If you are following along, it may start to be difficult to follow the itinerary of our late-spring trip to the British Isles. We started in Scotland, spent time in Ireland, then headed to England for about three weeks. The first week in England was spent on a walk between villages in the Cotswolds. We had heard about people doing that, and it sounded fun — and we were able to meet up with relatives who live in Europe.
Continue reading Wheat Field and Building Clouds
In case you haven’t heard, it is wet in Scotland. I knew this, having been there before, but coming from the relatively dry California climate, it is still quite a contrast. One thing that still takes me by surprise at first is the size of the streams and rivers that rise over short distances — and that they are everywhere. We stopped and photographed this roadside cascade as we were departing Skye to head north.
Continue reading Marsco and Waterfall
While Scotland’s Isle of Skye is, for good reason, a very popular place to visit, you can also find great views of the Isle and its mountains from along Scotland’s less-populated western coast. After our visit to Skye we headed north to Ullapool, and from there drove a long loop out to the village of Applecross. Before turning south toward that spot the route hugged the coastline, offering continuous views across the water to islands including Skye.
Continue reading Looking Toward Skye
This day was a bit of a venture into the unknown. Since we had two nights in Ullapool, we decided to drive a big loop out to Applecross, a place that is fairly isolated, even by Scotland standards. It is on the far west cost, looking out over the waters toward Skye and other islands. When we arrived we took a quick drive through the village and then headed up the hill toward Applecross Pass to begin our return to Ullapool.
Continue reading Precipice and Valley Below Applecross Pass