Le Carrera Caledonia and Skye

Returned from Scotland earlier this week were we did the (unofficial) Carrera Caledonia and some walking on the Isle of Skye afterwards. Again McJim succeeded in putting a great route together over some very interesting roads through the heart of Scotland. As Le Carrera did cover a fair amount of miles per day there was not too much time left to take much pictures. Or was it that I did enjoy the driving too much and forgot about it! I won’t bother you with too much boring details of the run itself or the walking, as a selection of pictures tell so much more!

Day 1 - Setting off for Britain

‘t Kreng cueing patiently for the ferry

The building of the Ijmuiden harbour authorities

Ships anchoring at IJmuiden roadstead’s

René on board of the Princess of Norway, shortly after leaving harbour

Day 2 - Arriving in Kelbrook

As you can see from the pictures below it was rather wet at The Old Stone Trough in Kelbrook where a fair number of CT members rallied before the start. So we headed for the bar instead …

Day 3 - First leg of the Carrera Caledonia

Day one of the unofficial Carrera Caledonia took is from Southwaite Services towards the halfway point in Callander. This is the red line in the picture above. The green line represents the second day, and the yellow lines are the other roads driven over this holiday.

Rallying at Southwaite Services

En route somewhere in the southern areas of Scotland and chasing another TR7

Rather sad looking telephone booth in the cheerful town centre of Callander

McJim having a private discussion with Tim B
or Scotlandshire clansman meets English gentlemen driver 😋

Battle stains on the boot lid of one of the Club Triumph entries

Our hotel for the night, the Victorian Dreadnought Hotel.
It looked as if it hadn’t been touched since it opened,
but I can say that since we left there it has been refurbished!

Day 4 - Second leg of the Carrera Caledonia

International odd TR gathering along the shores of Loch Rannoch
(English TR3, German TR5 and Dutch TR7)

View across Loch Rannoch from its shores near Camghouran

‘t Kreng somewhere along the same shores of Loch Rannoch

Day 5 - Torvaig and the Bile of Portree

After Le Carrera had finished in Coylumbridge, some well-deserved beers and a good night’s rest, we headed north-west towards the Isle of Skye, and its “capital” Portree, for some walking. With the first walk being a leisurely ramble along the shores of Loch Portree and the Sound of Raasay

View over Loch Portree from Mill Road

Along the shores of the Sound of Raasay near Sgeir Mhòr

Weathered tree, Bile of Torvaig

Sound of Raasay seen from the Bile of Torvaig

Dry stone wall near Cnoc a' Chrochaire

A view of Loch Portree from Ben Chracaig

Loch Portree seen from Scorrybreck Road

Ancient garden gate, Scorrybreck Road Portree

Brightly painted cottage, Mill Road Portree

Day 6 - Rubha Hunish & The Quiraing 

The first full day on the island we headed towards the northern most parts of Skye to first explore The Quiraing. This is a landslip on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach, the northernmost summit of the Trotternish Ridge, and was formed by a great series of landslides. The Quiraing is the only part of the slip still moving, as a result of which the road at its base (near Floddygarry) requires repairs each year ...

View across the Quiraing from Cnoc a' Mhèirlich

View across the Quiraing from Creag Loisgte

At the foot of “The Prison”

View from Fir Bhreugach across Rubha Hunish and the Aird

After this lovely walk in the morning and a simple lunch served from a van in the parking lot at the start/finish of the walk, we headed further north to explore the northernmost point of Skye, Rubha Hunish. Or the Point of the Bear. A peninsula which, when viewed from the towering cliffs, seems utterly inaccessible. It isn’t!

Remains of Erisco seen from Meall Tuath

Tulm Bay and the ruins of Duntulm Castle seen from Meall Tuath

Heather roots, Meall Tuath

Rubha Hunish and Loch Hunish seen from the cliff face of Meall Tuath

The isles of Fladaigh Chuain seen from Rubha Hunish

In the previous picture these isles were clearly visible.

