting nightly tours to cemeteries and some castles and then there tour guides who narrate their experience with the eerie kind!!
We had been to Scotland in mid October so winter was setting in. For us Indians, it was bitting cold, for the Scottish it was not yet winter. Scotland is a vast country and one needs to really chalk out what one wants to see and what not to see.
We flew into Glasgow and as we did not plan to stay in any major city, we immediately took a bus to Stirling. The best way to travel in Scotland is by taking the Citylink bus pass, it costs 85 pounds each and is valid for 8 days of travel all over Scotland. And to see the castles in Scotland, it makes sense to buy the Explorer Pass , costing 22 pounds each and valid for 7 days for entry into most of the major castles in Scotland. In Scotland, its best to stay with Scottish families – you pay for bed and breakfast and works out to be very economical. You can book in advance over the internet. Also in Scotland, you should check out the libraries , great place to keep yourself warm and you get free internet access.
We were booked to stay with a Scottish family in Stirling and the room was functional and the family also allowed us to heat our food in their microwave, so that was great. Stirling is simply beautiful and epitomises any town in Europe. It’s a town sprawling over green land shrouded in blankets of mist, cobbled streets with the mystical Stirling castle towering over and the spirit of Wallace (Braveheart) beckoning you all the time. The castle is simply astounding and from the top, you get a great view of entire Stirling.
After two days in Stirling, our next halt was Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. It’s a small little town and there is nothing much to do there, its mainly a stopover before getting on further into the highlands. Scenic is putting it very lightly, it takes your breath away. The castle there is also worth a visit. Sundays, the entire town is closed, it does resemble a ghost town in the evenings with all the shopping malls and restaurants closed. It’s a lovely place to unwind a take in the spirit of Scotland.
Stayed with another Scottish family and their hospitality simply left us speechless and full of gratitude. Please do not miss the Urquhart. Located over Loch Ness, it is nothing like you would have ever seen. Its just a skeletal structure of the massive castle that was there, yet the location makes it the best. You could actually believe that the Loch Ness could have existed and might have been sighted. The myth is so well ingrained that when you look into the Ness, you invariably start looking for the signs of the monster!
From Inverness, we headed further north to Fort William. Spent the night there and after walking around the town, left for Isle of Skye, the northenmost tip of Scotland. The journey from Inverness to Skye is the highlight. It passes thorough the famed Glen and the sheer beauty leaves one spellbound. The northern tip of Scotland is stated to be Europe’s last great wilderness and its mind blowingly beautiful. It’s the place where the sea and the mountains collide and the effect is surreal. We stayed in Portree and from here went hiking over the mountains which look dramatically over the blue seas. You can see scores of seals, playing in the waters and basking in the sun.
From Portree head to the Oakney Islands. Its coastal scenery is dramatic with jagged cliffs, strange shaped craggy hillocks and the wild sea. There is also a 4500 old village there – Skara Brae. Of the 70 islands only 16 are inhabited, Stromness is the main port.
After all this wilderness, we really felt we had taken in the Scottish Highlands. It is simply breathtaking and one should spend more time up there rather than the cities. We flew back from Edinburgh and this city too is lovely but after the highlands, a tad too unexciting!
