Kyle of Lochalsh, Mainland Scotland
After long flights and varied journeys it was good to set foot on Scottish soil in the ancient city of Inverness, known locally as “the Capital of the Highlands.” We had a few hours in which to explore this busy little city before departing on the coach for the Lord of the Glens. Running through the city centre is the wide, shallow River Ness and the buildings in the area are dominated by the attractive Inverness Castle, now home of the law courts. A nice start to our Scottish adventure.
In the early afternoon we boarded a coach at the railway station and said goodbye to Inverness on the east coast of Scotland as we made the two-hour journey right across Scotland to the little town of Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast of Scotland where our vessel was docked. The journey was spectacular, starting along the banks of the famous Loch Ness and then turning westwards through some stark but romantic glens, seldom travelled by visitors to Scotland.
Eventually we saw ahead of the coach the Isle of Skye with its new road bridge and our ship sitting in a sheltered little dock on the opposite side of the straits in the mainland village Kyle of Lochalsh. We were greeted in authentic Highland style by a piper who piped us aboard the trim vessel. After unpacking we had the chance to explore the elegant public areas of the ship and get oriented for the next few days ahead.
Brian, our hotel manager, guided us through the safety issues of being on a ship and then Expedition Leader Steve Blamires introduced himself and the Lindblad/National Geographic staff. Konia Tack and Rick Atkinson, with Lindblad, both have an extensive knowledge of Scotland, especially the more remote villages and islands. Then Iris Barry and Keenan Smart, from National Geographic, told us of their specialties – archaeology and film-making, respectively – before Steve went over the details for tomorrow’s excursions and hikes.
It had been a long trip and a long day but now we are here. Let the adventure begin!
