Scotland road trip

On my way to and from the Isle of Skye, I stumbled upon many interesting places while road tripping through Scotland. My deep love for epic Albion had prepared me for sights of beauty, but my expectations were greatly exceeded. Scotland is full of treasures, mysteries, incredible history and eerie, romantic legends: Everything I adore. It was very exciting to drive into the unknown and stop whenever there was a sign for a castle or a lovely view overlooking a loch. It was a delightful poetic adventure.

Rosslyn Chapel

Ever heard of it? Probably for the wrong reasons… Yes, it’s the “grail chapel” made famous by the Da Vinci Code. Great beach book, whole lot of rubbish. Nevertheless, Rosslyn Chapel is without a doubt one of the most fascinating and historically important sites in the world, where the facts are just as interesting as the legends that surround it. I first learned about Rosslyn at the Sorbonne when I was studying medieval symbolism and I had been dreaming of traveling there ever since. I have never seen such a masterpiece in all my travels and it was very moving to stand there under its stone ceiling of carved stars and flowers, appreciating all the faith, effort and craftsmanship that went into creating such a remarkable work of art. There is something incredibly powerful and inspiring about Rosslyn Chapel and the grounds around it, as if they were suspended in time. It’s a shame people are more interested with 21^st century fiction than in actual fact and age old legends – which the locals seem to take very seriously (ask them about the black dog of Rosslyn Castle and see them shiver) – but I guess we must be thankful towards Dan Brown after all, because all the visitors his book brought in helped restore the chapel and save it from further damage. If you want to learn more about the real story of Rosslyn, I recommend the book that was recommended to me by the guest shop keeper, Rosslyn and the Grail by Mark Oxbrow and Ian Robertson (the title is flashy but the content is academically interesting yet easy to read).

Rosslyn Chapel was built in 1456 under the orders of William Sinclair, 1^st Earl of Caithness. The original plan to build a cruciform cathedral was abandoned and only the Lady Chapel was constructed. The symbolic imagery that literally covers every inch of the chapel is thrilling to learn about, decipher and speculate upon, and many mysteries still remain. The volunteer guides are very knowledgeable and will be delighted to answer all your questions. The concept of the chapel reminded me greatly of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona because of the presence of nature. It is rather unusual to be in a church and feel like you are in a forest, surrounded by leaves, trees, flowers and green men. I admire the inspiration of the architects who dreamed up such a unique vision and executed it with so much talent. The most moving part of the chapel to me is in the crypt, which was used as a workshop for the stonemasons: on the wall are very clear engineering drawings that the architects sketched out. It’s the little details like that that bring you so much closer to the reality of these people’s lives. It made me feel like I knew them, it was very special. I left Rosslyn with a feeling of peace and illumination that has stayed with me ever since.

Kilchurn Castle

Located at the northeastern end of Loch Awe, there stands a very picturesque ruin that used to be the home of the Campbell Clan. It is one of the many castles in Scotland that are free of charge and that you can explore at your leisure. It was built in the mid-15th century by Sir Colin Campbell on what used to be a small island. It was abandoned in 1760 after it was struck by lightening and suffered severe damage. The view from the top of Kilchurn Castle is absolutely breathtaking with the serene lake at its foot and the towering Cruachan Mountains in the distance. The different colors and textures of the nature are superb (the presentation photo at the top of the blog post was taken at Kilchurn). Discovering such a beautiful site while wandering through the marshlands with no one around but the sound of birds is truly the epitome of romanticism. I could easily imagine myself in a Gothic novel, a rebellious and curious heroine riding in search of the ghost of some dashing dark-eyed knight.

Oban

As an official “Friend of the Classic Malts”, the Oban Distillery was definitely on my checklist (if you register online you can visit the main Scottish distilleries for free). Had I known that the town of Oban was so pretty I would have planned on spending at least a whole day there. It is located by the Firth of Lorn, opposite the island of Kerrera and started attracting visitors after Sir Walter Scott published his poem The Lord of the Isles in 1814. The Oban Distillery was founded in 1794 and is one of the smallest in Scotland, with only two pot stills. After visiting Talisker, I expected to know everything already and was very surprised by how different the process and the smells were. The flavors of peach and honey in the distillery were beautifully intoxicating and made me appreciate this underrated scotch much more. After my educational and inspiring visit, Oban 14 has actually become one of my favorites whiskeys: it is smooth and fruity with just the right amount of smoke and hints of orange rind, figs and salted caramel. The color is a spectacular deep honey gold. Perfect for a soothing drink by the fire on a quiet evening.

