Scotland! How shall we subvert the cliches? We’ll, we’ve already been warned off searching for the Loch Ness Monster, not because it doesn’t exist, but because the traffic along the Loch is grim and the tourist attractions are tacky. However, there are plenty of other excellent sights and we start off visiting our friends Pat and Amanda in the Central Highlands village of Laggan, in between the Cairngorm and Monadhliath Mountains.
First time in Scotland for Abby, first time out of Edinburgh for me. Into Glasgow via the early flight from Reykjavík, we are in a sad and sorry state, sleep deprived and jet lagged, but kick on to pick up our micro vehicle and head out towards the Highlands. Past Perth on the A9 the landscape gets grander, bleaker and wilder until we reach the junction of the A889 at Dalwhinnie which consists of, in total, one whisky distillery (more later). The A889 is the width of a sheep track, except cars are coming from the other direction at 55MPH: Welcome to driving in the Scottish Highlands, still, our destination of Laggan is met with a minimum of near misses and we meet up with our friends who have retired up here.
Amanda, who’s family is local, and who is also a history aficionado, explains on our village walk that this is land traditionally ruled by the Macpherson clan and the evidence of their tenure can be seen throughout. At the very, and official, “Centre of Scotland” there is an obelisk listing all the diaspora locations of the clan, but they still gather here annually for their own Highland games. They were active during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 and we visit the Ruthven Barracks where, in 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie, told the remaining Jacobite supporters after the Battle of Culloden to knock it on the head and secure their safety as they saw fit.
Pat used to be a scientist, but now is having fun giving erudite tours at the Dalwhinnie Distillery, so we get a private run through and learn some of the intricacies of single malt production. Dalwhinnie makes some fine whisky, but is also known for having one of the first female mashwoman, Lizzie Stewart, who worked there for 30 years, before recently retiring. The mash operator is the person who makes the decisions on the line and on the fly that determine the final blend from the different distillation splits. You can sample her work by coming here and buying a bottle of “Lizzie’s Dram”.
Also, a word for Molly, Pat & Amanda’s super cool and cute dog.
Onward, the following day, to Glen Nevis, in the shadow of the famous “Ben”, for a hike along the bottom of the mountain.
Tons of hardcore climbers are ready to head up to the top but we’re heading onto Fort Williams, where Pat and Amanda leave us off to continue our journey onto Oban, a gateway to the Western Isles.
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