The story goes that great great grandpa Saunders emigrated from Scotland with the 1820 Settlers as an eligible bachelor.
It wasn’t a wee Scottish lassie that caught his eye though; this dapper Scottish lad married a fraaien Kaaps-Hollandse meisje. Neither could speak the other’s language, so it must have been love at first sight, and here I am living proof that this union indeed lasted.
So it comes as no surprise that I get goose-bumps each time I hear the shrill wailing sound of the Scottish Bagpipes, and that one of my all-time favourite movies is Braveheart, the true story of William Wallace.
I think you know by now where I'll be heading for the Pinmapple "If I had $1000 Contest"?
Road Tripping the Magnificent Scottish Highlands
Duncansby Head
Image by M W from Pixabay
Careful Route Planning was used for my "If I had $1000 Contest" trip, and this is where Granny Google's Maps and TripAdvisor came in real handy.
Google Map Directions tells me this will take 6hr 33 min non-stop, but I plan on having quite a number of overnight stops along the way; wanting to see, smell and touch the earth where my ancestors once lived.
INVERNESS
Image by Bill Kasman from Pixabay
The first leg of my journey will be a sponsored flight from South Africa to the beautiful garden city of Inverness on the North-East coast where the River Ness flows into the Moray Firth; dolphins are often spotted swimming through these waters.
It will take careful planning to stretch the $1000 for my intended travels, but it can be done; I will beg and borrow till I'm blue in the face for that initial flight from my home country ;)
I will spend a day or two exploring the historic city of Inverness, the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands.
There will be plenty of fascinating history to take in; from the 19th-century Inverness Cathedral also known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew; the Inverness Castle overlooking the River Ness which was originally built as a prison; a Museum and Art Gallery that traces local history and an indoor Victorian food and craft Market which sounds like a good place to get a taste of real Scottish fare.
SLOW JACOBITE BOAT RIDE ON THE CALEDONIAN CANAL
Image by Graham Lowe from Pixabay
Next on the itinerary will be a slow boat ride on the Jacobite, cruising the Caledonian Canal from Dochgarroch Lock to Loch Ness, where I will have the opportunity to hop off and see the striking ruins of the once magnificent Urquhart Castle with gorgeous views of Loch Ness.
This 60km canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach and what makes it really unique, is that only a third of the canal is man-made, the rest is formed by Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy, all located in the Great Glen which is on a geological fault in the Earth's crust.
Who knows, I may just spot Nessie the Loch Ness monster when we cross the misty waters of Loch Ness?
LOCH NESS
Image by Graham Lowe from Pixabay
Besides possibly getting a glimpse of the friendly monster Nessie, there is much else to see in Loch Ness; from the castle to stunning countryside and wildlife as well.
URQUHART CASTLE
Image by Chorengel from Pixabay
One can just imagine how impressive the Urquhart Castle must have been in its heyday, plus it sits on the perfect location!
The castle that is now in ruins, is steeped in history and still looks striking sitting on a rocky promontory overlooking the mysterious and iconic Loch Ness and scenic countryside.
This medieval fortress formed the frontier of many clan wars and changed hands several times during the Wars of Independence until 1308 when Robert the Bruce claimed it back for Scotland; but came to its final demise during the seventeenth century when British forces blew it up so that it could not be used as a stronghold by the Jacobite rebels.
Were any of my ancestors involved in any of these battles, I wonder?
Climbing up the Grant Tower rewards one with a wonderful view of Loch Ness, Scotland’s second largest and deepest loch.
EILEAN DONAN CASTLE
Image by Steen Jepsen from Pixabay
To see the Scottish Highlands right and proper, I will hire a Camper Van which will help with my budget as it will provide accommodation at the same time.
Wild camping is perfectly legal in Scotland, but there are many parks along the way.
I will see much more of the Scottish Highlands traveling like this, and will take the scenic route to Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most beautiful castles in Scotland.
This castle sits on an island where three great lochs converge; Loch Alsh, Loch Duich and Loch Long; creating a truly magical scene.
Eilean Donan originally was used as a religious retreat before being used by local lairds to protect their lands from the Vikings.
I wonder what it looked like in it glory days and also wonder about the people who lived there; life was lived at a much slower pace, but history tells us there were many battles fought here as well.
In an attempt to quell the Jacobite rising, British troops bombarded the castle. The rebel forces had the support of over 300 Spanish troops but after three days of blasting, the Spaniards surrendered. The Royal Navy destroyed Eilean Donan by lighting the 343 barrels of gunpowder hoarded inside.
The ghost of a Spanish soldier has been seen in the rooms of the castle, believed to be a soldier killed in a battle at the castle!
Restoration of Eilean Donan to her former glory began in 1911 by a new owner, Major John Macrae-Gilstrap. An arched bridge was constructed across the loch, making access easier as it previously was only accessible by boat, and Eilean Donan Castle reopened her doors to visitors in 1932.
Image by misterfarmer from Pixabay
TORRIDON HILLS
Image by Olle August from Pixabay
Torridon Hills will be my next stopover for the night - definitely was not camping anywhere near Eilean Donan in case I bump into the Spanish soldier;)
The wilderness around Torridon is classified as a Bortle 1 or 2 location meaning this is amongst the darkest locations on earth therefore amazing views of the Milky Way and the stars are possible.
If I manage to stretch my budget by saving on accommodation and meals, I would love to book a stargazing experience at The Torridon with an astronomer as a guide; otherwise I would have to be satisfied with my own stargazing experience, hopefully see a falling star so I could make a wish upon a star!!
Image by Olle August from Pixabay
DUNCANSBY HEAD
Image by Greg Montani from Pixabay
The final leg of my trip will be a very long but stunning drive through the Scottish Highlands, ending on the rugged Scottish east coast all the way up to John O'Groats and Duncansby Head, Caithness in the north.
This area has magnificent scenery so it’s no wonder that it has been the location for movies and television shows, one of them the popular TV series Outlander.
Duncansby Head is the most North-Easterly point of both the mainland of Scotland and the island of Great Britain; it is slightly North-East of John O’ Groats, with many rock formations and small islands dotting the North Sea. This all provides sensational scenery, with the best views seen from the Duncansby Lighthouse.
Image by Dave Durie from Flickr
Image by James Stringer from Flickr
My amazing journey to the Scottish Highlands will end at this magical place as I will certainly have broken the budget by now, but will be richer having walked this wondrous land of my ancestors.
Scottish Piper at Dunnottar Castle
Image by Floyd from Flickr
A Scottish Hiver who is quite the adventurer, @natubat; kept coming to mind as she would have been the best person to ask about the very best spots in the Scottish Highlands but @natubat mostly pinned blogs of her mountain climbing; I'm certainly no mountaineer being on the wrong side of the big six 0!
I had lost contact with this brave mountaineer and was so happy to see her post A prickly adventure in the Campsies pinned on Pinmapple, a Moorland walk near Glasgow.
I was looking at traveling part of this route starting at Edinburgh up to Inverness, but the call of the western Highlands was stronger, so who knows, maybe that's where my ancestors are from?
Take a peek at @natubat's own Personal Profile Map on Pinmapple and see the stunning walks and mountain climbing this lady has done in her beloved Scotland.
@natubat's Personal Profile Map
History & Travel resources:
- https://www.visitinvernesslochness.com/explore-the-scottish-highlands/
- https://www.scottscastles.com/blog/urquhart-castle/
- https://highlands2hammocks.co.uk/
- Google Maps Route
- https://tripadvisor.com
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