Scotland finished

So there you have it ladies and gents. That's our Scotland holiday officially over. And what a holiday it was. I've seen plenty of Scotland's scenic beauty and can tick off one of the things I've always wanted to do, climb a mountain. :) My next holiday blog will probably be from Center Parcs in Whinfell in November. So, speak to you all then. :)

Loch Ness / Urquhart Castle

On our last day, we headed to one of the most famous places in Scotland, Loch Ness. We started off in Fort Augustus, doing a little shop browsing. Photos are below.

Then we headed to Urquhart Castle. Photos are below.

And from Urquhart Castle, there were some incredible views of the loch itself. 

And before anyone asks, no I did not see Nessie, though it would have been nice. :)

Kinloch Laggan Beach / Spean Bridge

So Thursday we headed to Kinloch Laggan beach to spend a few hours taking photos are sunbathing in the non existent sun seen as it disappeared into the clouds pretty much as we got there. :( Here are some of the photos we took.

After the beach we headed round to Spean Bridge and took a look in a few of the shops.

Dalwhinnie

So today we visited the Dalwhinnie distillery. Have to say I was quite impressed at much work actually goes into making whiskey. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take any photos as cameras were prohibited but the tour of the distillery was fun and we got a taster at the end. :) Then we headed to a town called Stirling and went round a few shops. We also saw the Wallace Monument, which being an idiot, I forgot to take a photo of. So here's one I borrowed from Wikipedia. :)





In the way home we also stopped at Laggan Dam of which I did take some photos. These are below.

Ben Nevis!!!!

Well I'm sorry that this post was so late but I've been recovering from yesterday's activity. So we did it. We climbed Ben Nevis and survived. I have to say it was quite an ordeal, not the easiest thing I've done this year. 1344 metres doesn't sound a lot to climb, but then you've got to remember that that is the height of the mountain, not how far you're travelling. In actual fact, you're travelling about five miles on foot to the top and then five miles back down. We started climbing at about 11:10am and arrived at the summit at around 3:30pm. We then took off down the mountain at around 4pm and finally got to the bottom about 7pm. My legs are killing me right now but it was worth the effort I think and it's one thing I can tick off my list of things to do. :) Photos are below.

Glen Nevis

So our first official holiday day in Scotland saw us travelling to Glen Nevis via a 1.5 mile hike. It was quite an enjoyable hike through a forest and alongside a river. The view at the end of the hike was well worth it. Tomorrow we climb Ben Nevis. Stay tuned for pictures from the summit. :)

Finally arrived!!!

So after a 10 hour drive, including stops for fuel and a stop at a shopping centre, we've finally arrived at our cottage in Fort William. Yea!!! Now we can relax and plan out the rest of our week, which will include climbing Ben Nevis, seeing Loch Ness and visiting a few whiskey distilleries. Photos will follow soon. :)

6 hour journey

And so begins our six hour journey to Fort William. Headphones, check. IPod, check. I'm all set. :) The next time you hear from me I should be in Fort William. Stay tuned. :)

3 Weeks to Go

So, it's 3 weeks on Sunday till I spend 6 hours in a car en route to Fort William in Scotland. I think I've pretty much got everything I'm gonna need:-

• Kindle - check
• iPod - check
• Walking boots - check
• Appetite for whiskey tasting - double check

I have to say I'm really looking forward to this holiday, not just because I've never been that far up north, but because I'm planning on climbing Ben Nevis, the biggest peak in the British Isles. When compared to other mountains in the world, Ben Nevis is a foothill at best I think, but to climb it will be an achievement so I'm looking forward to it.