From TRAVEL: UK & IRELAND
Romantic And Unspoilt Scotland
You know that Scotland has an image of being remote and out of the world. It's just a plot by the Scots to keep the place un-crowded. If you lived in some of the most unspoilt and unhurried parts of Britain, would you want everybody to know? However, the secret is leaking out. In any case, the idea of remoteness, on this modestly sized chunk of land called Scotland, is less to do with distance and more a state of mind or attitude. Good roads and transport links - especially budget airlines - mean some quite out-of-the-way places could be in the frame for a long weekend escape (or longer). All you have to do, as an urban dweller with limited time yet looking for an opportunity to recharge and re-connect, is make some choices.
Check your British atlas. If there was one part of Scotland where all the romantic and unspoilt elements of Scotland's image were distilled into the purest essence, then it would probably be somewhere in Argyll, around the western seaboard, perhaps by the long sea-lochs that reach into this contorted coastline. (This also happens to be the location of the earliest Scottish kingdom, called Dalriada, after the Scots arrived from Ireland.)
Argyll and the Islands make a great escape partly because of their scenic qualities. The mossy oakwoods above seaweed-fringed lochs, the long views westwards to the islands of Islay and Jura, the ever-changing interplay of land and water - it's easy to be lyrical about these places. Better still, an excellent ferry network shortens distances if you drive there. Cross the estuary of the River Clyde west of Glasgow and your escape starts in the lands of Cowal. If time is too short even for short ferry trips and your tastes take in malt whiskies, spectacular overwintering geese, lonely beaches (except for the basking seals) then you should fly out to Islay from Glasgow. (Bring your golf clubs as well.)
You can escape to true wilderness on the neighbouring island of Jura. It has one road, one hotel, one distillery, lots of red deer and hardly any people. Again you'll encounter that special atmosphere of these Hebridean islands - an intoxicating mix (even without the malt whiskies) that assails the senses. The green wiry damp-loving plant called bog myrtle scents the air (though you may not notice it at first), yellow flag iris in the foreground tempts you to click the camera again....it's all very seductive. It's also close enough to enjoy if you have a long weekend.
Talking of scents, there's one of those kilts a-waggling Scottish songs that boldly suggests "You've never smelt the tangle of the isles". This utterly mystifying sentiment to any outsider may be a reference - prosaically - to the hugely characteristic salty, sharp smell of a west coast or Hebridean beach with its drying seaweed (tangle) on the dazzling white sand. Beaches are an essential element of any escape. Stop off the road (sometimes called - The Road to the Isles) between the gateway town of Fort William and the ferry-port of Mallaig and you can discover the White Sands of Morar. They featured in the movie "Local Hero" with Burt Lancaster.
This whole area is also associated with the adventures of Bonnie Prince Charlie. He was perhaps the first to need to "Escape to the Edge" to avoid stress, as his rebel forces had just lost the Battle of Culloden and the opportunity to return the Stuart monarchy to the British throne. At one stage in his wandering, he made it into the wild country north of Mallaig. The Rough Bounds of Knoydart are as trackless today as they were then, though there have been some changes since 1746: for example, the most remote pub in Scotland, plus some high grade accommodation. You can get there by boat, or walk in, as the Prince did. For the mainland, it's ultimate escape country and well worth contemplating with a few days to spare.
The Prince, according to another song, also made it "Over the Sea to Skye". Today, you can take the Mallaig to Armadale ferry, or the less well-known Kylerhea ferry - or just drive across the Skye bridge at Kyle. Visit Skye and you escape to contemplate the most craggy and difficult mountains (for the walker) anywhere in Britain. Take the road to Elgol for a classic view, or stroll up to the bases of the Cuillin Hills from the road-end at Glen Brittle. Skye also has some outstanding accommodation and restaurants so you can still feel very civilised. (You can even get a train to Kyle of Lochalsh and then go exploring by boat.)
