In mid July 2014 we loaded up the car and headed out for a two week road trip up to the Orkney Islands and returning along the top of Scotland and the northwest coast. AMAZING BEAUTY!
The northernmost parts of Scotland were our objective. From Aberdeen to Inverness and then on up to the ferry crossing at John O'Groats to the Orkney Islands, then back along the top of mainland Scotland and on down the North West coast to Ullapool before returning to Inverness and then home.
There are no large, divided highways in the North of Scotland. As a result, the route luckily passes through many small villages.
I picked up my wonderful wife in McDuff, after her golf tournament. We headed to Inverness for the first night. The River Ness passes through Inverness.
Inverness is a city of church spires, old bridges, and castles.
A scene along a sunny summer Inverness street. Very pleasant.
If you know me, then you know I love the blues music. This busker, the one-man Bang On Boogie Band, was fabulous. He played several of my requests, and I rewarded him handsomely.
Of course, I couldn't pass up taking photos of old windows and doors . . . as is my custom.
We terried in the berg of John O'Groats before going out to the ferry terminal. Here we have the Maritime Museum.
We enjoy poking around the craft shops in small Scottish towns. This one was a cooperative . . . and we bought a few nice things here.
I milled around a crabbers' dock snapping away. That's the ferry terminal and dock in the distance.
A heavy mist engulfed us as we neared the ferry terminal at John O'Groats, the furthest point North of the mainland UK.
We waited in line for the ferry boarding. In the summer high tourist season, you have to book in advance for the Orkney Island ferry - we did months before.
I walked around the ferry staging area looking for nautical photos as we waited.
Looking back along the coast to John O'Groats.
At last our ferry to the Orkney Islands arrived.
We drove as far north as you can go and then boarded a ferry to the Orkney Islands.
The view on the ferry crossing was mystical.
Small islands in the Orkney chain appeared in the murky gloom . . . and disappeared.
Our first view of Orkney Island late in the late afternoon. We drove across several smaller islands (South Ranaldsay and Burray Islands) before having a major drama finding the owner of our self-catering apartment in Kirkwall . . . to get the keys. It took hours, but the silver lining was discovering a nice Chinese restaurant right across the street. There is a Chinese restaurant in every single town in Scotland, no matter how small or remote! The owner's daughter finally showed with the keys . . . but not until we had a nice Chinese meal. We went to sleep early.
The next morning we followed the GPS to the little town (pop. 2,100) of Stromness for a walk and some lunch.
We spend most of the rest of the day snooping around in the narrow streets of this 16th century fishing village.
Stromness was extremely photogenic.
Stromness is not a tourist town . . . it is a living, active fishing community.
We had five perfect days of weather on beautiful Orkney . . . a rare occurrence we were told.
The many bays and inlets of Orkney Island offered stunning views.
Many wrecks litter the Orkney coast.
Stunning views everywhere. Not only inlets of the North Sea, but freshwater lakes everywhere.
Orkney is the site of some of the most significant archeological sites in the world. This is the 5000 year old Ring of Brodgar.
Prehistoric archeological monuments and sites abound on Orkney. This is the Ring of Brodgar.
The Standing Stones of Stennes.
Powerful.
Remnants of pre-history litter Orkney.
On the Bay of Skaill, sit of the most complete neolithic human habitation ever found.
Skara Brae, a complete neolithic village left just as it was during a storm 6000 years when it was abandoned. The cookery and utensils were still in place, as was the stone slab furniture . . . like a Flintstones house . . . but the real thing.
A beautiful manor house, Skaill House, near Skara Brae.
Orkney is crisscrossed by ancient stone walls which show the effects of wind and damp weather.
We woke early each day and drove the small country lanes.
I was infatuated with the light and textures of this abandoned Orkney farmstead.
Old Orkney Homestead on a murky day.
Yummie color and textures on this Orkney abandoned farmstead.
One wall of the homestead was still damp from the morning's windblown dew. I can't seem to get enough of these old walls.
Wonderful summer wild flowers beautified the Orkney countryside.
I stopped often to shoot these magnificently aged and weathered Orkney doors and windows.
There was always something interesting and beautiful to see on Orkney Island.
We loved our five days on Orkney, but we returned by ferry to the mainland of Scotland. The tiny roads across the top of Scotland offered fantastic views.
Not far from the John O Groats ferry was the Castle of May. We saw a castle sign on the road and just turned in the drive and discovered it!
The Castle of May had beautiful formal gardens.
I could have stayed all day here photographing flowers . . . but we had to make our B&B.
Beautiful castle along the north coast of Scotland.
The beaches, mountains, and pastoral scenery were breathtaking.
One beautiful bay after another greeted us on our road journey.
We stayed in small village hotels . . . like this one in the little town of Tongue, Scotland.
We stayed the night at the Ben Loyal Hotel in Tongue, Scotland.
Our hotel room in Tongue was clean, cheap, and over the bar.
This part of Scotland has some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen . . . and I have seen a lot of this world.
Many rivers to cross.
The sea views came and went.
A fantastic road to drive.
The trip was made more interesting by historical and geographical information signs. Thanks Scotland.
This is the Coldbeckie Shore referred to in the above sign. The road was one continuous amazing view.
One does not usually associate Scotland with great beaches, but we saw some that would rival the best in the world.
The road would sweep inland past these beautiful lakes (lochs) and then turn back to the sea.
Just as I snapped the previous photo, a motor home with French license plates pulled up close to the guard rail and this guy popped out and snapped a couple of photos and sped off. Gotta love the efficiency of the French tourist!
Ruins of old houses and castles litter the countryside.
Families were out playing on the beach . . . during a very short summer in this part of the world. It rains almost constantly from October to May in this part of Scotland.
Fun scene.
The further west we drove across the top of Scotland, the wetter and more lush the scenery became.
The glens here were moist and green . . . vestiges of ice age glacial valleys.
The northwest coast of Scotland is famous for being wet, dank, and dark. It was . . . as we neared Ullapool town along the Ullapool Loch it started to rain.
It was mid afternoon when we reached the town of Ullapool (founded in 1788 as a fishing community) . . . gateway to the Outer Hebrides ferry services.
A darkened sky covered Ullapool Harbour.
The storm eventually lifted and the Ullapool quay, with its fishing fleet in port, could be seen.
The quaint town of Ullapool lined one side of the quay. We walked around and poked our noses into a few shops.
We bought a model fishing boat here to display in our front window back in Aberdeen (like everybody else does!).
I loved the moody, and ever-changing, light along the Ullapool quay.