Photos and the City

Tag: roadtrip

Belfast Lough

It was about time to leave my cosy Airbnb and after having breakfast I grabbed my luggage and walked through lovely residential areas to pick up the rental car. Sitting on the “wrong side” didn´t make me nervous anymore and here I went!

Not far thou – the first stop on my drive along the Causeway Coast was still in Belfast – sitting on Cave Hill – Belfast Castle.

Built between 1811 and 1870 by the 3rd Marquess of Donegall after the original Belfast Castle in the city centre had burnt down it resembles the Scottish baronial style. And is having a “cat garden” – as seen on this photograph above.

Today the Castle hosts weddings and seminars and there are an antique shop and coffee shop in the basement. It´s a great place to enjoy the amazing view over Belfast and Belfast Lough sitting in the lovely garden and enjoying a cup of tea.

Cave Hill is a popular hiking ground offering different walks with amazing views of the city below and also houses the Belfast Zoo.

But I have several other stops on my list for this day and postpone taking a hike on Cave Hill.

My next stop (the first one on the Causeway Coastal road) is on the outer northern side of Belfast Lough and just a short drive outside Belfast: Carrickfergus – or better said, Carrickfergus Castle.

The Norman Irish castle was built in 1177 and is a beautiful example of a medieval castle. It wa sunder military use until 1928 looks back on a turbulent history.

The harbour next to the castle – it´s strategic location on the entrance of the Belfast Lough ensured an active trade.

10/10/2017
Dunvegan Castle

After a nice break at the beach it was time to set out for the journey back. Even so, the sunset was around 23:00 more or less all the sights closed between 16:00 and 17:00 the latest and I just missed all of them, another reason to come back. At least I saw Dunvegan Castle while driving back from the Coral Beach.

First built in the 13th century it is the seat of MacLeod of MacLeod, the chief of the Clan MacLeod. It has been occupied by the same family for 800 years! Today it is the result of renovations, remodeling and many changes over the centuries.

The view from the castle must be wonderful! It already was from the street!

By now you probably recognize Loch Dhughaill, I have no idea how many images I took, but I had to stop every single time I drove by. I mean was there a meeting and someone decided to put a boat in the middle of the Loch to make it even more picturesque?

View over Tarskavaig – another place I had to stop every time – lucky me it was the private exit to my Airbnb and I could take my time…

My little garden mate joined me for my last dinner on Skye and made it even harder to say good bye on the next morning!

05/09/2017
An t-Eilean Sgitheanach

The Isle of Skye (an t-Eilean Sgiathanach in Gaelic) takes its name from the old Norse sky-a,meaning ‘cloud island’, a Viking reference to the often-mist-enshrouded Cuillin Hills. It’s the second-largest of Scotland’s islands, a 50-mile-long patchwork of velvet moors, jagged mountains, sparkling lochs and towering sea cliffs. (Lonely Planet)

Skye is the largest and most northern island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland and “parted” in several peninsulas. It is known for its dramatic and beautiful mountain scenery to cliffs falling into the sea, white beaches and old castles – you´ll feel like you’re in a fairyland where fairies and trolls still rule.

Skye’s history reaches back to dinosaurs roaming around the island and has been inhabited since 10.000 BC (Mesolithic period), was ruled by the Vikings and for a long time being dominated by the Clan MacLeod and Clan Donald. The Jacobite Rising in the 18th century lead to the breaking up of the Clan system and in subsequence to the “Highland Clearances” when whole communities had to leave their homes and villages and the mostly aristocratic landowners farmed their sheeps in these areas.

On the way to ones of Skye´s white beaches – the Coral Beach up in the northwest of the island, just north of Dunvegan.

31/08/2017