Dunstaffnage Castle

Three miles away from Oban, on the banks of Loch Etive and surrounded by wild and mysterious woods, stands the very awe-inspiring Dunstaffnage Castle. Built in the 13^th century by the MacDougall Clan, it is one of the oldest stone castles in Scotland. Before the construction of Dunstaffnage, it was the site of a Gaelic stronghold dating back to the 7^th century and legend has it that it was once home to the Stone of Destiny, a ritual artifact used for the coronation of monarchs up until Elizabeth II, in 1953. When the MacDougall Clan was defeated by Robert The Bruce in the early 14^th century, the castle became Crown property and was appointed to the Campbell Clan. A few steps from the castle, lost and forgotten among the tall whispering trees, lie the ruins of a 13^th century chapel with a few old graves. The feeling I got from this place was unsettling, to say the least, and filled me with an immense sense of sorrow. Maybe the Ell-Maid ghost was looking over my shoulder.

Tea at Inveraray Castle

We stopped for a light lunch at the Inveraray Castle tearoom. It is a fairytale castle built between the 18^th and 19^th centuries for the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Campbell Clan. Its claim to pop fame comes from the castle being one of the sets for the hit TV series Downton Abbey. The tearoom is run by the Duchess herself and offers an exclusively locally sourced menu showcasing some of Scotland’s best products. I had a delightful cheddar and red onion sandwich and discovered the delicious Arran Dairies ice cream, which is really to die for. I then took a stroll through the beautiful gardens, picking up flowers that had fallen from the bushes and admiring the sweet little lambs frolicking in the pasture next to the castle. I could get used to this.

Loch Lomond

There was no way I would leave Scotland without stopping on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond for a moment of fairy meditation. I must have a lucky star shining above me, because every time I go to one of my dream places I am never let down, even though I build it up in my head like a crazy person. My obsession with Loch Lomond comes from the famous folk song “The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond” with its mysterious lyrics: is it about the Jacobite uprising and the decapitated heads of the executed rebels? or is it about the underground otherworld and its fairies escorting the souls of dead Scots back to their homeland? I don’t suppose we shall ever know… The banks of the enchanting blue loch do seem like they belong in a song or a magical landscape from a picture book. Having a suspended and complentative moment breathing in its pristine rustling air was very special to my heart. I have taken home with me a happy place that I can access by simply closing my eyes and murmuring the song on the tip of my lips.

Hadrian’s Wall …or not

This road trip did not end as glamorously as I had intended and resulted in a very silly adventure. While departing Scotland and driving towards Carlisle, I was set on catching a glimpse of Hadrian’s Wall, which main purpose was to keep out the Pictish tribes of ancient Alba, the natives of what is now Scottish territory. I was foolishly counting on a sign showing up on the way to Carlisle or some locals who would know in which direction to point me. Boy, was I wrong. There was nothing. Zilch. After asking many people, who seemed to just make fun of me, I was sent on what appeared to be the right track and came to a sign that said “Hadrian’s Wall path”. That sounded good enough and we drove our car on the path, that was very muddy from all the rain. After a while, with no wall in sight, we noticed that this path was not at all intended for driving and was getting narrower by the second and we could not turn the car around because of the mud. We kept on until we got to a great field. That’s when I got an impromptu call from Mother Nature and decided to answer it behind a tree. As I was doing so, a herd of cows suddenly started fiercely charging towards me and I had to take refuge in said tree. I am not usually afraid of cows (I grew up in Switzerland), but these looked pretty aggressive… probably drank too much whiskey. I stayed up there for a while as my boyfriend tried to shoo them away unconvincingly. By the time I could get back down, it was almost nighttime and there was no signal… so of course that’s when our car got stuck in the mire. I thought we were going to have to spend the night in the car with mad cows staring at us. After an hour of foul hard work, we finally got the car out and drove away, covered in muck from head to toe. A perfect ending to a perfect road trip? It ain’t no fun if nothing stupid happens.

