Portree, Isle of Skye 2

We have 2 nights in Portree and this post is split over those days – the first was mainly a driving day from Dalmally and today is bleak !
However, to be fair, the weather is being very consistent – one good day, one bad day.

After a lovely full Scottish breakfast at Craig Villa, we set off on a tight schedule in generally clear skies though there was enough mist around the mountains to add great character.
We had a couple of brief stops along the way as we drove the beautiful valley through Glen Coe – the Three Sisters Overlook a particularly picturesque spot. Parts of the wide glacial valley reminded us of Iceland !

The valleys of Glen Coe – tiers of cliffs of the Aonach Dubh

Those canny Scotsmen will do anything for a quid !

But our first main goal was to get to Glenfinnan Viaduct, about 20 minutes past Fort William, to see the Jacobite Express steam train between Fort William and Mallaig cross the famous viaduct – which will be immediately identifiable to any Harry Potter fan as the “Hogwarts Express” !
We had been warned last night at our Dalmally gathering that parking might be at a premium and when we arrived that was certainly the case. The 2 main carparks – only small anyway – were full and any small pullouts off the road nearby – few and far between – were also taken. So with the train’s arrival time fast approaching, we decided I would drop Adrienne so she could head to the vantage point we thought was the best and I would then try and park the car and get back in time. If I couldn’t, at least Adrienne might get a shot !

As Adrienne hot-footed it up to the viaduct and the vantage point up on the hill, I set off to find a spot to park. First I headed off further west but there was nothing for miles so I turned back and went back past the viaduct in the direction we had come – I thought I had remembered a park-out a bit further back the way we had come. It turned out to be about a mile away ! Anyway, it was a parking spot and I took it and started back at a quick pace on foot. About half way back I heard the train “choo-choo” past over the hill top. As I arrived at the point I had dropped Adrienne, the crowds were all heading back to the cars. No steam train for me !

The impressive Glenfinnan Viaduct

However, our plan had worked and Adrienne was able to grab a good spot and get photos and video of the train. The viaduct itself is still an impressive structure so I took a few shots , we wandered down to the edge of Loch Shiel where there is a statue of the Unknown Highlander – in tribute to the Jacobite clansmen who fought and died for the cause of Bonnie Prince Charlie – before heading back to Fort William to collect the car !!! 😂😂😂

The Jacobite Express on Glenfinnan Viaduct – an impressive sight ! – or so I’m told 😂😂

Before leaving Glenfinnan, we bought a sandwich to have for lunch later as we moved on to Mallaig.

But first we had to backtrack as we wanted to see “Neptune’s Staircase” – a series of about 8 locks along the Caledonian Canal. This amazing feat of engineering raises the canal by 19m (62ft) over a quarter of a mile of continuous masonry and takes around 90 minutes for a boat to travel up or down the locks. Built by Thomas Telford between 1803 and 1822, it is the longest staircase lock in Britain. It was also a perfect spot to try out the drone again ! (Click here if you would like to have a look)

Part of “Neptune’s Staircase” (Banavie Locks) on the Caledonian Canal

Th Corpach shipwreck near Fort William – the towering Ben Nevis in the background

From Fort William we then set off for Mallaig – from where we would be taking the car ferry across to Armadale on the Isle of Skye. We arrived in good time to have our lunch, have a quick look around the dock before driving onto the ferry for the 30 minute ferry journey to Skye.

Leaving the mainland – for now

We docked just on 4pm and started off for Portree. We stopped along the way at Sligachan where there is a photogenic old bridge with spectacular mountains in the distance – the Cuillin Mountains – and arrived in Portree around 5.30pm.

At Sligachan Old Bridge with the Cuillin Mountains under low cloud behind

Our B&B – Ben Tianavaig – is in a great spot in Portree – set above the little harbour and has a fantastic view of the colourful houses which line the dock area.
After dropping our bags, we hiked up the hill behind the harbour which provides a great view over the whole area and surrounding bays. The weather had been kind to us all day and in the evening we went to one of restaurants along the dock – Sea Breezes for some delicious seafood for dinner !

Today’s Tour Trivia – see tomorrow 😁