Photos and the City

Author: Ursula Schmitz

  • Glencoe Lochan

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    Just a short drive from Fort William lies Glen Coe – one of the most scenic glens in the Highlands but with one of the bloodiest past. The village Glencoe is situated on the site of the of the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692 when 38 members of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed on behalf of King William III.

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    I only went through the village to reach Glencoe Lochan, a little lake and forest, which was plantedfrom the Pacific Northwest of Canada in the 19th century.

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    After acquiring the Glencoe Estate in 1895, Donald Alexander Smith and his wife, Isabella Sophia Hardisty, moved from Canada to Scotland. Soon after their arrival, Isabella became increasingly homesick for her ancestral lands in Canada. In an attempt to abate his wife’s depression, Donald Alexander Smith had this forest painstakingly planted, and granted it to her as a private refuge. (Wikipedia)

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    After my walk around this little lake, I continued to Steal Falls along the very scenic route around Loch Leven.

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  • Fort William

    It was time to leave my cosy home near Eilean Donan Castle and start my way down back south towards Fort William.

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    Shortly before Fort William, it was about time for a stop at the Glenfinnan Dining Car at the train station. I also had planned to walk to the Glenfinnan Memorial and the Viaduct but all the parking was fuller than full – so it has to wait for another time!

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    Driving into the city I made a second stop at “Neptunes Staircase” – a very impressive looking staircase lock comprising eight locks on the Caledonian Canal. And lucky me I was able to watch a sailboat going up the canal.

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  • Plockton

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    On my way back in direction of Eilean Donan Castle, I made one more stop at the stunning village of Plockton on the coast of Lochalsh.

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    This small lochside village is one of the most attractive in Scotland, an idyllic place in an idyllic setting. A row of neatly painted cottages hugs the shoreline following the curve of the tiny harbour. Palm trees line the main street and the whole scene is framed by a landscape of islands, heather and pine. Across the harbour the views are of white cottages on a craggy point, with the mountains of Wester Ross in the background. It comes as no surprise to find that Plockton is a haven for artists. (Undiscovered Scotland)

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    During the time of the “clearances” in the early 17th century, the landlord Sir Hugh Innes decided to offer tenants cleared from inland areas and alternative to emigration: they could resettle to a small fishing port he was developing under the name of “Plocktown”. Thanks to the herring boom the town grew to 500 people living there. Unfortunately, the fish changed their migration pattern and fishing on a large scale was never resumed.

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    Today Plockton offers a variety of hotels and restaurants and is a fixed point on the map for tourists to enjoy boat trips, walking and a very special light.

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