8/07/2013

Our Trip 'To the Mainland'


We were on the mainland for a few days. 

(By the way, does the phrase 'on the mainland' sound weird to those of you who are not from some place off the mainland?)

Anyway, weird or not, that's where we were: first in Glasgow and then in the bonny town of Inverness. Yes, I know Inverness is now officially a city, but it feels like a town, and still looks like a town. I'm hoping it always stays that way.

Most of the following photos were taken from a moving car. Even the Builder, patient as he is, has his limits on how many times he will willingly stop and allow me to wander around clicking with the camera.

Inverness-shire is so bonny.


Many parts look green and fertile, but still have that rugged Scottish-ness which (I think) makes the scenery special.









This photo was taken up the hill from Dores, overlooking Loch Ness.






Looking east over Lochan an Eoin Ruadha, on Essich Road



Coming back into Inverness from Essich Road. Towards the right of the photo, you can see the Kessock Bridge.




When we head home from Inverness, we pass through the Dingwall and Beauly areas, which have lovely, rich, fertile farmland. The softness of the hills and the growth on the farmlands are sights to savour. 






But then, as we drove further north and west, towards Ullapool, the terrain takes on a decidedly more raw look.



The hills, the heather and the lochs - all of which look as though they've been untouched since the aftermath of The Flood - all telling me I'm coming closer to home.





Loch Broom, with Ardindrean and other villages sitting peacefully on the other side. The houses nestled into the hillside ought to speak beautiful things to me, but all I ever think of are ... midges!

I think it's because I'm coming close to Ullapool, coming close to the dreaded ferry journey which turns my stomach simply by entering my thoughts that I think negatively, rather than of beautiful things.

I apologize for ending this post with negative thoughts. I ought to have begun with the ferry journey and it would all have been uphill from there. As it is, I've had to bring y'all down with a bump. That three-hour ferry journey .... Bleugh! 



13 comments:

  1. Oh, such beauty! It makes my heart ache a little--in a good way.

    It also makes me remember my brief visit to that part of the world--back in the summer of '05 when we were moving back to the States from Israel. We spent a few days roaming around, giving Jeff a chance to do some genealogical research. I know we weren't exactly where you were, but the lakes and hillsides look so similar to my eye.

    I think the Furness Abbey was my favorite place we visited. Have you been there, by chance?

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    Replies
    1. I haven't been there, Davene. Did Jeff find the info he was looking for? Doing genealogical research is so interesting ...
      A x

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  2. It's all so beautiful! How could you not stop and take photos? I love the way the sky rolls out on top of everything, and so different in each photo, and all the shadow the cloud makes.
    I think the photo with the road in is my favourite, the way everything slopes down to the water.
    However, you're making me feel nervous about when I'll be taking the ferry later this year!!!
    Izzy xx

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    1. Oh, don't be worrying ... some people absolutely *love* the ferry!

      And yes, I love the way the clouds make the photos even more dramatic.

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    2. Oh, and where are you coming from/going to? (if you want to tell!)

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  3. Beautiful! We still haven't had an "official" picture viewing. The girls want to put together a whole show....and we are at the fairgrounds now until Sunday, so it'll not be til next week that they are finished, I imagine.
    I did hear about midgies....glad to have NOT met any as of yet, but from Sarah's account, midgies are a small price to pay for the pleasure of such company as yours!
    Hope your day is grand!

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    1. Oh Keri, how we would LOVE to be there to watch the picture viewing! How I'd love to be a fly on the wall :) :) :)

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  4. Oh, beautiful! Seeing those pictures just makes my day. Thank you for sharing.
    By the way, what are midges?
    -k

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    1. Oh you have NO idea how 'lucky' you are that you don't even know what these little blighters are!
      They are teeny weeny flies that drive. you. nuts. Oh, and they bite - teeny weeny bites that aren't sore, but the flies themselves make you sooooo itchy

      *scratching just talking about them!!

      They come out late summer on still (no wind) days and *especially* evenings. Ooooooh, they are torture!!

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  5. Replies
    1. Thank you, Patrice :)

      Such a pity Amanda wasn't able to come and visit .... maybe one day.
      Ax

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  6. The pictures are so lovely, I could stay here a long time enjoying them. Still, to experience the landscape with all the senses is preferable - even with the midges! When my daughter and I visited in '05 we found that the midges mostly were a problem when we were standing still. So we tried to keep hiking!

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  7. I love seeing all your pictures. They are so beautiful. How long of a trip did you take once you were on the "mainland"? It would be interesting to see Loch Ness... how far is it from where you live? So are midges more like flies or more mosquitos? Well... I guess I have loaded you full of questions... but thanks for sharing your trip with us.
    Love and Blessings,
    Pam

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