Scotland’s Highlands & Islands

307 Pages·2015·17.21 MB·English

by  Neil Wilson

P
D
F
Scotland’s
Highlands & Islands
PDF ebook
Edition 3rd Edition
Release Date Feb 2015
Pages 304
Useful Links
Want more guides?
Head to our shop
Trouble with your PDF?
Trouble shoot here
Need more help?
Head to our FAQs
Stay in touch
Contact us here
© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this PDF ebook is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to
ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above – ‘Do the right thing with our content’.
4 easy-to-use How to Use This Book
sections
Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings:
1 4
Sights Sleeping
1
r 5
Beaches Eating
2 6
PLAN YOUR TRIP Activities Drinking
C 3
Courses Entertainment
Your planning tool kit
T 7
Photos & suggestions to help Tours Shopping
you create the perfect trip.
z Festivals 8 Information
& Events & Transport
All reviews are ordered in our authors’ preference,
starting with their most preferred option. Additionally:
2 Sights are arranged in the geographic order that we
suggest you visit them and, within this order, by author
preference.
ON THE ROAD Eating and Sleeping reviews are ordered by price
range (budget, midrange, top end) and, within these
Your complete guide
ranges, by author preference.
Expert reviews, easy-to-use
maps & insider tips.
These symbols and abbreviations give vital
information for each listing:
Must-visit recommendation
Sustainable or green recommendation
3
No payment required
% Telephone number f Ferry
UNDERSTAND h Opening hours j Tram
p Parking d Train
Get more from your trip n Nonsmoking a pt apartments
Learn about the big picture, to a Air-conditioning d double rooms
make sense of what you see. i Internet access d m dorm beds
W Wi-fi access q quad rooms
s Swimming pool r rooms
v Vegetarian selection s single rooms
E English-language menu ste suites
4
c Family-friendly tr triple rooms
# Pet-friendly tw twin rooms
g Bus
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Your at-a-glance reference For symbols used on maps, see the Map Legend.
Vital practical information
for a smooth trip.
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Scotland’s
Highlands & Islands
Orkney &
Shetland
p220
Northern Highlands
& Islands
p166
Inverness & the
Central Highlands
p109
Southern
Highlands &
Islands
p42
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY
Neil Wilson
Andy Symington
P LAN
ON THE ROAD
YOUR TRIP
Welcome to Scotland’s SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS Day One: Milngavie to
Highlands & Islands . . . . . 4 & ISLANDS . . . . . . . . 42 Drymen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Day Two: Drymen to
Scotland’s Highlands & Loch Lomond & Around . . 44
Rowardennan . . . . . . . . . . 102
Islands Map . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Loch Lomond . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Day Three: Rowardennan
Scotland’s Highlands & Crianlarich & Tyndrum . . . 49 to Inverarnan . . . . . . . . . . 103
Islands’ Top 19 . . . . . . . . . .8
Helensburgh . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Day Four: Inverarnan to
Need to Know . . . . . . . . . 20 Arrochar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Tyndrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
If You Like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Trossachs . . . . . . . . . 50 Day Five: Tyndrum to
Kings House Hotel . . . . . . 105
Aberfoyle & Around . . . . . . 50
Month by Month . . . . . . . 25 Day Six: Kings House
Lochs Katrine & Achray . . 52
Hotel to Kinlochleven . . . 105
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Callander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Day Seven: Kinlochleven
Outdoor Activities . . . . .30 Balquhidder & Around . . . . 57 to Fort William . . . . . . . . . 106
Regions at a Glance . . . . 39 Killin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
South Argyll . . . . . . . . . .59 INVERNESS & THE
Cowal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 CENTRAL
Isle of Bute . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 HIGHLANDS . . . . . . 109
Inveraray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Inverness & the
Crinan Canal . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Great Glen . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
CRAIG EASTON / LONELY PLANET © KKIIIIssssiilllllneeeemt yooooarffffre tAJIC . siunro .lrra l .aaGoy . .n nl . . . . e s . . . .na . . . . . y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .666777498357 WLIABTnohrlevaoceescuh trkCn nNo dIaefse is lIrIsesnnns . . vvg . . . eeo . . .rr . . .nrnm . . .ee . . .sss . . .ss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111111222111006827
Oban & Mull . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Aviemore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Oban . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Around Aviemore . . . . . . . 129
Around Oban . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Grantown-on-Spey . . . . . . 131
RED DEER, KNOYDART Isle of Mull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Kingussie &
PENINSULA P159 Newtonmore . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Isle of Iona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Eastern Cairngorms . . . . . 132
