The Wonders of Scotland

[Elgarian Redux]

And you might say that when you've seen Suilven once, you don't need to see it again. Oh no, you couldn't be more wrong.

[Iota]

Great thread! I would like to visit northern Scottland and eat fried fish. Any nice Haddock or cod? Good river fish as well?

If you get there, I'd highly recommend a visit to the Gille Brighde Restaurant, where not only is the food superb and the atmosphere incredibly friendly, the setting on Loch Torridon is gorgeous, looking out over Loch Torridon after the meal was very special. It's off the beaten track and takes a bit of getting to through winding roads and spectacular scenery, but it always seems to be full because of its reputation and is well worth it.

https://www.gille-brighde.com/

(Actually Beinn Eighe, mentioned by Luke in the Elgar Hillside thread, is not far behind the restaurant as you see it on the website homepage, but out of sight in that pic .)

[Iota]

Oddly enough, despite the prevalence of mountains, it's great country to visit with a bike.

Lightweights that we were, we hired electric bikes, but yes fantastic.

[Elgarian Redux]

Lightweights that we were, we hired electric bikes, but yes fantastic.

Electric bikes count!

[Luke]

The Seaforth restaurant in Ullapool is a good place to go. Excellent haddock/cod and chips is available (but don't neglect the haggis), as I recall, eaten in a slightly rough, Scandinavian atmosphere that seems appropriate to a place close to the Northern Edge of The World.

My favourite meal out ever was in Staffin, north Skye, in an echoey hall that doubled as a community/sports centre during the day; the walls were lined with posters for village events and a display of local knitwear. It was just my wife and I; the couple of warm, welcoming old ladies serving us some very simple food were the only other people there. The night closed in, and the huge windows facing northwards towards the tip of the island went deep blue, then black, and a nip of Talisker rounded the night out. We went home the next day.

[Luke]

And you might say that when you've seen Suilven once, you don't need to see it again. Oh no, you couldn't be more wrong.

Indeed. We should really have a Suilven thread to itself, to be honest  That's a lovely photo.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

As someone of Scottish descent, it's a beautiful thing to witness the land of my ancestors:

[Luke]

Elemental indeed. There's a road out of Lochinver that winds its way northward to Drumbeg and beyond, which is narrow, steep, and very twisty. The first time I ever drove along it we reached a point where I was so scared that I simply had to stop and take stock of what we were attempting. Ahead of us, for as far as we could see, ranged mountain after mountain, bare rock, unrelieved by trees, greenery of any kind, and with no visible trace of man. Primeval stuff (these rocks are the oldest in Britain).

I've since driven along that road several times and in fact it's perfectly alright. But that first time was terrifying.

The pitted cnoc-and-lochan landscape of Assynt is unique. The starkest beauty.

[Mandryka]

It's always bloody raining. And the midges are dreadful. And don't get me started on bagpipes.

That being said, I like The Edinburgh Festival. There's a good fast rail link back to Kings Cross.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

To be more specific, one of my family names is McLellan, which is a name associated with a clan that hailed from what would be Dumfries and Galloway today.

Here are some rather alluring images from this area of Scotland:

[Luke]

As someone of Scottish descent, it's a beautiful thing to witness the land of my ancestors:

The ultimate drive might be the one up the Bealach na Ba on Applecross, opposite Skye. It's a high, steep and very twisty drive, the only public road I know with a sign warning that only accomplished drivers should attempt it. It has a famous viewpoint, but on the day I drove up it you could see nothing.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

The ultimate drive might be the one up the Bealach na Ba on Applecross, opposite Skye. It's a high, steep and very twisty drive, the only public road I know with a sign warning that only accomplished drivers should attempt it. It has a famous viewpoint, but on the day I drove up it you could see nothing.

I imagine that would be a rather dangerous drive. The first image is rather lovely, but also haunting.

[Mandryka]

Great thread! I would like to visit northern Scottland and eat fried fish. Any nice Haddock or cod? Good river fish as well?

If you go you could always catch a wild haggis to eat

[Luke]

Going to Skye in 2016 was very special indeed. I had written a novel set on the island - a terribly long and diffuse one which makes me ashamed these days, but it had thoroughly absorbed me and obsessed me, so that I felt I knew every inch of the place and yearned to go there. During the same period my wife had gone through cancer. It was an intense time. When her treatment was finished we went up to Skye, and it was wonderful. Some pictures...

1) On arrival we went for a walk round a lonely, empty quarter. I love this photo of my wife, after her ordeal, looking into the future.

2) Beinn na Caillich, reflected in Loch Cill Chriosd

3, 4) Classic views of the Quiraing.

[Luke]

I imagine that would be a rather dangerous drive. The first image is rather lovely, but also haunting.

It was a bit nervewracking, to tell the truth! But we got up and down OK. I took a photo of my trusty car/hotel to celebrate...

[Le Buisson Ardent]

You take gorgeous photographs @Luke. Also, I'm glad your wife recovered and is able to enjoy her life. With those views, it's bound to make anyone feel better!

[Luke]

As someone of Scottish descent, it's a beautiful thing to witness the land of my ancestors:

That road is indeed amazing. You see the darkness of Glencoe waiting for you at the end of the road, ready to swallow you up, the pyramid of Buchaille Etive Mor standing sentinel at the entrance. You sweep along towards it, the bleakness of Rannoch Moor to your right, and a kind of awe/terror/excitement overwhelms you as you enter the glen...

[Luke]

You take gorgeous photographs @Luke. Also, I'm glad your wife recovered and is able to enjoy her life. With those views, it's bound to make anyone feel better!

Thank you so much, that's kind of you. To tell the truth, she recovered from the cancer but is currently suffering from something as bad, in its own way - the sudden onset of a neurological condition that has left her unable to move from the bed for almost a year now. Poor thing, she has gone through some unimaginably horrible times. She is very brave.

[Luke]

I'll post some photos of my most recent trip later tonight if anyone wants. That's the one I made for my book, so there are photos of music-related places to go alongside the mountain erotica.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

Thank you so much, that's kind of you. To tell the truth, she recovered from the cancer but is currently suffering from something as bad, in its own way - the sudden onset of a neurological condition that has left her unable to move from the bed for almost a year now. Poor thing, she has gone through some unimaginably horrible times. She is very brave.

Damn...I don't know what to say, but I hope she makes a full recovery. It seems such horrible things happen to such good people. So sorry to hear about all of this.