NC500, Day 7 - Applecross to Edinburgh
Homeward bound. After a truly enjoyable week that exceeded all expectations, it was now time to head home. We had considered one more night, possibly wild camping near Glencoe, but made the call to head back - myself to Edinburgh, with my brother continuing on to the Scottish Borders and the warm embrace of his mum.
But before that we had a long drive ahead of us, starting with the (in)famous Bealach Na Ba, or “Pass of the Cattle”. This road is legendary in the annals of Scottish road trips. The “dangerous roads” website says this; “The Bealach na Bà is a curvy mountainous road located in the Applecross peninsula, Highland, Scotland. This twisting, single-track mountain road is the third highest road in Scotland rising up to 626m (2,054ft) above the sea level. It's one of the most scenic drives in the world. Speeds faster than 30 mph are rarely permitted.
The route demands 100% concentration. This road has humbled many egos. It’s not for the sissies and shouldn’t be attempted by novice drivers. It's similar to the great mountain passes in the Alps, with very tight hairpin bends which switch back and forth up the hillside, with gradients approaching 20%.
It is recommended that beginner riders and those who don't know how to reverse avoid this road.“
There are signs telling drivers of longer vehicles to take a different route. But there are always idiots - and they ARE idiots - who ignore stuff like this and take the road anyway. In a rare serious moment, I’ll say “don’t be that guy”. You’re not just putting yourself at danger, you’re affecting other road users.
OK, back to normality. My brother was going through a range of emotions this morning - remember his fear from yesterday’s video? Amplify it. But against that he had the prospect of a motherly hug to look forward to. Emotionally he was all over the place. Looking back on the trip, I take no small degree of credit for expanding his horizons. But In many ways the experience also provided some useful life lessons for myself - tolerance being one of them.
Enough waffle - I won’t say too much here, will save it for commentary under the videos and images, but our route was as follows…
We started from Applecross and headed over the pass, thereafter taking in Eilan Donan Castle, the Commando Memorial and Glencoe before heading home. The route was about 240 miles and expected to take just over 6 hours, excluding stops. So we didn’t have a lot of time for sightseeing, but we managed to fit in a few highlights. OK, on with the show…
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This was my Applecross Inn breakfast before hitting the road. Not up there with the Rumblin’ Tum (see the Wick-John O’Groats blog) but I could have added more elements and the fried bread was a huge bonus! Not had that in years!
Eilan Donan Castle. We stopped in the visitors car park - lucky to get a space, it was mobbed - then walked back to get this viewpoint. Patience is a key attribute in photography - the light was changing quickly, clouds scudding about. So we hovered in this area for a good while, literally taking dozens of shots with varying light conditions - this is one example where I think it proved reasonably worthwhile.
Being arty. But I think I prefer the colour version.
The Commando Monument at Lochaber, near Spean Bridge. My father and the Big Yin were both in the Forces and this monument is a fitting tribute to their service. Although dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces raised during World War II, a small Garden of Remembrance near this statue is dedicated to those who fell in more recent conflicts. The simplicity of this statue and it’s setting overlooking the surrounding countryside make it all the more moving.
An engraving on the monument plinth contains the lines, “In memory of the officers and men of the commandos who died in the Second World War 1939–1945. This country was their training ground.”
“United We Conquer”. A message relevant in today’s world, it seems…
Glencoe. Taken from the car park by Loch Achtriochtan. Glencoe is, of course, famous for the Massacre of 1692, when the MacDonald Clan was butchered by a contingent of Campbells. Now, I’m not going to give an account here of what happened - I’m no historian and there are differing views on the details. Suffice to say this was a dark day in the history of Scotland and, for many, just being in Glencoe is enough to spark deep emotions.
Indeed, even the Big Yin, as tough and battle-hardened as he is, suffered from “the shivers” as we approached the Glen. Don’t believe me? Check the video - 6.25 onwards.
Another view in the Glen.
And another one from this beautiful spot. Just a little tip - this car park always seems to be quieter than those at the top of the Glen. WE had a good old leg-stretch, go some decent shots and then headed through the Glen, across Rannoch Moor and then to Tyndrum for a late lunch.
Rannoch moor - on a day like this, simply stunning!
After this, it was lunch, petrol stop and straight back to Edinburgh. Once there, the Big Yin picked up his car and headed back to the Borders and his mother’s embrace.
For good measure, let’s throw in a snap from Edinburgh. This is Victoria Street, a connecting road between the Grassmarket and the Royal Mile. Full of interesting shops, cafes and restaurants, Victoria Street was reportedly the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter novels.
It was now time for me to sit down, reflect and look through the images and videos taken on the trip. Many of these have now been shared on this blog over the past few days. I have really enjoyed going over the whole journey and I am looking forward to the day when all of us can safely plan to travel again. Not together, obviously - I’d need a bigger van.
Who knows, another road trip with the Big Yin may be in order.
In the meantime, stay home, stay safe - and be kind. :-) And thank you all for the lovely feedback I have received over this series, it really is appreciated and I shall continue blogging.
Thank you!
Fatman xxx