Isle of Tiree . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Southern Cairngorms . . . 133
Isle of Coll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
PETE SEAWARD/ LONELY PLANET © NLCALoipooscpnmrhtnin hoeA r &lwAe & er . A g . . Try . .ao . .lyul . . .n n . . .ud . . .il . . . .t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9999988777 HDLRSWotauiergcnnashhnkttslheo aH tlcTndauih gdy .mt . . h oP . .m lBae . .en . .rlatl . .d ih& . .rs s . . . A h . . .t . . .ihr . . .oe . . . .l . .l . . . . . . . . . .111114433463771
Glen Coe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
WALKING THE WEST Kinlochleven . . . . . . . . . . . 149
HIGHLAND WAY . . . . 99
Fort William . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Around Fort William . . . . . 152
KINLOCH CASTLE P161
The Walk . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Ardnamurchan . . . . . . . . . 154
Contents
UNDERSTAND
Salen to Lochailort . . . . . . 156 Armadale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Scotland’s Highlands
Road to the Isles . . . . . . . 156 Isleornsay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 & Islands Today . . . . . . 252
Knoydart Peninsula . . . . . 159 Elgol (Ealaghol) . . . . . . . . 200 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Small Isles . . . . . . . . . . .160 Cuillin Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Highland Culture . . . . .262
Isle of Rum . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Minginish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Landscape & Wildlife . . 268
Isle of Eigg . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Portree (Port Righ) . . . . . 202
Isle of Muck . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Dunvegan Food & Drink . . . . . . . . . 273
Isle of Canna . . . . . . . . . . . 163 (Dun Bheagain) . . . . . . . . 204
Duirinish & Waternish . . . 204
Trotternish . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 SURVIVAL
NORTHERN HIGHLANDS
& ISLANDS . . . . . . . 166 Isle of Raasay . . . . . . . . . . 208 GUIDE
Outer Hebrides . . . . . . . 208
East Coast . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Lewis (Leodhais) . . . . . . . 210
Strathpeffer . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Directory A–Z . . . . . . . .280
Harris (Na Hearadh) . . . . 213
Tain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Berneray (Bearnaraigh) . . 215 Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Portmahomack . . . . . . . . . 170
North Uist Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Bonar Bridge & Around . . . 171
(Uibhist A Tuath) . . . . . . . 215
Lairg & Around . . . . . . . . . . 171 Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 303
Benbecula
Dornoch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 (Beinn Na Faoghla) . . . . . 216
Golspie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 South Uist
Helmsdale . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 (Uibhist A Deas) . . . . . . . . 216
Caithness . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Eriskay (Eiriosgaigh) . . . . 217
Helmsdale to Lybster . . . 174 Barra (Barraigh) . . . . . . . . 217
Lybster & Around . . . . . . . 175
Wick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 ORKNEY &
John O’Groats . . . . . . . . . . 176 SHETLAND . . . . . . . 220
Mey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Orkney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Dunnet Head . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Kirkwall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Thurso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 East Mainland to
SPECIAL FEATURES
South Ronaldsay . . . . . . . 228
North & West Coast . . . 179
Durness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 West & North Mainland . . 230 Outdoor Activities . . . . .30
Stromness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Durness to Ullapool . . . . . 182 Castles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Hoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Ullapool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Northern Islands . . . . . . . 234 Driving Tour: Trossachs to
Ullapool to Kyle of Mull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Lochalsh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Shetland . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Kyle of Lochalsh . . . . . . . . 193 Lerwick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 Driving Tour: Loch Ness
Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Kyle to the Great Glen . . . 193 Bressay & Noss . . . . . . . . 243
Isle of Skye . . . . . . . . . .194 Central & West Lochs & Mountains . . . 164
Kyleakin (Caol Acain) . . . 197 Mainland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Driving Tour: Wee Roads
South Mainland . . . . . . . . 244 & Mighty Mountains . . 199
Broadford
(An T-Ath Leathann) . . . . 198 North Mainland . . . . . . . . .246 Scotland’s Islands . . . .206
Sleat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 The North Isles . . . . . . . . . 247
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
4
Welcome to
Scotland’s Highlands
& Islands
The hills and glens and wild coastline
of Scotland’s Highlands and islands
offer the ultimate escape – one of the
last corners of Europe where you can
discover genuine solitude.
