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Posted: Sunday 06 November 2011
A break north of the border for
North East Associates
- Monday to Friday -
- 31st October to 4th November -
Monday, not too early, we left Newcastle and headed west along this yea's favourite road, the A69, and near to Carlisle joined the motorway north to Scotland.
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A suggestion was made that words in the nearest
sign could be transposed into the other!
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Over the border an early lunch break was taken at Gretna Green, with a feeling of 'deja vu' as we had been 'here' only the evening before with Downton Abbey.
Our driver called this
'a four-tees" stop',
and we were quite
chuffed, considering
our average age.
Then he explained -
"Tea, Toast, Toilets
and Tablets".
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This was a rather round-a-bout route which helped fill the day. Our coach-load of 46 included 32 Associates, partners and friends who had booked to be together on this National Holidays five-day break in Fort William.
Our next stop was Callander, or Tannochbrae of Dr. Finlay fame for those with memories of black-and-white television days.
After a stroll and then back on the coach we continued north, skirting the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park - the Trossachs too, and painlessly - to cross bleak Rannoch Moor where sadly the rains came.
This, with the developing dusk, limited our view as we descended through Glen Coe.
The 'glen of weeping' was crying buckets!
The last leg took us over the Ballachulish Bridge for the then short distance to the Bay Caledonian Hotel in Fort William. Here, we were on the shore of Loch Linnhe.
Welcomed and settled in, refreshed and fed, the free bar was a popular attraction, with a singer/comedian entertaining us until lights-out - surprisingly the lounge cleared quickly soon after the free bar ended.
The following three days were filled by excursions.
Stan Harding and Loch Linnhe under a short-lived rainbow
In daylight we could appreciate the view from the front of the hotel, looking over Loch Linnhe and Meall Ruadh, 325m, above.
Oban, to the south, was first with only an hour's travel. Showery on leaving the hotel the day turned warm and sunny for our visit to join the seagulls in this town and ferry port, with its sheltered bay providing safe haven. Dominating the skyline is the 110-year-old McCaig's Tower, of which only the large outer shell of the original design was built.
A lifeboat was noticed heading
across the harbour.
When in close view a familiar vessel
was identified, this the
"RNLI Spirit of Northumberland",
the Tynemouth Lifeboat
calling here to refuel on a journey
from Holyhead in Anglesey to home.
Two-thousand litres, please.
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Dunstaffnage Castle
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Castle Stalker
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A sea-life centre was an interesting stopping point on our return journey, having passed the two castles above, before we re-crossed the Ballachulish Bridge.
The Sea Life Centre is on the shore of Loch Creran
On the approach from the south this bridge looks a bit familiar to us Geordies, the design was re-used for the Metro rail bridge across the Tyne. The Scottish version is grey and blends into the natural colours, ours is bright blue!
Fort William, above with the town centre two miles from the hotel, was next on the itinerary. Very quiet, but we are out-of-season, and sadly signs of the economy were showing when at any point in time there were probably more empty shops on the High Street than people.
Let's go with the majority for the five-quid optional excursion which first took us on the Mallaig road as far as Glenfinnan.
Here we stopped at the tower built at the head of Loch Shiel as a monument to those who fought for Bonnie Prince Charlie's cause - NTS, and closed until 1st April!
Here too is the Glenfinnan Viaduct,
which featured in
"Harry Potter
and the Chamber of Secrets".
This curving structure carries
the West Highland Line
railway track across Glen Finnan
and is Britain's first
major concrete construction. |
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Manoeuvring the coach on these undulating and twisting roads - we will all remember the 'nine-point-turn' - was no easy task for our driver and guide, Tony, who then took us on to "Neptune's Staircase" - the set of locks at the southern end of the Caledonian Canal.
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Neptune's
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Staircase
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The backdrop of cloud-free Ben Nevis and the Nevis Range
On next, via one of Scotland's favourites, a "single track road with passing places", to Spean Bridge where we stopped at the Commando Memorial set on a hill above the village. This was unveiled in 1952, being located in the area in which British Commandos and US Army Rangers were trained during WWII.
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At the Commando Memorial
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The temporary Memorial Garden at Spean Bridge
Today it is not just
a memorial to the past,
tributes to Marines continue
to be added in remembrance
of those being lost in action
in current conflicts.
Overall this is rather poignant and moving as many of the fallen were
of an age to be our grandchildren. |
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A new Garden of Remembrance is being built for an increasing number of memories.
Dropping down to the village we stopped at the mill shop there, soon to find that it was an EWM outlet under another name, but they did serve a good cup of coffee!
The next morning started showery again, but "maarld" in BBC 'weatherspeak' as we headed into the Great Glen and followed rivers, lochs and canal for a first stop in sunny Fort Augustus. The mill shop here was in a converted 'tin tabernacle' but few visited.
Surrounded by stunning scenery we met the Caledonian Canal again in the form of another set of staircase locks descending to Loch Ness - they do go both ways, though.
Sixty-two miles long is the canal
and only twenty of them are
man-made, the rest of its length
using natural features.
Twenty-nine locks and
four lochs - ouch! - help
make up this length,
our lifeboat having passed
through after leaving Oban. |
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A visit to the Loch Ness area must include the monster, so we head for Drumnadrochit.
It's incredible to consider the investment made to promote this story, the first picture of Nessie now known to be a hoax, and the effort expended to have tourists part with their money!
Castle Urquhart, seen on the route along Loch Ness, is a genuine ruin.
After dinner, as with previous evenings, we packed into the lounge, along with another two coach-loads from more southerly parts of England, for entertainment and free liquid sustenance - but not necessarily in that order.
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Overall the four performers
were good, one appearing in
Highland dress - also one of the
few Scots we encountered -
and including
"Donald, where's yer troosers?"
in his act without
compromising anything.
Two of the entertainers,
Ronnie Ross and Paula MacAskill,
provided their own
live accompaniment
which greatly enhanced
their acts. |
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Great fun was had as these sessions were very interactive, especially with our Colin there. Funny too, we seemed to know the words to all the songs.
The journey home took us back through Glen Coe, raining again but visibility was good, soon to follow the shoreline of Loch Lomond with a stop at Luss before skirting Glasgow, Scotland's largest city.
South now on the A74 to Moffat, yes to stop at an EWM, for lunch and the driver's "shortbread perk sale" before the last leg to Newcastle.
On each of our five days Colin (CPH) ran a quiz for all on the coach with prizes in liquid and calorie-filled form, these being well supported and acknowledged.
All were primed for our next holiday to be in Brighton in late March next year. Maybe the resort should be warned of our coming, we intend to enjoy ourselves as always. Memories of 775 miles in a coach will have faded by then.
ph
pictures: hlp, ph, rmh - added 25/11/2011
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