A week in Glenelg

Glenelg April 2012 Bryan Hogg Member of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association Is there a difference between research and fun? A tourist guide in Scotland visits many of the great sites that this small country has to offer. Fantastic castles, superb museums, great cites etc, but for me it's the less well known corners that hold the greatest appeal. I have been wandering round Scotland for years, now as a guide but initially to walk the hills, rock climb, kayak, fish for trout in the hill lochs and sometimes just to go and have a look at interesting places. The tourist trail hits the "must see" locations and for visitors with limited time it's the way to do it, but if you have space in your schedule, take some of the side roads and you will find places that have a more relaxed vibe and less of the trappings of the normal tourist hotspots. One such corner of the Highlands is Glenelg. Accessible only by a road which has it's beginnings in the 1700's as a military road or by the last turntable ferry in the UK which is the best way to get to and from the island of Skye in my opinion, it is not easy to get to for the faint hearted or by those travelling by coach. This means that the pub, shop, and cafes do not need to cater for large numbers and as such people have time to chat, answer questions and advise on the best places to go and what to see. And there is lots to see and do here. Being Scotland the weather is always going to play it's part in any activities but to quote one of Scotland's favourite sons, Billy Connoly, "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes", so bring a pair of boots and a waterproof jacket and get out there! I am staying with a friend who has rented a cottage for a few weeks and several of us are taking advantage of her good nature and have come to visit. The weather has been remarkably good and listening to the forecast for other parts of the UK it seems we are much better off than most. We have been walking, fishing both for trout and in the sea, visiting archeological sites and looking for and sometimes watching wildlife. The deer in the picture was totally unconcerned about our presence and looked rather put out the we had disturbed him! Looking south from here we get a fine view of the Islands of Eigg and Rum . (have fiddled around with the colours). Rum is the island where a number of years ago the White Tailed Sea Eagle was reintroduced to Scotland. They are doing well and are seen all over this area.....but not this week, we live in hope! The other animal on the “tick list” are otters. They are pretty common around here but as yet we have been unlucky. The other morning we got up early and went to Sandaig, a few miles along the coast. It is well known as the home of the writer Gavin Maxwell whose best known book “Ring of Bright Water” was centred on Sandaig in the 1960s. Maxwell died in 1969 and the house burnt down. There is no sign of the house now, the stones have been cleared and all that remains is a plaque to the otter and to the author. It’s a fantastic place and even though we didn’t see any otters, just being there for a few hours with the place to ourselves made the early start completely worthwhile. Wildlife watching takes up a lot of time here but if the beasties aren’t putting in an appearance there are things to see that don't move much and haven’t done so for 2000 years. Dun Telve and Dun Trodden are two of the best preserved iron age brochs on the Scottish mainland. The structures are unique to Scotland and there are more the 300 recorded sites throughout the country. Many are little more that a pile of stones, but a few really give the impression of what these impressive buildings were like. There are numerous walks all along the coast here and even in the village you can take a short stroll and visit the remains of Bernera Barracks. Constructed during the Jacobite rebellions of the late 1600 to mid 1700s this was one of several bases scattered around the Highlands for government troops who were there to keep the locals from rising against King George in support for “Old Pretender” and laterly his son Prince Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie. The building is now a ruin and looks pretty unsafe but it is substantial. I wonder if it was a popular posting? The weather has been mixed this week though, as mentioned earlier, it's been better here than the rest of the UK. This morning though it's been a bit colder with snow visible on top of the hills over on Sleat on Skye. So, it's probably not the best conditions to try and catch trout in the Glenelg river, but nothing ventured and all that! Short walk from the rented cottage gets me to the bridge over the river and when I was out for a walk yesterday I spotted a couple of likely looking pools that might hold a few fish. Well, they might, but there was no evidence of it on today's result. Conspicuous by their absence might be the best way to describe the fish. I did get a couple of little ones (safely returned) the other day in a hill loch but it certainly isn't a day to head up into the hills. STOP PRESS : Otter update, 1 spotted near the ferry, phew, we can add that that tick to the must see list. So is my visit here research or fun? I think is both and that's the best part. I would love to bring visitors here and the contrast to the number of visitors at nearby Eilean Donan castle is huge. That is part of the attraction, just a few miles away is a different world. This is not the Scotland that is featured on the shortbread tins and postcards but a more authentic experience where you will meet local people who enjoy living and working here. In short, Glenelg is a great place, it will never be a major tourist destination thank goodness, but come for for a look, stay in the hotel, have a coffee in one of the cafes, take the ferry to Skye (Easter to October) and and help keep the community going. It's a tough place to make a living and the summer season is short so why not come in the winter too? The scenery is still here, the wildlife and the walks don't go anywhere and you will have it pretty much to yourself. Remember, no such thing as bad weather!!