Returning now to the 10,000+ photos we brought back from Scotland…in October…
Day 8 found us saying goodbye to Castle Stuart after a three night stay. We then drove down the east shore of Loch Ness – most of the traffic is on the west shore, which we’d explored on Day 6, via three wheeled motorcycle.
From Loch Ness we headed north and west toward the Isle of Skye, following the road that took us to Eilean Donan Castle.
Yes, Eilean Donan is probably the most recognizable edifice in all of Scotland, and maybe all of Britain next to Big Ben and the Tower of London. Given its location among the mountains, at the intersection of three lochs, it’s understandable.
What we did not fully realize until we got inside is that Eilean Donan is a restoration. The castle lay in ruins for nearly 200 years after the Jacobite Rising of 1719. In 1911, the heirs of the clan MacRae acquired the island and its rubble and proceeded to restore the castle to its former glory – largely following plans drawn from a dream that occurred to the new owner, Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap. After 20 years and the modern equivalent of some $20-million pounds, Eilean Donan was re-opened in 1932 and has since become one of Scotland’s primary tourist destinations.
We were fortunate to be there at a time of year when there was not much visitor traffic. I shudder to think what it’s like in August…
Anyway, here’s the video; if you want to see the individual images, find them here.