Essentially, you can plan your Escape to the Edge just to enjoy the sheer atmosphere of all of these spectacular places on Scotland's western seaboard. Fly/train to Inverness, pick up a car and in very little over an hour you could be in one of the most atmospheric glens in Scotland: Glen Torridon at any season is the sort of place where you put the car in a layby, turn off the engine, step outside and the silence deafens you. Soaring terraces of sandstone, topped by tumbling screes of quartz rock like snow, a glimpse perhaps of a pine marten in the old woods and a golden eagle soaring. Reach for the walking boots (you should have bought them in Inverness on the way through) because this is the sort of landscape you just have to escape into. There are waterfalls, dark corrie-lochs, ancient hill passes all with the air of the edge of beyond. (You will hardly believe that the nearest Marks & Spencer is less than 90 minutes away.)
You get the same sense again if you head north-west from Inverness towards the curious mountains of Sutherland. Take the coastal loop through Inverpolly north of Ullapool and here again the sense of being on the edge of Scotland is strong. Lochans and birchwoods, glimpses of the sea in rocky coves - and time and again strange mountain forms loom - the battlements and pinnacles of Stac Polly, Suilven behind Lochinver humped like a child's sandcastle, Quinag by the Kylesku Bridge all tilting triangles and steep faces. All of this is magical escape country, where you just stop, sit and watch the landscape.
Exploring the mainland edge may be adventure enough. But there are other routes. Ullapool, after all, is the ferry port for the Western Isles. There you can escape not just to the edge, but to the edge of Europe.
Thanks to the media interest in "Castaway", the Western Isles have become a symbol of escape, of taking yourself off on some kind of journey of discovery. Remember, you don't have to be inclined to bouts of introspection to visit. You can just go there to enjoy brilliant beaches, the wildflowers of the shell-sand coastal pasture, called the machair, in late spring; then there is the wildlife (otters almost guaranteed), the culture, the seafood and, well, just the sense of being somewhere completely different. Besides, you'll be in good company, as "House and Garden" magazine just declared both the Western Isles and the islands of the Inner Hebrides to be in the world's top ten island destinations, along with the Bahamas and Mauritius.
In fact, when you start looking at escaping for a break to an island, the north offers quite a choice. You can fly or take the ferry to Orkney, where you will be surprised by the islands' greenness (they raise beef cattle here) and fascinated by the prehistoric sites (more clustered here than anywhere else in Europe, some say). Orkney is one of the UK's most distinctive destinations. This is escape with decidedly cosy overtones. Yes, you can give yourself a little fright by peering over the edge of the cliff which backs the Old Man of Hoy, a landmark rock stack seen from the ferry. (It's a brilliant walk from Rackwick Bay.) But you will be impressed by the quality of the local crafts and jewellery in the shops along the main street of Kirkwall, the principal town.
Finally, if you want a great escape that is really different, you could go right over the horizon to Shetland, which is out of sight from mainland Scotland. Naturally, you can fly. Or you could make an extra little adventure of your trip by taking the comfortable overnight ferry from Aberdeen, which steams northwards for fourteen hours to reach this island grouping. You will instantly be struck by the sense of "northern-ness" about the place. Friendly and sure of its own identity, Shetland, both in the main town of Lerwick or in the smaller communities, feels more Scandinavian than British. The sea is in every view, with spectacular cliff scenery, while the seabird colonies amazing. (It's a very birdy kind of place.)
And if you choose to visit Shetland for your escape to the edge, make time to travel right to the top of Britain. Two short inter-island ferries (frequent and inexpensive) take you to Unst, where you can have fun spotting "most northerly" things, for example, most northerly post office, most northerly beach. You'll find yourself at the end of the road by the national nature reserve at Hermaness. (Look out for skuas here, a kind of piratical heavyweight seagull. During the breeding season, they get a bit territorial and may dive at your head!) A walk across open rising moorland and you will come to a hilltop from where the last land is visible - the lighthouse-topped outlying rocks of Muckle Flugga. There is suddenly no more edge to escape to.
