We left Skye on the car ferry from Armadale to Maillig in grey, cloudy, wet weather and a south-westerly wind. That made for a choppy crossing with water sloshing across the car deck. Disembarking the ferry and appreciating solid ground, we headed down the coast, along yet another loch, as the weather cleared. Glenfinnan’s memorial and railway viaduct, with Jacobite, Outlander and Harry Potter connections, was a fun break on the road trip. On top of that, we have begun hunting castles, listing lochs and revelling in the unseasonable sunny skies.  

Our voyage to Skye was very easy. We were not fleeing from revengeful soldiers, nor did we need to disguise ourselves as washerwomen nor hide in a boat. We zipped over the strait on an elegant concrete bridge instead.  

A morning drive to Scone Palace (closed) and Blair Castle (closed), with detours to Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Killiecrankie Pass, the Delfour Stone Circle, Clava Cairns, Culloden and Ness City Tyres (two very unsafe front tyres replaced incredibly quickly and professionally – thank you!) brought us to Inverness. What a welcome sight was our fantastic little flat … a walk across the gorgeous pedestrian bridge over the River Ness from Inverness’s city centre.

It was lovely to be welcomed by all of Scotland when we crossed the border at Gretna Green.