Jetstreams over London by Lindsay du Plessis
Articles & Stories Travel Articles The Scottish Highlands
| The Scottish Highlands |
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 I have been working in the Scottish Highlands for 5 months now, chiefly as a glorified plate clearer in a hotel restaurant, and the beauty of the area never ceases to amaze me. Even now, as I sit in a cramped express train on an overcast day, I can appreciate the wild green splendour that surrounds me. Fort William is on the west coast of Scotland and markets itself as “The outdoor capital of the UKâ€. It sits at the foot of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain at 4408 feet. Now, “The Ben,†as the locals refer to their mountain, is an elusive rascal. I was here for a month before I saw it. I thought the mountain in the foreground as you face the range was Ben Nevis, but once the clouds cleared for an hour one week (I’m not kidding) my mistake was clarified. The mountain dominates the town in many ways. Everything is named after it in some way. The Ben Nevis Inn sits about a fifth of the way up. The ski slopes are called Nevis Range. The Ben Nevis bar, commonly known as the Jack, is the most pumping pub in town. The Nevis river flows down it into Loch Linnhe, and the hotel I work at is called… I leave you to guess.  Tourism in Fort William is dependant on the Ben because thousands of walkers, hikers and climbers flock to it every summer. Only the brave or foolish attempt to climb it in winter as the weather can change in the snap of an ankle. The Great Glen Way walking trail runs through the town, as do many other walking and cycling routes. Water sports are popular in summer, and the range provides some of the most challenging mountain biking runs in Britain. Lambs with spun sugar bodies and cocoa faces dot the heather hillside, running about on unsteady legs. They are the only indication that it is springtime. Temperatures still struggle to reach double figures, even in the middle of April. Snow still covers the tips of the Highland peaks. Glen Coe is the definition of rugged, and if you want to know what it looks like then you just need watch a Harry Potter movie. Many of the mountainous scenes are filmed in the Highlands, including the train scene in the second film, which was filmed at Glenfinnan on the way to Mallaig. Alternatively, you could watch Braveheart or Rob Roy.  British towns love their slogans, and Inverness uses “The gateway to the Highlands†as its motto. The town is in Northern Scotland and claims Loch Ness as its water feature. Generally dryer than it southern neighbours, Inverness has much to recommend it. The river Ness runs through it, complete with old bridges and riverside benches. Inverness castle dominates the skyline and the riverbanks are lined with gorgeous old buildings. It’s a charming mix of modern shopping, old-style pubs and cobbled streets. When looking at a map of the Highlands, you will notice liberal amounts of blue. Those are the lochs (lakes) that accompany the mountains and result in the twistiest roads in Britain. On the way to Fort William from Glasgow you will pass Loch Lomond, Loch Linnhe and Loch Eile. Loch Ness is the most well known for its supposed monster, but it’s not much more spectacular than the rest. And it’s still quite astounding. It’s as though the mountains form a giant maze and water has been poured into the compartments.  The Highland coast is rough and windswept. Oban is a fishing town regularly battered by storms and was flooded just after the Boxing Day tsunami. But don’t let that put youoff because its waterfront is colourful and delightfully touristy. It even has a coliseum-like monument at its peak called McCaig’s Monument. You can also catch ferries to the western islands from Oban, particularly to the Isle of Mull, which is bright and filled with practically every nationality except Scottish. There is too much history in the Highlands to mention here. There are too many places of interest and scenic drives to detail. There are enough monuments, castles, battlefields, old buildings and magnificent churches to fill a book. There are many such books. I suppose you will have to come and see for yourself, but just remember to pack your raincoat, thermos and hot water bottle, even in summer. I would also recommend a translator, because I still have trouble understanding the Highland accent. Article and photos copyright - Lindsay du Plessis For permission to publish these articles or photographs, or to commission articles - Contact Me |
