shz@piggy.UUCP (Sally Handy-Zarnstorff) (09/09/85)
You should also know about the Tourist Information Centres; there's
a major one at Victoria Station in London, which may have some info on
Scotland; there is more info at the Scottish Tourist Info Centre,
near Trafalger Square. Get the precise address from the
sign posted in the Victoria T.I.C.
For the best local details, see the Info Centres in the individual
towns in areas you want to vist. They are marked on most road maps
with an "i" symbol. They also have B&B listings, and you can have them
book you a night's lodging for you for a small fee.
A few places we enjoyed:
I will second alice!jj's vote for the Trossachs area around Stirling,
Callander, and Aberfoyle. It is beautiful, hilly, wooded country with
many lakes, and has lots of public trails, as well as many historic
attractions. One pretty site is the falls of Leny, by Loch Lubraig.
The remarkable thing about Scotland, especially this area, is that
there are many public-access trails leading to unmarked scenic spots.
Look for trails going off near the highway pullovers (called
"lay-bys"). The rules of the country are: stay on the trail, don't
disturb the sheep, close all gates. Many info centres have more
information on local trails.
If you do decide to stay in the Callander area, I can recommend a B&B:
Proprietors Nic and Coral Frerichs,
Gart House
Callander, Perthshire FK17-8LE
Phone (0877) 31055.
Going northwest from the Trossachs towards the Great Glen area, you
will find moors. Just south of Ballachulish is the Rannoch Moor and
the Three Sisters mountains. Here there are many striking public
access trails.
But even better is Glen Nevis and Ben Nevis (where Glen=valley and
Ben=mountain), a beautiful area just east of Fort William. This was my
favorite spot in the Highlands. Our Baedecker's claims that there is
an incredibly strking view of the area from the top of Ben Nevis on a
clear day: we didn't go to the top (rainy), but the book says: "it's a
2 and 1/2 hour climb if the path from the Achintree Farm is taken."
We just drove through the Glen (very pleasant, low traffic road,
sign-posted in Fort William), found a nice place, and hiked around.
Driving along the Great Glen is also very scenic, and there are many
places to stop. It took us an easy day and 1/2 from Callander to
Inverness, which included three hikes totaling ~6-7 hours, numerous
scenic and snack stops, and a 22 mile detour ("diversion") for
flooding.
There is also a Scotland Fishing Heritage Trail along the coast of
Scotland. We picked up one of their brochures in Inverness about
bird-watching sites. We did our bird-watching in Orkney, so I don't
know about the Inverness area sites, but here they are:
- Culbin Sands, a nature reserve, east along the coast from Inverness.
The brochure says: "access through Kingsteps village." The nearby
town of Nairn has an info centre; see them for more info.
- Lochfleet Preserve, north of Inverness off the A9 between Dornoch and
Golspie. "Car park at Littleferry".
If you do decide to go north, Golspie and Dunrobin are fun; there is a
castle in Dunrobin -- home of the Duke of Sutherland for several
centuries. Still home to the family, and has a ton of memorabilia.
But check out their gardens! The coastal road north is rolling hills
and quite barren of trees. Look (and inquire) for ancient Roman and
other ruins (e.g. 1000-2000 years old). We stopped at several, one
was just north of Brora. Very interesting. It took us about 7 hours
from Inverness to Wick with numerous stops.
On our return south, we drove the more easterly route along A9 from
Inverness through Inverness-shire, including the town of Aviemore, the
River Spey,and the Cairngorm mountains. This is spectacular country,
mountainous and forested, and there are apparently many parks and
trails. We didn't have time to hike around here, but you can get more
info at the Aviemore info centre.
We found the driving easy, but we both concentrated on reminding
each other of the correct side of the road when pulling out of
driveways. Driveways seem to be where one forgets what one is doing.
Also, not to dampen your spirits, but outdoors things will be more
fun if you are prepared to do them in the rain...
Have fun,
--Sally Handy-Zarnstorff
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel NJ
..!ihnp4!link!kermit!shz