Tuesday 23 October 2018

Corrour Station - Rannoch Station walk 15/09/18

After a good bit of map planning and pouring over train timetables, we packed up the car and drove to rannoch station, the start of our 20 minute train journey to corrour station and a 12 mile walk across the rannoch moor back to rannoch station.
Only minutes into the car journey, Lesley stopped the car and rescued a wee dog that had escaped from the owners garden, no name tag meant knocking on doors trying to find the rightful owner, much clock watching as missing our train would have totally scuppered our plans, not sure the wee Scottie could have made the 12 mile walk with us. The owner turned up and we were on our way again.
We managed to arrive early enough for a visit to the rannoch station tearoom, Sitka was allowed in too for dog biscuits and a seat by the heater.
The train arrived, not much room left as it serves the west highland line between Glasgow and Fort William.
Sitkas first time in a tearoom and his first train journey.

Rannoch Station

Lesley looking happy, Sitka not so much, still to sample the tearoom dog biscuits 

Tearoom

End of the platform

Sitka in the tearoom, happy dog now

Sitka not sure of the shoogly train

Leum Uilleim otherwise known as the Trainspotting hill

Weather looking good for the walk

Train track heading to Fort William

Lesley and Sitka on the Trainspotting bridge

Sitka and me not acting out Trainspotting 

Bonnie colours


Corrour station, the highest mainline station in the UK

After a great feed at Corrour station, it was time to do some walking, well worth a visit if you are up here.


Sitka loving the scenery

Loch Ossian

Few miles walked already

Good wee stop off for food and some reflection

Corrour estate sign

No idea what this contraption was for

The rain coming our way, time for the waterproofs

The rain cleared thankfully

The rain still over Glencoe way

Rannoch viaduct

Rannoch station resident deer

Friday 12 October 2018

August Holiday in Orkney Part 6

Friday morning and time to leave the Orkney Islands for the last night of our holiday at Fortrose Bay campsite. Hopefully we will be back again to explore more of the other islands, the roads were very quiet, no potholes, and the people we met were very friendly, well worth a visit as long as you manage to avoid the coach loads of tourists.

Thankfully not our ferry back to the mainland

Sitkas first visit to John O Groats

Multi coloured houses

A stop off at Latheronwheel

Horseshoe shaped bay

The grand finale of of our holidays at Chanonry Point, a dolphin display on the Friday night and the Saturday morning.

Saturday 6 October 2018

August holiday in Orkney part 5

On the Thursday we woke to another beautiful sunny morning at Eviedale Campsite, packed up the tent then drove down to Aikerness to visit the Broch of Gurness. This iron age settlement began sometime between 500 and 200 BC.


The central stone tower in Scotlands best preserved Broch village



Eynhallow Island in the distance

A beautiful day for a walk along the beach looking back to Eviedale

Sitka loving his holiday

On the way back to South Ronaldsay we stopped off to view Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow and the Churchill Barriers

The Pentalina Ferry docked in St Margarets Hope

Our Thursday afternoon walk along the south coast

Crashing waves and a brave seagull overlooking Muckle Skerry Island

Abandoned lookout tower 

Curious seal

Lesley and Sitka enjoying the sunshine

Friday 5 October 2018

August Holiday in Orkney Part 4

On the Wednesday morning we woke to sunshine at Eviedale Campsite, breakfast cooked on the stove then a trip to the Ring of Brodgar which was mega busy with coach loads of tourists. The ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic henge and stone circle, generally assumed to have been erected between 2500 BC and 2000 BC.

Overlooking Eynhallow Sound from Eviedale

Big game of tourist musical stones

Lesley and Sitka


Me and Sitka posing for the camera

Back to Stromness for another tearoom visit beside the harbour

The Hudsons Bay Company building


A bit of a dreich afternoon visit to Skara Brae, a Neolithic village in Sandwick




Time to get away from the crowds for a walk along the Yesnaby cliffs


Yesnaby Castle sea stack


An evening visit to see the Stenness Stones, the coach loads of tourists all gone by this time thankfully