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THE ROAD TO THE ISLES ©

We drove through Scotland and took 'The Road to The Isles.'
Close to the Highlands, as we approached the town of Callander, we saw a sign inviting us to try the 'Roman Camp Walk.' We kept our eyes peeled but there were no Centurions mincing down the High Street.

Later, beyond Tyndrum we found the more robust sounding
'West Highland Way' and saw some hardy souls leaning into the wind, striding out towards Glencoe.It looked dark and foreboding with a curtain of rain and mist.

I flicked the car heater up a couple of notches and hummed that tune about 'The far Cullins that are pullin me away.'

It was one of those days that brings
the four seasons round every hour
and just occasionally a shaft of sunlight would spotlight a waterfall, so we changed our tune to the one about
'The land of the Shining River.'



The car crested the summit of Rannoch Moor and the superb fast road soon wiggled like a corkscrew. With the crash barriers on either side, it was like driving an arcade race game.

We headed on and passed the Great Glen Cattle Ranch, it's the sort of name that would have had us squinting for buffaloes but that would have been too fanciful.

At Invergarry we turned west towards Skye and further on passed Eillin Doonan Castle whose picture has appeared worldwide on many a shortbread tin and calendar. it was round about then that w e decided to break the journey and stay the night at Plockton.

When you travel a lot, just occasionally you come across places that you want to keep quiet about, locations that are so perfect that you don't want to risk them being changed. Maybe it's being selfish wanting to keep them for yourself or maybe you genuinely believe that they don't deserve to be served up on the polystyrene plate of mass tourism.

Plockton was such a place.
I recall being there with my young family. We woke up and scrabbled from the tent to climb a small hillock at the back of the campsite. Taking in the scene we turned through 360 degrees and everywhere we looked there was a perfect picture.

In the evening a fiery sunset reflected on the water and we lay back on the grass and listened to the distant sound of a lone piper. It was just perfect.

Many now will know the location well, because it featured on a television series as 'Lochbubh,' the fictional village peopled by Police Constable Hamish MacBeth and his extraordinary friends.

At the Kyle of Lochalsh I followed the road round towards Plockton . As we passed through the little village of Durinish two Swedish motorcyclists brought their massive machines to a halt as a sheep and her two lambs got up from the middle of the street.
A sign proclaimed 'Sheep have no sense do ewe!'

At Plockton the camp site had gone but the place looked much the same as did all those years ago, except perhaps that I don't remember the railway station having outside tables and a restaurant decked with flowers.

Palm trees still grow in the balmy climate and it looked like an impossibly beautiful painting.

Yachts sat at anchor and rubber dinghies pottered ashore.

We joined the visitors that took to the sea on Calum MacKenzie's boat,
'The Amanda C'. It is is well worthwhile. He promises that you will see seals.. If you are unlucky and they have all gone to dinner he offers your money back or an invitation to a free trip. As it was, we saw about thirty of them of them basking on Golach rock.

They know the boat well and a couple swam towards us with brown inquisitive eyes. They also respond to music and Calum has taken people out to play the violin to them.

He invited us to sing 'Over the Sea to Skye' to them but we didn't just in case they turned tail and went there. There was an unfounded newspaper report that Calum was using dummy seals to drum up trade from the tourists. The item inspired the 'Hamish MacBeth' TV episode about the imitation whale.

A notice in the library advertised a talk on the second sight, a rusting plough sat outside an old cottage with a heather thatched roof and the original village pump was fenced off. A reminder of the days before central heating and television.

I enjoyed my porridge and kippers at 'The Shieling' where we stayed for
B & B. At breakfast I felt fortunate to be looking out at what is reckoned to be the best view, in what is considered the prettiest village in Scotland.
Tits nested in the bird boxes on the palm trees while yachts swung at anchor close to an island with three pines, beyond all this the rays of the rising sun drifted across the mountains of Applecross.

It was attractive, it was peaceful, but one thing I know, come high season, the village of Plockton will be hoochin with folk..
Report by Allan Rogers_______________________________________________

Fact File

Leisure Marine Seal Cruises: www.plockton.com/activities/leisure_marine.html
01599 544306 Adults £5 below 9 years £3.00.

The Shieling Guest House: 01599 544 282.

Lochalsh Tourist Information Centre 01599 5342276