Not so a few years earlier when almost everything was hidden by a dense blanket of fog!

Port Lag a’ Bhleodhainn seen from the south-east coast of Rubha Hunish, looking south

Port Lag a’ Bhleodhainn seen from the south-east coast of Rubha Hunish, looking east

Tulm Bay with the ruins of Duntulm Castle in the back ground

't Kreng waiting patiently in a deserted parking lot near Duntulm

Day 7 – Ramasaig, Lorgill & The Hoe

At the end of the unclassified road off the B884 from Glendale, on the north-east coast of the Isle of Skye. Or almost at the end of the world, and the only car we encountered was a police patrol!?

Abandoned crofters cottage in Lorgill, abandoned during the “Clearances”

Remains of an abandoned life boat near the beach of Lorgill Bay

View from Hoe Point across Lorgill Bay, towards Idrigill Point and The Cuillins

A lobster fisher, some 200 meters below Hoe Point

View from the shore of Ramasaig Bay across Moonen Bay, Neist Point and North Uist

Scottish Beef, Ramasaig

‘t Kreng at the end of the road, Ramasaig

Day 8 - The Camasunary, Loch Scavaig & Elgol

In the walking guide we used during the various walks it said that "With the great Cuillin range behind, Loch Scavaig on the Isle of Skye is known for sudden and violent squalls. The scenery is simply spectacular, and the often dismal weather only adds to the atmosphere". I guess we were lucky!

View from Gladach a’ Ghlinne across Loch Scavaig towards Sgurr nan Eag, Sgurr Dubh Mor and Sgurr na Stri

Rain clouds over the Cuillins, as seen from Càrn Mòr across Loch Scavaig

Camasunary, Marsco and Sgurr na Stri seen from Càrn Mòr

The Cuillins Hills towering high over a lobster fisher navigating  Loch Scavaig
seen from Càrn Mòr

Abandoned cottage and telephone booth beside the B8083 in Elgol

View across Loch Slapin, Drinan

Lobster cages on the shore of Loch Slapin, Cadha nan Ingrean

‘t Kreng waiting patiently in another deserted parking space along the B8083
Cnoc an Taibhse

Day 9 - Blair Atholl

Or how we took our time to get from Portree to Blair Atholl and spent a lazy afternoon around the beer garden of the Atholl Arm’s Hotel in the centre of the village …

In the nice and quiet beer garden of the Atholl Arms Hotel

Blair Atholl railway station

Fencing in a back yard near the railway station

Much needed beer supply!

An inquisitive bee on my camera

Gate at Blair Atholl’s parish church

Blair Atholl parish church’s info table

Day 10 - Loch Tummel

Last walk of this holiday. Starting from Blair Atholl we headed up Tulach hill through the Tay Forest park towards Loch Tummel, and its famous “Queen’s View”. And from there back to Blair Atholl along a parallel route …

Balnald cottage, seen from Drumnagowan

A damp fence along a lane near Balnald

Queen’s View, Loch Tummel

Hunting trophies, road kill or just to scare of burglars
Tomanraid cottage

Craig Eallaich and Killiecrankie seen from Tulach Hill

Day 11 - Going Home

A final picture taken at dusk on board of the ferry King of Scandinavia
that took us back to the continent

  

Oh and as usually the car behaved rather well. Only a slightly noisy alternator bearing and less than half a litre of oil consumption (and leaking) over nearly 3000 kilometres of mostly spirited driving. Nothing worth mentioning really! So back to work tomorrow and also back to work on the DHC.

Edited 2019-06-15: As it was exactly 10 years ago today that I returned home from this lovely trip, I thought it a good idea to re-process all pictures using the latest version of Adobe’s Camera RAW and Photoshop CC. Also added a few extra pictures in the process. I hope you enjoyed them!

(in fond memory of René Claessens † 30-11-2017)