Loch Ness, Glencoe and The Highlands | Archive Travel

My travels through Scotland was an amazing solo adventure from the past: welcome to Archive Travel, the blog series.

First posted in Dutch on May 28 2018 and updated on October 31 2024.

On Sunday 6 May 2018 I had a fantastic tour through the Highlands with Timberbush Tours. It was an educational day where I was able to enjoy the vast landscapes, many lakes and various cities.

At 07:45 I had to report to a small parking lot next to the Royal Mile. The sun was already shining brightly in Edinburgh, it promised to be a beautiful day according to the weather forecast. But don’t forget, I was in Scotland and the weather can change within 5 minutes, no matter what the weather reports say. During the registration I immediately met the bus driver and guide who were going to be with us all day. I was immediately very curious how Mark would handle this. Driving through narrow roads will not be easy, let alone telling a lot about the history of Scotland. In any case, Mark had the atmosphere going right away. He welcomed everyone home on the bus, since the bus was our home for the long day that we had ahead of us. We would be on the road with 47 people for more than 12 hours.

Since I was one of the first on the bus, I could still choose a seat. I sat on the right side of the bus. I had found out in advance that most of the sights could be seen best from that side. Especially because we would not be stopping everywhere. I was accompanied by Jazmyn, an Australian girl who had just worked in France for 6 months as a teaching assistant for the English department at a secondary school. Fortunately, we got along well right away and soon we were chatting the whole ride.

Outlander fans here? You will recognize the castle above. 😉

When Mark pointed to this spot on the bus, I let out a cry of happiness. At that moment I was called The Outlander fan. It turned out that I was the only one watching the series on the bus. Okay, Mark had watched a few episodes and thought it was very nice so far and also quite true to the history of Scotland.

Our first stop for a cup of coffee or tea and a pee break was in Kilmahog. A cute village. Nothing special, but a nice place for when you want to make a stop. In the meantime we had driven through quite a few narrow streets and I was amazed by Mark’s knowledge and how he combined that with driving. After Kilmahog we would enter the Highlands. I couldn’t wait!

And yes, here we go, the beautiful Highlands!

In Fort William we made our lunch stop. The moment I knew I was the only Dutch person on the bus, was noticeable when I had brought my own food for the whole day. I had my standard crossbody bag and a linen bag that was full of food and drinks. I always left that linen bag on the bus in the space above your head. I also knew that I would have a hard time as a vegetarian in the Highlands, since most dishes there contain meat. When Mark saw that I had brought my own food, he laughed out loud and immediately guessed that I didn’t eat meat. Even a real Scot thought I had made a smart move.

Oh and for the Outlander fans… Fort William in the TV series was not filmed there. The real fort that is still there is only a ruin.

After Fort William we continued and we were very lucky with the weather, because we could see Ben Nevis! That is the highest mountain in the UK.

Via Fort Augustus we arrived at Loch Ness. There were still several excursion options. I decided not to do any of that, but to enjoy the place itself. Just relax for a while.

Chilling for a while by the water and wow, it was wonderfully relaxing!

Katja is happy! Even my hair seemed to have become a few shades lighter in Scotland.

Scotland is so beautiful!

After sitting by the water for a while, I went for a hike in the nearby forest. Nature lovers among us should definitely not skip this country. It is truly beautiful to be able to see this!

After spending about two hours at Loch Ness, we went to Inverness. I couldn’t really see much of the city, but we did get a good impression of the city through the city tour and an extensive explanation from our guide. Although I would definitely like to visit this city again the next time I am in Scotland.

We had our last stop of the day in Pitlochry, from there we drove back over one of the bridges that brought us to Edinburgh. It was an educational day that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss and super fun thanks to the fantastic guide and bus driver Mark. For anyone who loves history, definitely go on this tour after you have visited the castle and Palace of Holyroodhouse. In combination with this tour I understood Scottish history even better. What a wonderful day; it felt like a discovery trip and I am very happy to have been part of it.

Love,