There’s nothing like a good old fashioned road trip!

Part 1 ended with us moving to Dingwall, just outside of Inverness, to settle in for Part 2 of this road trip. This part sees us looping around Isle of Skye in the west and visiting the Glenfinnan Viaduct which was used as an iconic part of the Harry Potter movies. We are also completing the “tip to tip” journey of the length of mainland UK by taking a drive to John O’ Groats meaning we have effectively driven from Land’s End in the South to very northern tip of mainland Scotland. We have seen a lot of the UK countryside over the last 14 months, though there is a lot more to see.

We start with a trip around the Isle of Skye which offers up some stunning scenery while fighting off the effects of a showery day. We stop at Loch Alsh to stretch our legs and can see the Skye Bridge in the distance.

We decide to drive to loop of Skye starting with a visit to Portree where we find a pretty little town and colourful buildings along the waterfront.

We decide to loop the island in an anti-clockwise direction which starts out well but before long the road narrows to a single lane with little kick outs called “passing points” to use for avoiding oncoming traffic. An interesting concept except this is supposed to be an “A” road…

It’s funny how your memory throws up little treasures. I have never been to the Isle of Skye before but as we drove I said to Stacey, “I feel like I’ve been here. I’ve seen this view.” Then we realise, as we round a corner, that we have happened upon a house that featured on Grand Designs and that Kevin McCloud filmed this same section of road during one of his approaches to the worksite. Known as the Larch-Clad House, Isle of Skye but now called The Turf House, it was covered in Season 12 – Episode 7.

Towards the later part of the loop, the road returns to two lanes, and we are presented with sweeping mountain views, stunning lakes and the odd waterfall. The weather has not been favourable but you can still appreciate the beauty.

On our way back to Dingwall we stop in at Dornie and Eilean Donan Castle then have the opportunity to get up close to a Coo (Scottish Highland Cow) that is happily scratching its neck on a piece of farming machinery. He is both docile and approachable and is a bit of a show-off as he even poses for the camera but likes to stick out his tongue like a cheeky child.

Our final stop is at Urchart Castle though we are too late in the evening to gain entry. We make the best of the view from the carpark above before hitting the road for the final part of today’s trip.

The next side trip is to John O’ Groats at the tip of the mainland of Scotland. It’s a big day of driving however the weather has cleared to give us a chance to enjoy the views. There are a number of stops along the way with the pretty but rugged coastline and a volume of castles and ruins to see.

When we arrive at John O’ Groats we don’t know what to expect. We have been told by other travelers that “there is nothing to see”, “nothing there”, and a “waste of time” but we are pleased to find a small cluster of different shops, eateries and a distillery. Even Paddington Bear has made an appearance.

We have lunch and then head to the lighthouse for what I hope is a view to remember. My research tells me that the lighthouse itself in not too attractive, but if you take the coastal walk down through some fields, there is a view of the coast that is worth the effort.

Our last stop on this trip is into an area named Alexandria which is located just above Glasgow. We start out early with a quick visit to the McDonald Monument in Dingwall before heading to Glenfinnan to see the Harry Potter Train then rolling through the highlands of Ben Nevis and Glencoe. Two out of three of these items were beautiful, being the monument and the highlands. The Glenfinnan visit was far less enjoyable and a bit of a let-down as it was wet, misty, difficult to find parking and a trudge up and down a slippery, muddy path to the vantage point. Then to top it off, it started to rain as the train rolled past and Scottish Rail sent a diesel locomotive in place of the steam train. There was a collective depressed sigh from the two hundred or so people who had gathered to see it.

Our last real day of touring sees us head to the west coast again and visit the Oban area. It gives us an excuse to drive through the highlands again and visit the Three Sisters pass before getting to Oban then we dropped by Dunstaffnage Castle and Kilchurn Castle on the way back. There is no shortage of castles to see.

Our final day of this trip starts early as we want to swing up to Loch Earn to see an art installation in the water at St Fillans. It is officially named “Still” but is known to travelers and locals as the “Mirror Man”. It is a 2.7m high reflective statue with the beautiful loch in the background. Well worth the detour.

We loved our time in Scotland and managed to cover 3200 kilometers in this road trip. It is a very pretty place with things to see around every corner. It’s a toss-up for us between Ireland and Scotland as to which is prettier. It all comes down to the weather at the time you visit. I’d be happy to visit either of them again in the future.