Conclusion

So much to see, so much to see! I feel like I just got a tiny glimpse of all Scotland has to offer. It’s extremely frustrating. Scotland is full of beauty, adventure and surprises, it’s truly the perfect road trip land because it’s hard to go wrong with anything (except Roman walls apparently, or maybe I am just uniquely talented for misadventures) and there are things to discover everywhere you look. I did not expect to fall madly in love with Scotland, but it was so much better than I had anticipated. All I can think of now is going back and exploring more castles and unearthing more legends.

Skye: There can be only one

Honestly, I would not have picked the Isle of Skye as my first choice destination and it turned out to be one of the most deliriously gorgeous places I have ever been to. There is nothing more exhilarating that being surprised like that and this trip turned out to be my favorite so far. Skye is simply magical: nowhere have I seen so many colors, textures and geographic variations all gathered in one place. There is something delightfully wild about this island that conjures images of obscure legends, unknown fairy-creatures and ruggedly handsome clansmen. It seems like the ends of the Earth, a rock in the sea exposed to all the whims of the elements, beautiful and eternal. Skye does not belong to man… it lets us trespass into its misty land with a promise of illumination for the pure of heart.

Talisker

I will not lie, the catalyst for this trip to Scotland was my growing passion for single malt Scotch whiskey. My favorite is Talisker, for its sophisticated smokey flavor, and I am in good company because it was also Robert Louis Stevenson’s beverage of choice. The distillery is located in Carbost, a very small village in the Highlands near the beautiful Loch Harport. I arrived under the rain, which happened to stir up all the lovely smells of the water and earth around me, giving me a special taste of the nature Talisker is drawn from. The visit of the distillery is fun and educational, I learned a lot and it did improve my understanding and appreciation of whiskey in general. My advice is to sign up online for the “Friends of the Classic Malts” passport that lets you visit many distilleries for free with nice little gifts at each spot. After exploring the Talisker distillery, I went to grab a bite at what seems like the only place nearby, the Old Inn. What a surprise! I had one of the best meals of my life. All the food they serve is locally sourced and their bread is fluffy, delicious and homemade. I had their incredible smoked salmon, the largest mussels I’ve ever seen in a delicious cream sauce and jumbo shrimp from the neighboring lochs, accompanied with some of the local ale. I had no idea  Scottish cuisine was so delightful.

Dunvegan Castle

So, what happened is that I did not prepare this trip with the usual amount of OCD research… we decided to just wing it, true road trip style. Sometimes it’s nice to let things unfold on their own: you eventually end up in the right places. We were driving for a while, under the rain, admiring the scenery, when we see a sign indicating Dunvegan Castle nearby. A castle? Of course, always! We walk through the wild garden up to the imposing castle gate, where we are greeted by a sweet old lady who says “welcome to the home of the MacLeod clan chief” …are you kidding me?! Did we really just happen to stumble upon the MacLeod Castle?! “Highlander” is one of my favorite movies from my childhood. When other girls were busy playing with dolls, I was fighting alone in the woods with an imaginary sword and humming “who wants to live forever”. I had never known the movie was inspired by real people and now I was strolling through the home of the clan chief. Life is good to me. This was epic.

Even for people who aren’t geeky fans of heroic fantasy films, it’s absolutely worth visiting this highly interesting castle: the MacLeods used to be the most powerful family on the island and their lives are intricately entwined with the history and legends of Skye. My favorite artifact – the most intriguing one – is the Fairy Flag. The MacLeods have a very uncanny relationship with the Otherworld and their most prized possession is that tattered piece of cloth which, legend says, was given many years ago to a clan chief by his fairy lover. It has been the clan’s talisman ever since and was used as such for the last time during World War II. Needless to say, they take it very seriously. Scientific examination suggests that it dates as far back as the 4th century and may have been brought back from the Middle East during the Crusades. When this was explained to the clan chief at the beginning of the 20th century, he just stated “no, my ancestor got it from the fairies” to which the historian simply responded “oh, I am terribly sorry, I must surely be mistaken then”. Sir Walter Scott was a great admirer of the Fairy Flag and stayed many times at Dunvegan Castle, to gather inspiration from its legends and the nature around it. Some of his letters to the clan chief are exposed at the castle, one of which speaks of a “lake of terror”, which was music to my ears. When I asked the old lady working there if she knew what that was, she said “yes: exaggeration”. With a big smile and in finest Scottish accent.

