First day, from Edinburgh to Fort William
As we had mentioned in previous posts, this was our first trip with our son, at the time 1 year old. So, we thought of various solutions to stay and organize our trip, but the idea of always changing hotels was not the most comfortable. So, we chose a location as central as possible in the Highlands, so that we could then go on car trips during the day, trying to see as many attractions as possible, returning to the same hotel on the 3 nights that that we've been in the Scottish Highlands.
The location of our stay fell to the town of Fort William. It was not for being the most beautiful city in the Highlands, but for its good location, for having a good offer on lodging, catering, supermarkets and, if necessary, health care.
The car rental was done next to Edinburgh airport and, led to an adaptation to drive by the left which, we are bound to say, ran very positively. The biggest challenge is always the roundabouts and the crossroads
So, our first day was to go to the Highlands, making the most of the trip.
Falkirk Wheel- Our first stop was to see the Falkirk Wheel. The curiosity for Falkirk Wheel came after a television documentary seen months ago and, knowing it would be on our way to the Highlands, we had to go, and good thing we did. This is a fantastic engineering work, which allows boats to pass from one water channel to another, with a height difference of 35 meters. Watching the boats go down and up takes about 4 minutes and it's a fantastic feeling. It is possible to do small boat routes and go down/up the wheel but we just had a coffee in the terrace and see how it works.
To get there it’s just a small detour to the left when going from Edinburgh to Stirling, very signposted on the road. You can find out more about the Falkirk Wheel here and see how we got there on our google maps itinerary.
Stirling- After a quick visit to the Falkirk Wheel, we headed towards Stirling. Stirling is considered by many to be the gateway to the Highlands and, its castle is one of the most important buildings in Scotland.
Stirling is a beautiful small town, it almost looks like a smaller Edinburgh but with fewer people, but also whit an impressive history. Who among us has never seen the movie Braveheart, with Mel Gibson in the role of William Wallace and manages to forget the importance of the city in the film?
Stirling Castle- This castle sits atop the Old Town of Stirling and, the view from the top is stunning. Staying at the top has to do with your strategic position and how difficult it was to conquer. The visit took about two hours and is highly recommended. The ticket costs 15 pounds for adults and 9 for children from 5 to 15 but for more information and confirmations see here.
Wallace Monument- From the castle you have a great view over the Wallace Monument. At the Wallace Monument you can learn more about the history of this national hero, Sir William Wallace, and even see his famous sword. We did not visit him, we just admired him from the Castle. For more information see here.
Old Stirling Bridge- From the castle exit, we headed towards the Old Stirling Bridge. Contrary to what we saw in the movie Braveheart, the battle in which Wallace makes his famous speech before the Scots win the battle is not done in the open, but rather on a bridge, now famous for that victory. Although not present in the film, it is a place worthy of visiting and full of history.
Glen Coe- Finished our visit to Stirling, we headed towards Glem Coe. I can say that it looks almost as an summary of the landscape of the Highlands, and we feel like we are in the middle of a movie, such is the beauty. The green, water, the animals, all combine in an idyllic setting, so it is not surprising that it was the scenenary of several films. There are no itineraries here, it is to stop whenever you want and be amazed by the beauty around you.
Fort William- The end of our day was in the friendly Fort William, next to the Ben Nevis mountain, where we made our base to continue exploring the Highlands. We stayed at the wonderful Clan Macduff Hotel, facing the lake (or loch, as they say in Scotland) Linnhe. A perfect experience in a perfect place.