Wherever you choose, right round this westerly and northerly rim of the UK, be assured, it's easier than you may think. Wide accommodation choice, fly-drive packages, organised trips and tours all make it straightforward. You can start by visiting the website www.escapetotheedge.com. This is how you can enjoy that special break, and the sense of re-connecting with yourself. Just take a break on the edge of Scotland.
by Gilbert Summers
Image: Afternoon light on Loch Lochy, Photographer Ian Evans,
Mountain Image Print Collection:
available from www.mountain-images.co.uk.
Check your British atlas. If there was one part of Scotland where all the romantic and unspoilt elements of Scotland's image were distilled into the purest essence, then it would probably be somewhere in Argyll, around the western seaboard, perhaps by the long sea-lochs that reach into this contorted coastline. (This also happens to be the location of the earliest Scottish kingdom, called Dalriada, after the Scots arrived from Ireland.)
Argyll and the Islands make a great escape partly because of their scenic qualities. The mossy oakwoods above seaweed-fringed lochs, the long views westwards to the islands of Islay and Jura, the ever-changing interplay of land and water - it's easy to be lyrical about these places. Better still, an excellent ferry network shortens distances if you drive there. Cross the estuary of the River Clyde west of Glasgow and your escape starts in the lands of Cowal. If time is too short even for short ferry trips and your tastes take in malt whiskies, spectacular overwintering geese, lonely beaches (except for the basking seals) then you should fly out to Islay from Glasgow. (Bring your golf clubs as well.)
You can escape to true wilderness on the neighbouring island of Jura. It has one road, one hotel, one distillery, lots of red deer and hardly any people. Again you'll encounter that special atmosphere of these Hebridean islands - an intoxicating mix (even without the malt whiskies) that assails the senses. The green wiry damp-loving plant called bog myrtle scents the air (though you may not notice it at first), yellow flag iris in the foreground tempts you to click the camera again....it's all very seductive. It's also close enough to enjoy if you have a long weekend.
Talking of scents, there's one of those kilts a-waggling Scottish songs that boldly suggests "You've never smelt the tangle of the isles". This utterly mystifying sentiment to any outsider may be a reference - prosaically - to the hugely characteristic salty, sharp smell of a west coast or Hebridean beach with its drying seaweed (tangle) on the dazzling white sand. Beaches are an essential element of any escape. Stop off the road (sometimes called - The Road to the Isles) between the gateway town of Fort William and the ferry-port of Mallaig and you can discover the White Sands of Morar. They featured in the movie "Local Hero" with Burt Lancaster.
This whole area is also associated with the adventures of Bonnie Prince Charlie. He was perhaps the first to need to "Escape to the Edge" to avoid stress, as his rebel forces had just lost the Battle of Culloden and the opportunity to return the Stuart monarchy to the British throne. At one stage in his wandering, he made it into the wild country north of Mallaig. The Rough Bounds of Knoydart are as trackless today as they were then, though there have been some changes since 1746: for example, the most remote pub in Scotland, plus some high grade accommodation. You can get there by boat, or walk in, as the Prince did. For the mainland, it's ultimate escape country and well worth contemplating with a few days to spare.
The Prince, according to another song, also made it "Over the Sea to Skye". Today, you can take the Mallaig to Armadale ferry, or the less well-known Kylerhea ferry - or just drive across the Skye bridge at Kyle. Visit Skye and you escape to contemplate the most craggy and difficult mountains (for the walker) anywhere in Britain. Take the road to Elgol for a classic view, or stroll up to the bases of the Cuillin Hills from the road-end at Glen Brittle. Skye also has some outstanding accommodation and restaurants so you can still feel very civilised. (You can even get a train to Kyle of Lochalsh and then go exploring by boat.)
Essentially, you can plan your Escape to the Edge just to enjoy the sheer atmosphere of all of these spectacular places on Scotland's western seaboard. Fly/train to Inverness, pick up a car and in very little over an hour you could be in one of the most atmospheric glens in Scotland: Glen Torridon at any season is the sort of place where you put the car in a layby, turn off the engine, step outside and the silence deafens you. Soaring terraces of sandstone, topped by tumbling screes of quartz rock like snow, a glimpse perhaps of a pine marten in the old woods and a golden eagle soaring. Reach for the walking boots (you should have bought them in Inverness on the way through) because this is the sort of landscape you just have to escape into. There are waterfalls, dark corrie-lochs, ancient hill passes all with the air of the edge of beyond. (You will hardly believe that the nearest Marks & Spencer is less than 90 minutes away.)
