This time last week I was looking forward to four more days of adventuring. It seems like much longer and those little adventures now feel like dreams. I won't bore you with all of the details, but I will give you the edited highlights for now (Trust me, I can bore you - I took over 1500 photos and can tell you at length about each one).
So, the edited highlights from Tuesday onwards:
Tuesday
Last year my best mate and I explored a little bit of Glen Coe, a place that is usually known for the infamous massacre of 1692. It's also a place of outstanding beauty with towering mountains that line the winding glen below. |
| Our amazing destination, the falls of Coire nan Lochan. [Photo: Jack Gilbert] |
 |
| The view from the falls back down to the road far below. It's the pale line in the glen below...yeah, that far! [Photo: Jack Gilbert] |
Wednesday
Another development of last year's trip was my second ride in a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat). Last year I agreed to a ride up Loch Ness. I thought if you're going to see somewhere as magical as Loch Ness, do it in a memorable way. So we saw it from one of the fast boat tours that ply its waters.This year, we took an equally exciting and fascinating wildlife tour around the waters of Loch Linnhe and Loch Leven. The ride was choppier than I'd expected out on Loch Linnhe, but again really worthwhile as we saw seals, wild goats, geese, cormorants as well as the lodge in which we stayed for the week from the great loch.
I really loved it. I want to do another boat ride next year! The question is, where?
 |
| Yours truly sporting this summer's maritime look. [Photo: Jack Gilbert] |
 |
| I have no idea what the seal on the left was trying to tell us. I think it was giving us its seal of approval... [Photo: Jack Gilbert] |
Thursday
Another place we visited last year was the Isle of Skye. On that occasion it pelted it down with rain all day, so we only got limited glimpses of the fantastic scenery that lines the route up to the Kyle of Lochalsh and the isle itself.So that too made it onto the "visit again" list and to make it all the more worthwhile we dropped in on the Talisker whisky distillery for a tour while we were there.
The weather wasn't perfect, but clear enough for us to finally see the full beautiful scenery that surrounded us.
 |
| Sea and Skye. [Photo: Jack Gilbert] |
Friday
For me, Friday was the highlight of the week. It was the day that we returned to one of the places that started my whole love affair with the West Highlands. Glen Gour is the place in which I set part of The Wickedest War and it was on our first visit in 2014 that we first walked along part of this wonderful glen. We walked it again last year, getting further than before on account of not stopping to take photos every twenty yards (I still took over a hundred photos the second time round).This year we walked for just over six hours (there and back) and still didn't traverse the entire length of the glen. However, we did discover a new delight in the form of another (small) waterfall. Each time we've visited Glen Gour the weather has been glorious and this year was no exception. It just adds to the attraction of the place.
It started as a name on a map and now this place is very special to me. Don't be surprised if it doesn't end up featuring in all of my novels in one for or another!
 |
| One of many, many photos I took of Glen Gour this time round. It's hard to choose just one. [Photo: Jack Gilbert] |
 |
| Oh, OK. Just one more photo. The falls where we had lunch. [Photo: Jack Gilbert] |
Home Again
So, that was the holiday. I'm home again and pining for...well, not the fjords, but the lochs. I was hoping to get the feel of what it's like to be in a more natural, less urban environment for my fantasy series, Kiranan's Crucible, and I've certainly achieved that.Now, it's back to reality and back to turning all that inspiration into stories!
No comments:
Post a Comment