The Highlands in December Part 2
5-day photo road trip in the Highlands in Scotland
Day 4
Our day begins at the blue hour, at a turn in the road, by a pontoon lit and swept by strong winds. This ferry dock, deserted that morning, connects the city of Sconser to that of Raasay.
On the road along the coast, we retrace our steps to stop at the Eas a' Bhradain falls. The weather conditions this morning are terrible. The gusts reach 90 to 100 km/h and the rain whips our faces. Stabilizing ourselves to take photos is a challenge!
We then head back to Portree, the main town on the Isle of Skye, and its colorful house alignments. We have just enough time to take a few pictures before the rain catches up with us. We wait 45 minutes in the car under a deluge hoping for a lull, but in vain, nature offers us no respite.
Too bad… this place was worth staying, we couldn't wait to find out what was behind this typically Scottish menu! We'll come back...
We cross the mountain to reach the Fairy Pools site on the other side of the island. The road is narrow and it is not possible to pass another vehicle outside the "passing places", which are set up every 300 metres to allow people to pass each other.
The Fairy Pools site is a valley through which flows a river with many waterfalls and natural pools along the path. It's about a 2-hour walk, which we did that day in the rain on a muddy path with water pouring down from all sides...
This unspoilt wilderness has to be earned!
Great! We came back totally soaked but happy.
The day ends on this aquatic hike, water was definitely the common thread of this day!
Day 5
On the morning of the fifth day, we were due to leave the Isle of Skye and take the ferry from Armadale to Malaig. Unfortunately, the crossing was cancelled, forcing us to make the journey by road, a diversion of more than two hours at night on roads, in some places, submerged by torrential rains.
Our first destination this morning is the Glenfinnan viaduct, made famous by the images of the 'Hogwarts Express' passing over the bridge in the Harry Potter saga. The site has since become a major tourist attraction, as evidenced by the large numbers of tourist coaches, even at this time of year...
We drive west, past Fort William, towards Glencoe National Nature Reserve. We take the opportunity to stop and immortalise the famous Scottish cows: the Highland cows, easily recognisable by their long horns and long coats.
We make our way through the nature reserve to a waterfall called 'The Meeting of Three Waters', then on to the viewpoint of the 'Three Sisters', magnificent mountains adorned in mist and with numerous streams tumbling down their slopes.
We continue up the road to the isolated Lagagarbh Cottage at the foot of a mountain and a river. Originally, this house, more commonly known as 'Lagagarbh hut', was a small farm. It has since become the property of the National Trust of Scotland and since 1946 has been run by the Scottish Alpine Club, whose members can rent one of the 20 beds in the dormitories. A change of scenery guaranteed!
On the way back we stop to take our last photos of the 'Lairig Eilde cairn' and its small stone bridge visible on the slope, as well as the small waterfall upstream lined with a low drystone wall. This is just another of the countless streams that flow down the slopes of these mountains.
Our photo road trip comes to an end with these final landscapes...
The harsh weather conditions, which are to be expected at this time of year, didn't stop us enjoying ourselves immensely during these 5 days in the Highlands. The landscapes were grandiose and majestic, the nature wild and the air invigorating! Fabulous!
The photos reflect the atmosphere and the winter lights in the Highlands in December.