Adventures for Anyone: To the West! Of Scotland!

I'm back to the bucket list that my friends made with Merle's choice, Scotland. I also have Jenn's list that includes the Lochs of Scotland. Well, Scotland is a big topic, so I've been breaking it down into parts, and some of the Lochs are in this part.

We're talking about the Western Highlands of Scotland today. This is not about Glasgow. That will come later. This is not about the islands. That will come later. This is about the area that is quite sparsely populated west of Glasgow to the coast and a little bit north as well. It's the home of some very interesting areas, and a lot of outdoor activity.

So, here you go girls!

Let's start with a landmark. Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in Great Britain. It is a famous and popular hiking spot with amazing highland scenery along the way. The summit has a great view on a good day, which brings me to the practical side of visiting this area.

Scotland and the whole United Kingdom are an ecosystem. We run into the same problem with the Pacific Northwest in the US. The United Kingdom sits on the west coast of Europe and is in fact, a series of islands in the Atlantic. This makes an ecosystem of wetness. A lot of people will tell you that the sun never shines, it never really gets warm, it doesn't snow except in the higher locations most of the time. Sound familiar? It's the same basic thoughts that you hear in Seattle, Washington.

So, when you travel in this area, it's wise to have a backup plan for the outdoor activities. The problem in the Western Highlands is that most of the area is wide open wilderness. Therefore, this area is not for the city folks. This area is more adaptable to Braveheart for a long period of time.

That being said, there are always towns. There aren't a lot of cities in the area. Most towns like Fort William, Tyndrum, and Glencoe are small. They will have a small place to stay and some pubs and stuff, but they are not cities. You will have to adapt.

Now, if you like that, you will love this area. There's a 96 KM hiking trail called the West Highland Way. For hikers, this is an amazing trip through mountains, lochs, tiny towns and back roads. There are even a few castles out this way. Bring your camera. There's a lot to take photos of.

The wildlife is gorgeous, and you can book a tour just to go out on a highland safari and see the animals.

Another spot in this area is Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. All around the Loch is a protected area with beautiful wildlife, scenic vistas and views, the West Highland Way goes right through it and there are a couple of castles in the area. Everything is gorgeous and worth a drive, hike or bike.

Doune Castle and Eilean Donan Castle are two of the better known castles in this region, but there are some other ruins around to see as well. There are a lot of castles in Scotland, and this area is one of the more sparsely populated with castles, so if that's what you're there for, this may not be your area.

I won't lie, if you've never been to this area, your best bet is a tour. There are some very abandoned feeling areas, it's very rugged, and it can all look alike. So, that being said, if you want to take a tour of the west coast, a cruise is a great way to go. Like it's northern neighbor, Norway, Scotland has a dramatic western coast and a ton of islands, which I will discuss later. A boat or ship isn't a bad way to go. However, don't go calling the regular cruise lines. Call a Scottish or British company to get the best times to travel, the best way and the best bang for your buck. They know the land. This isn't for Celebrity or Disney to handle.

While in the area, enjoy the culture. These folks are known for it. You can drop by the Ben Nevis Distillery and try the whiskey. Don't forget, Scots are known for their whiskey. When in Rome, I always say.

The other thing besides golf and highland games, like caber toss, is Shinty. Shinty is a time honored sport in Scotland, dating back long before its cousins that its compared to like Field Hockey. The sport is similar, but far more contact and a blast to watch.

Then, there is the one positively universal reason to visit the Western Highlands. Harry Potter. That's right, fans, this area is full of movie sets and movies sites. Even the train travels along the route to Hogwarts. There are many ways to take on the challenge of looking at all the movie spots. You can do it yourself with a car and a map. You can take a tour that will help you find all the spots. That's always my best advice, because frankly, they didn't film most of that movie in big cities. They put Hagrid way out in the middle of nowhere by Glencoe.

As I said, for an area that appears to be full of nothing but space, the Western Highlands of Scotland have a lot to offer. It has rugged beauty, small villages, wild animals, castles, lochs, some hard liquor, and magic. It's a great place to get away from it all and have an amazing time. That about wraps it up for this section of Scotland. Just make sure you check travel rules for Covid-19 before you go and enjoy!

https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/fort-william/see-do/

https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/unique-experiences-map/boarding-a-famous-steam-train/

https://shinty.com/

https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/iconic-scotland/ben-nevis/

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/ben-nevis-distillery-p421401

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/accommodation/search-results?prodtypes=acco&loc=Glencoe&locplace=7621&locprox=1&areaproxdist=10&stay=&endDate=&r1a=2&r1children=0&r1infants=0&r1c=0&avail=off

https://www.vrbo.com/search/keywords:glencoe-ballachulish-scotland-united-kingdom/arrival:2021-10-06/departure:2021-10-15/filter:76?petIncluded=false

https://www.kilcamblodge.co.uk/blog/around-scotland/wild-scotland-10-magnificent-animals-to-spot-in-the-highlands

https://www.wildwest.scot/

https://www.westhighlandway.org/accommodation/

https://scotland.nordicvisitor.com/travel-deals/highland-tours/?rf=m61226-04&utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=accommodations%20western%20highlands%20scotland&utm_content=scotland+highlands+accommodation+04&utm_campaign=SC+m61226+scotland+highlands&msclkid=48ec4e4eeece1bfbe0462f0d71266869

https://www.getyourguide.com/-l1934/-tc12/?cmp=ga&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=377151729&cq_con=1250145192458199&cq_term=scottish%20highlands%20castle&cq_med=&cq_plac=&cq_net=o&cq_pos=&cq_plt=gp&campaign_id=377151729&adgroup_id=1250145192458199&target_id=kwd-78134308688009%3Aloc-190&loc_physical_ms=44755&match_type=e&ad_id=&keyword=scottish%20highlands%20castle&ad_position=&feed_item_id=&placement=&device=c&partner_id=CD951&msclkid=c6990491d35819486f4165d24d5583a2&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=dc%3D35%3Agb%7Clc%3D1934%3Ascottish%20highlands%7Cct%3Dcore%7Cln%3D29%3Aen%7Ctc%3Dus&utm_term=scottish%20highlands%20castle&utm_content=lc%3D1934%3Ascottish%20highlands%7Cfn%3Df4%7Cci%3D969%3Acastle%20tour