Road Tripping Scotland Part Two: From Ullapool to Glasgow
July 24th
We woke up feeling rested and ready for the second longest drive on our Scotland road trip (yep, back to back driving days—this is a road trip after all!) Google Maps said that this part of our trip (from Ullapool to Wick) would take a little of 4 hours. It actually took us a little over 6 hours with stops along the way.
We started by visiting the 16th Ardvreck Castle on Loch Assynt. This ruined castle is said to be haunted as many gruesome killings were once done on the land and in the castle.
We continued driving along taking in all the gorgeous views, which we never ever got tired of. Our favorite part of this drive was what we affectionately called Waterfall Spotting. There are so many waterfalls that can just be seen from the road. Some were large, some small, all were beautiful! We also ran into some more Highland Cows!
The sky started getting pretty dark and eerie at this point, but fortunate for us, we made a turn and didn’t have to drive right through the storm!
Where we stayed: A bright and sunny AirBnB right on the NC500 in Wick.
July 25th
Today we woke up to a sunny morning and decided to do a coastal walk starting from the nearby town of John O’ Groats. The walk took us along the coast and through fields of many, many onlooking sheep up to Duncansby Head Lighthouse. We then continued on the trail to the Stacks of Duncansby.
Along the walk, I decided to be “brave” and attempt to jump over a large puddle. Unfortunately, it was much more slippery than I anticipated and rather than making it over the puddle, I ended up in the puddle. This is my life y’all.
After walking back with one sopping wet foot, we split an order of fish and chips at The Cabin in John O’ Groats before perusing the craft shops.
Where we stayed: The same AirBnB in Wick.
July 26th
Today we drove out to Dunnet Head Lighthouse, the UK’s most Northernly point! The place was pretty deserted, so we wandered around alone.
When then stopped at the beach to soak up the sun and read! The water was crystal clear but pretty cold.
Where we stayed: The same AirBnB in Wick.
July 27th
Today we had a lie-in and got a late start on the next part of our road trip. We headed from Wick to Inverness, the land of the famous Loch Ness monster! Google Maps told us it would take us about 2 hours and 30 minutes and it really took us about 3 hours.
We spent the rest of our day in our incredible AirBnB. We’re definitely in the “relaxing stage” of our trip and this AirBnB is definitely helped with that! The fresh flowers, welcome basket filled with fresh milk, orange juice, shortbread cookies, bread, jams, and more, the handmade gift, the log burning fireplace, and the bathrobes have created such a relaxing atmosphere that we’ve found ourselves not wanting to even leave! But don’t worry, we’re going to look for Nessie while we’re here!
Where we stayed: The amazing AirBnB described above!
July 28th
Today we spent our morning drinking coffee and reading until we finally decided to leave our glorious AirBnB to head to the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition, which tells the story of the world’s most famous monster, Nessie, who lives in the Loch (lake) of Loch Ness. The exhibition is a video experience compiling some of the sightings, the science behind whether Nessie can or cannot exist, and all the research that’s gone into finding her. We feel like this is a must do if you’re coming out to Loch Ness!
Where we stayed: The same spectacular AirBnB.
July 29th
Today is our last full day in Scotland! So we spent it doing what anyone would do, searching for Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster!
We drove out along Loch Ness down to Fort Augustus, where we picked up a short portion of the Loch Ness 360 Trail, from Fort Augustus to Foyers. We did not do this whole trail, but we did walk until we were able to get a great view of the Loch. We parked ourselves here, looking out into the famous Loch for any signs of the well known Nessie. It’s at this point that I wish I could say that we spotted a long neck, multiple humps, or tail jutting out of the water, but alas, we did not. We did see quite a few wakes, sticks, and other floating items in the Loch, which one could say might resemble an aquatic beast.
After searching for Nessie, we headed back to our AirBnB and I soaked up some sunshine, catching up on blogging, reading, and drinking copious amounts of tea.
Where we stayed: The same spectacular AirBnB.
July 30th
Today we woke up early and began the very last leg of our road trip: returning our car to the Glasgow Airport. We drove from our AirBnB in Inverness to the Glasgow Airport, which took us a little less than 4 hours to drop off our sweet lil Mini Coop, which Michael affectionately named Myra.
International road tripping is something we were new to coming into this extended trip. In our time traveling together, Michael and I have only rented one car before to drive down to Florida. If you’ve read my travel blogs before, the Ireland and Scotland Road Tripping Series may have read a bit different to you, and that’s totally okay. We weren’t sure going into it if this type of trip would be something we really enjoyed. It didn’t have the same “adventure, roughing it” type feel as some of the other trips we’ve been fortunate enough to take. However, after driving over almost 2,000 miles in both Ireland and Scotland, after listening to countless audiobooks, seeing ridiculously beautiful views including too many sheep to count, and getting lost with my best friend in foreign countries, it’s safe to say that road tripping is another form of travel that I’ve fallen in love with. And that’s the whole reason to travel in the first place, right? To discover new places, people, and cultures while finding out more about yourself along the way.
Thanks for reading my road tripping series! I’ve got one final travel post for you coming soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
Until then, safe travels,
Emily