Lonely Landscapes Legend & Tradition
Since the 19th century – when the first Legend and tradition run deep in the High-
tourists began to arrive, inspired by the Ro- lands. Crumbling forts and monastic cells
mantic movement – the Scottish Highlands were once home to Gaelic chieftains and
have been famed for their wild nature and Irish saints; lonely beaches and mountain
majestic scenery. Today, the region’s biggest passes once echoed to the clash of clan
draw remains its magnificent landscape. At battles; and empty glens are still haunted
almost every turn is a vista that will stop by the ghosts of the Clearances. History
you in your tracks, from the bluebell woods, is everywhere – in the abandoned crofts
gentle hills and warm autumn colours of preserved on a hillside like fossil fragments;
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs to the in the proud profile of broch and castle
primeval grandeur of Coigach and Assynt, silhouetted against a Highland sunset; in
where pillared peaks rear above gnarled the Gaelic lilt of Hebridean speech and the
and ancient gneiss. Keep your camera close. Nordic twang of Shetland dialect.
Outdoor Adventures A Taste of Scotland
Scotland’s mountains, lochs and seaways An increasing number of visitors have dis-
offer some of the most rewarding outdoor covered that Scotland’s restaurants have
adventures in Europe. As well as classic shaken off their reputation for deep-fried
challenges such as the West Highland Way food and unsmiling service and can now
and the ascent of Ben Nevis, there are wil- compete with the best in Europe. A new-
derness walks through the roadless wilds of found respect for top-quality local produce
Knoydart and Sutherland, and spectacular means that you can feast on fresh seafood
summits such as An Teallach, Stac Pollaidh mere hours after it was caught, beef and
and Suilven. Mountain bikers can enjoy venison that was raised just a few miles
a multitude of off-road routes, from easy away from your table, and vegetables that
trails through pine forests to strenuous were grown in your hotel’s own organic gar-
coast-to-coast rides, while the turbulent den. And top it all off with a dram of single
tidal waters around the Outer Hebrides, malt whisky – rich, evocative and complex,
Orkney and Shetland provide the ultimate the true taste of Scotland.
test of paddling mettle for sea-kayakers.
5
DAVID C TOM
LINSON / GETTY IM
AGES ©
Why I Love Scotland’s Highlands & Islands
by Neil Wilson, Author
It’s the weather. Yes, seriously. We get four proper seasons here (sometimes all of them in
one day) and that means that you get to enjoy the same landscapes over and over again in
a range of different garbs – August hills clad in purple heather, native woodlands gilded with
autumn colours, snowpatched winter mountains, and Hebridean machair sprinkled with a
confetti of spring wildflowers. And the unpredictability of the weather means that even the
wettest day can be suddenly transformed by parting clouds and slanting shafts of golden
light. Sheer magic.
For more about our authors, see page 304
Above: Hiker on the summit of Ben A’an, overlooking Loch Katrine (p52)
d
LochofFitfulHeadSpiggieBayofSumburghHea100kmQuendale50miles WWºº12 ShetlandIslandsHermaness AtlanticOcean Ulsta#\Hillswick#\#\Toft ShetlandIslands Lerwick#]RWWºº1N0º62 North040kmSea020miles ELEVATION 1000m700m500mNº85300m200m100m0 Fraserburgh#] RattrayNorthBaySeaPeterhead#\ Ben NevisClimb the highest Munroof them all (p000) Glen CoeDramatic scenery meetsdeep history (p000)