The Fairy Bridge

Three miles away from Dunvegan Castle, on the side of the road to Portree, lies the Fairy Bridge of the MacLeod legend, a site illusive to the innattentive traveler. In Gaelic it is called Beul-Ath nan Tri Allt (The Ford of the Three Burns). This is where the clan chief said farewell to his fairy bride for the last time before she vanished into Fairyland, giving him the Fairy Flag as a parting gift (according to some versions of the story). This place made me feel very strange, especially under the violent weather. I strongly believe legends and sacred sites do not stem out of thin air, they are older and run deeper than our modern rationalized society lets us think. The Fairy Bridge is not a welcoming place, it is a bridge between worlds, between our human perception and the realm of Faerie. There was a tormented atmosphere surrounding the place, everything felt alive and inhabited, the wind lifted nature’s whispers into a whirl around me, sniffing me out, testing my fairy potential. The fairies of these legends are not the playful winged creatures of Victorian fancy, they are the avatars of the faded gods of yore, passionate, beguiling, mysterious and dangerous at times, for they are above the very human concept of good and evil. The Fairy Bridge is one of those special places where the rift in our world can be experienced and our mystic links to the Otherworld tamed and rekindled.

The Fairy Pools

The Isle of Skye could easily be a mythical land found in one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s poems, so many sites are straight out of a painting and deeply connected to legends and folklore, mostly about magical and otherworldly creatures. The Fairy Pools are no exception. Located near Glenbrittle, this hiking trail is perfect for admiring the Cuillin, the largest mountains on the island. From the car park, follow the Allt Coir a Mhadaidh, a stream that will take you to a series of small waterfalls called the Fairy Pools, where the bluest, most enchanting waters run gaily, rippling with fairy laughter. Towering in front of you is the cleft peak of Sgurr an Fheadain, pictured below against the iconic Scottish mist. Hiking through the valley was quite an adventure under the rain and into the mud: the small streams became torrential rivers and crossing them meant perilously jumping from rock to rock. I would love to come back in the summer, to be able to wander more pleasantly and perhaps swim in the inviting azure ponds. Nevertheless, the landscape is breathtaking in any season, with a patchwork of  unexpected colors and mountaintops alive with legends of a thousand years.

Eilean Donan

After less than three days, it was time to say good-bye to Skye, with a heavy heart eager to return. Right after the bridge that brings you back to the main land, there is a stunning and imposing 13th century castle that bears the beautiful name of Eilean Donan. Located on a small tidal island at the converging point of three lochs, this incredibly picturesque castle used to be the stronghold of the Mackenzie Clan but is probably more famous for being the home of the MacLeod Clan in the movie Highlander. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scotland, but I must be lucky because when I arrived (under the rain again) there was no one, and I was free to roam the castle grounds as I pleased, lost in my melancholy reverie. The view over the three lochs with Skye in the distance is absolutely magical… it made the parting sorrow much sweeter and offered me an inspiring last glance at my beautiful misty isle.

Conclusion

What a journey! A very unexpected love at first sight. I think the month of May is a very special time to visit the Isle of Skye because, even though it is supposed to be the “dry” season and it was almost constantly raining, there was something marvelous about experiencing the rebirth of Spring in a land so close to its natural and legendary roots. May is also the month of baby sheep and the island basically becomes covered in them, everywhere you look there are cute balls of fluff on four legs prancing about, which is as good as it gets in my opinion. I had the most magical and galvanizing time on peaceful and tempestuous Skye, the one and only misty island in my heart, my very own Avalon. I sometimes wonder if it was all just a fata morgana in the cloudy distance and if what I experienced was just the result of a fairy-induced dream. I will have to go back and check, very soon, just to be sure.