In June of 2013, we took a family trip to the highlands of Scotland (reviewed here). In October of the same, my brother and I headed north for a similar, if briefer, venture. I recap this trip below.
My first trip to the Scottish Highlands was a 10-day affair, due to distances involved and small children present. This time around, things were very different. It was just my brother and me, and we had only 3 days to see as much as possible (traveling child-free is nice, but I miss my rugrats . . . and wanted to get home to them as soon as I could). For a head-start, we began our journey in the evening, driving from Yorkshire up to a cheap hotel outside of Glasgow, where we spent a quick night before officially beginning the road trip.
Iona:
The day started quite early, with us taking the early (0600) ferry back to the mainland. I learned something new that day: you can throw things overboard, but what depends where you are on the ocean.
A few hours of driving down, we swung by Rob Roy's grave.
Next up are the three Scottish border abbeys. These abbeys are located within a few miles of each other; each is fantastic.
Melrose Abbey:
Dryburgh Abbey:
Jedburgh Abbey:
After the abbeys, it was time for Housesteads (a Roman-era Fort) and Hadrian's Wall. Beautiful location, wonderful history, great hiking; this is worth a day trip, for those living on the island.
Housesteads (located right on Hadrian's Wall):
Hadrian's Wall:
My first trip to the Scottish Highlands was a 10-day affair, due to distances involved and small children present. This time around, things were very different. It was just my brother and me, and we had only 3 days to see as much as possible (traveling child-free is nice, but I miss my rugrats . . . and wanted to get home to them as soon as I could). For a head-start, we began our journey in the evening, driving from Yorkshire up to a cheap hotel outside of Glasgow, where we spent a quick night before officially beginning the road trip.
Day 1: First Impressions of Mull
We took a morning ferry to the Isle of Mull- a small, rugged island bordering the Scottish Highlands where we would spend the better part of two days. On that first day, we would see Duart & Moy Castles, tour the Tobermory Distillery, and enjoy Tobermory (the only thing that passes for a town on the island).
Duart Castle and surrounds:
Moy Castle and surrounds:
Tobermory (and boats seen on the drive up):
Day 2: Mull & Iona
The second day on Mull, we took in the sights by driving on every "major" road on the island- though most of the time, that meant a single-lane track with frequent pull-offs. We also saw the Isle of Iona, a short boat ride from Mull. Iona has the famous Iona Abbey, founded in 563 by St. Columba, and from which Christianity would spread to the Scots and Picts in coming centuries. |
| Our rental for the road trip- note the width of the "major" Mull roads |
Sights from the drive around Mull:
Iona:
 |
| Don't drive off the dock . . . a sage warning |
Mull in a Nutshell
As we have ancestral ties to Mull, we were both looking forward to the trip. We weren't disappointed; Mull is a wonderful, rugged, scenic, desolate place (and, in October, it's quite brown). While it was fun to tour, my brother summed it up well: "this is a nice place . . . I'm glad we [our ancestors] left." Why? Because I'm not kidding when I say Mull is small and desolate. It's really desolate. I can't imagine life there . . . but it was fun to see. |
| We saw pretty much all of Mull . . . and it was worth it |
Day 3: A Long Drive, Border Abbeys, and Hadrian's Wall
The final day of our trip, and it was to be a doozy. 380 miles of driving- no big deal there- but in addition to that, we saw Rob Roy's grave, three border abbeys, hiked two miles on Hadrian's Wall, and saw Housesteads Roman Fort. |
| Our final day |
The day started quite early, with us taking the early (0600) ferry back to the mainland. I learned something new that day: you can throw things overboard, but what depends where you are on the ocean.
A few hours of driving down, we swung by Rob Roy's grave.
Next up are the three Scottish border abbeys. These abbeys are located within a few miles of each other; each is fantastic.
Melrose Abbey:
 |
| The view driving from Melrose to Dryburgh Abbey |
Jedburgh Abbey:
After the abbeys, it was time for Housesteads (a Roman-era Fort) and Hadrian's Wall. Beautiful location, wonderful history, great hiking; this is worth a day trip, for those living on the island.
Housesteads (located right on Hadrian's Wall):
Hadrian's Wall:
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