Scotland’s Highlands & Islandse0#0 WWWWWW‚ºººººº834576 ToShetlandIslands(seeInset)ROAD DISTANCES (mi)Shetland BirdlifeNote: DistancesBritish birdwatching’s mostare approximateInverness66impressive experience (p239)ATLANTICKyle of Lochalsh8276OCEANMallaig3410644 8512011045ObanOld Man of HoyOrkneyNº95Tallest sea stack inIslandsScrabster230238214119185#\Britain (p234)#\KirkwallStromness1251611668813590Ullapool hsmlaharsceisoltleLigsDunnetWn bifnaor aHeadetla MeyelrraJohnStrathyvbScrabsterlcoyMnOS#\CapeWrathKF#\PointI#\O'Groats#\#\Dunnet#\DurnessBettyhillButtof#\ThursoLewisMelvich#\#\Kinlochbervie#\TongueWick#\Callanish Standing StonesBen HopeRMysterious prehistoric(927m)Lybster#\stone circle (p212)Ben More#]AssyntStornowayEnard(998m)Loch#\RBayShinLochinverHelmsdaleThe#\MinchNorthHarris#\Lairg#\GolspieBrora#\BonarUllapoolTarbert#\Dornoch#\Bridge#\#\Portmahomack#\Beinn#\RTainDeargTheLittleMoray#\(1084m)An TeallachMinchGairlochRFirth(1062m)#\LochmaddyInvergordonElginUig#\33LochDingwall#\#\BanffMareeBlcak#\#\Trotternish#\StrathpefferIsleNairnDufftownInvernessBeaches of South HarrisDunveganPortreeHuntly#\#\#]ySpectacular white-sande#\#\pSbeaches (p214)33Isle ofLochnGrantown-on-SpeyKyleofLochalshoNess#\SkyeKyleakinvA#\c Cuillin HillsCraggy peaks andinaccessible pinnacles (p000) Picturesque IonaScotland’s mostsacred island (p000) The West Highland WayThe best Highlandhiking (p000)
3333
3333cnCuillinHillsAviemoreoMonadhliathGlen#\DLochboisdaleR#\MountainsAffric#\Sleat#\CairngormFiveSistersStrathdonAberdeen#^ElgolFortAugustus33333333#\MountainsKingussieofKintailKnoydart#\(1068m)PeninsulaIsle ofNewtonmore#\eMorroneNº75eBraemarDMallaigRum#\(859m)#\RIsleStonehavenCuillin Hills#]SeaoftheNof EiggoCraggy peaks andr#\3333GrampiantHebridesCairngormsLochailorthMountainsnaccessible pinnacles (p201)RIsle ofE#]BenNevisPlayground for outdoorEdzells#\FortWilliamMuck(1344m)kenthusiasts (p126)BrechinKinlochleven#\#\#\KirriemuirPitlochry#\Coll#\Montrose#\GlencoeAberfeldyTobermory#\ForfarGlenLyon#\Blairgowrie#\LochalineArbroathBen#\Glen CoeDunkeldLismore#\#\#\R#\Lawers#\SalenTireeBen NevisLochPicturesque IonaDundee(1214m)Connel#\TayClimb the highest MunroCraignure#^#\Scotland’s most#\BroughtyFerry#\LochLomond#]of them all (p153)EMullarTaynuiltObannsacred island (p93)&theTrossachs#^333333PerthFirthCrieff#\NationalParkLochStAndrewsofTay#\#÷EarnFalklandArgyll#\#\InverarayArrocharIsle ofForest#\Kinross#\ATLANTICColonsayParkKirkcaldyStirlingKilmartin#\333333#÷#^#]FirthofOCEANLochDunfermline#\CrinanForthLomond#\Helensburgh#\#\#\AberdourDunbarOronsayLochgilpheadStrathblaneCulross#\#\Falkirk#\DunoonHaddington#\Nº65Cockburnspath#\#_Isle of#]#]#\DumbartonKyles#\JuraGreenockStAbbsEdinburgh#\#\ofButeColdinghamEyemouth#\#^The Road to the IslesGlasgowLammermuirIsle of#\#]Stunning scenery andBerwick-upon-TweedMotherwell#\#\HillsBlantyreIslaydDunseJacobite history (p156)MoorfootewPeeblesLanarkLagganHillsIsle#\TBiggar#\#\#\Bayof ArranArdrossanMelrose#\#\Coldstream#]Galashiels#\#\#\KintyreKilmarnockKelsoBrodick#\SelkirkAyrAyrThe West Highland Way#\#]Glen CoeBay#]JedburghCampbeltownThe best HighlandFirthof#]Dramatic scenery meetsHawick33Clydehiking (p99)deep history (p146)#MullofGallowayKintyreENGLANDBuncranaForestStJohn's#\GirvanPark#]TownofNewcastletonColeraineN#\#÷#÷#\itRDalryh333#\MerrickNorthumberlandNewcastle-NorthDumfries#]#](843m)NationalNº55Derry#\upon-TyneChannelParkLetterkenny#^#\StranraerNORTHERN#\Castle#]#]#]#^Carlisle33Douglas#\IRELANDSunderlandMacharsStrabane#\Larne#\LucePortpatrickPeninsulaSolwayKirkcudbrightBayFirthWigtownHartlepoolBurrowBayMullof#\#_BelfastHeadGalloway Sldl
i
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
8
Scotland’s Highlands
& Islands’
Top 19