James Bond, Agatha Christie and The Highland Girl

     The Cullin Hills and Ben Nevis mountain, long valleys and rolling

  landscapes characterize the highlands as it falls toward Glencoe.

   Portions of the James Bond Skyfall were filmed here.

    Loch Leven borders much of the view as you transverse this splendid area of the highlands. 

   Just over the bridge in Broadfort stands what could be the setting for an Agatha Christie novel. The proud Ballaculish Hotel has offered hospitality since 1877, and that time is captured here.

   Imagine a scene on the squeaky stair case.

   The resplendent parlor evokes an earlier era. I found bound editions of Town and Country from 1911 on the grand piano. 

    Night descending on Loch Linhe enables one to imagine how guests might be ensnared in a Christie plot.

 The Ballaculish straddles an area between Loch Linhe and Loch Levan.

   The Glencoe area of the highlands is rich in lochs, including the special Lomond, the largest fresh water lake in the UK.

   3 miles long, 1-4 miles wide, with 52 miles of coastline. It reaches depths beyond 623 feet. 

  23 Islands stand in Loch Lomond.  It was a strong hold of the McFarland clan. 

   A great creative effort occurred here. William Wordsworth a poet and founder of the Romantic Age in English literature penned To A Highland Girl while staying at this hotel on Loch Lomond.
   The waterfall was memorialized in the 1807 poem.

"...this fall of water that doth make
a murmur near the silent lake;

    From the Highlands back to the Lowlands. Destination Glasgow.

    See you down the trail.

OVER THE SEA TO SKYE

  A bridge takes you from the beauty of the Scottish Highlands over Loch Alsh to the almost fairy tale world of the Isle of Skye.

      The Portree waterfront bay on the Sound of Rassay is evidence of a special charm

   while the beauty of nature is irresistible.  Skye, the largest of the Inner Hebrides, is 52 miles long and between 5-15 miles wide. It embraces rivers and lochs (lakes) like Loch Leathan below.

    A magnificent stretch is the Totternish peninsula. A star in this area is The Old Man of Storr.

  The Old Man and the other pinnacles are the result of what is called landslip.

   The Vikings ruled the Isle of Skye for some 500 years until they were defeated by the Scots at the Battle of Largs in 1263.

  Portree, Port Righ in Scottish Gaelic, is Skye's capitol and largest town with around 5 thousand. 

    The name stems from a visit by King James V in 1540. Many Scots sailed from Port Righ/Portree to escape  poverty in the 1700's and again in the 1840's during the famine. 

  It has become a tourist destination and hosts music and film festivals. 

   Skye is a land of abundant water and beauty.

   The Mealt waterfall is near what is called Kilt Rock, because of its resemblance. On windy days, the flow never reaches the Sound of Rassay because it is blown away.

   Though my loving mate has asked that I desist in such thoughts and likewise the encouraging of my daughters to consider it, I could indeed consider this area of Scotland as a place to emigrate if the 2020 election were to go a particular way. Yes, it has abundant water, natural energy and beauty but the fiercely independent spirit, power to the people, intellect and progressive thought are appealing. Some deep place in the DNA just seems to resonate. 

   Coming up, the story behind the Highland Maiden and to a place where Agatha Christie could have lurked.

    See you down the trail.

    

WET AND PRISTINE

  Architecture and nature make enjoying the scenery and photography a natural response in the northwestern Scottish Highlands.  

  Sir John Square in Thurso, a gift from Sir Tollemache Sinclair in 1879.  The church is St. Peter's and St. Andrews. The first sermon was preached there in 1833.

  The idea of the moors thrilled me as a young reader or mystery fan. 

   They are places of natural beauty and power.

   Ullapool rests on the shores of Loch Broom that feeds from the Atlantic. 

   An inviting spot is the Seaforth.

  A gathering spot for locals and those of us just passing through. We enjoyed the Cullen Skink, a traditional soup made with smoked haddock and potatoes. There is plenty of fresh sea food and drink to wash it down. 

    Mussels, Salmon, Fish and Chips, lobster, crab, as well as haggis, steak pie, burgers, mushy peas, highland cheese and wee nibbles. 

  It is the time of year when the heather blooms and turns the  highlands into a quilt of color and texture.

  Ocean views, rivers, lochs, water falls and streams course the highlands. 

   The Highlands are an unspoiled expanse and wilderness. The abundance of fresh and sea water make it an ideal place for those who love the sea or to fish and hunt.

  The remote Altnaharra Hotel began as a 17th century drovers inn, a place for those who moved sheep. 200 years later it became a hunting and fishing lodge. In the 20th century it became a place where sportsman, travelers and foodies can find culinary hospitality in the highlands. 

 Sheep are still in the neighborhood as well.

  A few more miles along the misty shores and foggy glens and we prepare to go over the sea to Skye.

    See you down the trail.