You get the same sense again if you head north-west from Inverness towards the curious mountains of Sutherland. Take the coastal loop through Inverpolly north of Ullapool and here again the sense of being on the edge of Scotland is strong. Lochans and birchwoods, glimpses of the sea in rocky coves - and time and again strange mountain forms loom - the battlements and pinnacles of Stac Polly, Suilven behind Lochinver humped like a child's sandcastle, Quinag by the Kylesku Bridge all tilting triangles and steep faces. All of this is magical escape country, where you just stop, sit and watch the landscape.
Exploring the mainland edge may be adventure enough. But there are other routes. Ullapool, after all, is the ferry port for the Western Isles. There you can escape not just to the edge, but to the edge of Europe.
Thanks to the media interest in "Castaway", the Western Isles have become a symbol of escape, of taking yourself off on some kind of journey of discovery. Remember, you don't have to be inclined to bouts of introspection to visit. You can just go there to enjoy brilliant beaches, the wildflowers of the shell-sand coastal pasture, called the machair, in late spring; then there is the wildlife (otters almost guaranteed), the culture, the seafood and, well, just the sense of being somewhere completely different. Besides, you'll be in good company, as "House and Garden" magazine just declared both the Western Isles and the islands of the Inner Hebrides to be in the world's top ten island destinations, along with the Bahamas and Mauritius.
In fact, when you start looking at escaping for a break to an island, the north offers quite a choice. You can fly or take the ferry to Orkney, where you will be surprised by the islands' greenness (they raise beef cattle here) and fascinated by the prehistoric sites (more clustered here than anywhere else in Europe, some say). Orkney is one of the UK's most distinctive destinations. This is escape with decidedly cosy overtones. Yes, you can give yourself a little fright by peering over the edge of the cliff which backs the Old Man of Hoy, a landmark rock stack seen from the ferry. (It's a brilliant walk from Rackwick Bay.) But you will be impressed by the quality of the local crafts and jewellery in the shops along the main street of Kirkwall, the principal town.
Finally, if you want a great escape that is really different, you could go right over the horizon to Shetland, which is out of sight from mainland Scotland. Naturally, you can fly. Or you could make an extra little adventure of your trip by taking the comfortable overnight ferry from Aberdeen, which steams northwards for fourteen hours to reach this island grouping. You will instantly be struck by the sense of "northern-ness" about the place. Friendly and sure of its own identity, Shetland, both in the main town of Lerwick or in the smaller communities, feels more Scandinavian than British. The sea is in every view, with spectacular cliff scenery, while the seabird colonies amazing. (It's a very birdy kind of place.)
And if you choose to visit Shetland for your escape to the edge, make time to travel right to the top of Britain. Two short inter-island ferries (frequent and inexpensive) take you to Unst, where you can have fun spotting "most northerly" things, for example, most northerly post office, most northerly beach. You'll find yourself at the end of the road by the national nature reserve at Hermaness. (Look out for skuas here, a kind of piratical heavyweight seagull. During the breeding season, they get a bit territorial and may dive at your head!) A walk across open rising moorland and you will come to a hilltop from where the last land is visible - the lighthouse-topped outlying rocks of Muckle Flugga. There is suddenly no more edge to escape to.
Wherever you choose, right round this westerly and northerly rim of the UK, be assured, it's easier than you may think. Wide accommodation choice, fly-drive packages, organised trips and tours all make it straightforward. You can start by visiting the website www.escapetotheedge.com. This is how you can enjoy that special break, and the sense of re-connecting with yourself. Just take a break on the edge of Scotland.
by Gilbert Summers
Image: Afternoon light on Loch Lochy, Photographer Ian Evans,
Mountain Image Print Collection:
available from www.mountain-images.co.uk.
.gif)
.gif)
