15.10.2011 – 15.10.2011  12 °C

Early start this morning to begin the long-ish drive back to the mainland and to Loch Ness. Not surprisingly, the weather was still not crash hot, in fact too poor for me to take any more photos of Eilean Doonan Castle, which was really disappointing because I really wanted to get a shot of the castle surrounded by water. It certainly was surrounded today… on all sides (including the roof!) I did stop at the castle and had my morning tea (another picnic on the back seat) hoping that the weather would clear enough for me to get a shot.. No cigar.

The drive back to the Loch was just as beautiful as coming in. I can only imagine what the area must look like on a bright sunny day! The thing that is so spectacular about the drive is that you drive along a couple of intersecting valleys. On all sides of the valleys are really high mountains that are quite sheer and are largely devoid of trees. Nearly every mountain has its own waterfall which today is spectacular because its raining and so the waterfalls are all going full tilt. The downside of a lot of rain is no pickies but fingers crossed I’ll be able to remember the scene anyhow! I really must say that the drive from Skye back to Loch Ness has to be one of the most picturesque drives you can do anywhere in the world.

I arrived at my hotel late in the afternoon (I’ve splashed out for my last two nights in Scotland and have decided to live it up in a flashy hotel) and really just crashed. I had a bite to eat and then lay down on my bed and caught up on some forty winks as well as reading some chapters in my book. I’ve got to say that when you keep travelling non stop you have to have a day now and again where you take a break and just rest. So although it doesn’t make for great reading this was the remainder of my day.