“There’s no destination. The journey is all that there is, and it can be very, very joyful.”
Srikumar Rao
You may have seen from my last few posts that Hub and I were away during September on a magnificent tour of the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides. Now that we are back, we have started to reflect on our experience. I think it will take a while completely to sink in. We have never been away from home for such a long time. Nor have we previously stayed at length in very remote places which are such a contrast to living in a city.
The starting point has been an initial review of our photographs. We took over 3,000 between us, so there is a great deal of material to absorb and process. But what a great way to refresh our memories about all the various places we visited and our experiences.
This map gives a sense of the initial part of our journey, from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye (click to enlarge):
We left Edinburgh in all its early-Autumnal glory…..
…and crossed Scotland through some stunning countryside, as you can see from this gallery. These photos were all taken as we were going along in the car, so please forgive the odd reflection. I love the expansive skies, the brooding mountain slopes and the contrasting colours created by the sun shining on certain parts of the landscape:
We were not the only ones taking this journey. Glencoe in particular is a Mecca for tourists. Here’s a shot of the congestion around a particularly beautiful viewing spot. It seemed rather incongruous to be part of this convoy in the midst of all the sweeping mountains and glens. Most of the time, though, we had the roads pretty much to ourselves.
One of my favourite parts of this journey is the view of the bridge from the mainland to the Isle of Skye, with the Cuillin mountain range in the background:
When we arrived at our holiday property, we were amazed to have such a good view of the Cuillin peaks, this time from the ‘island side’!
What a spectacular way this journey was to begin our island odyssey. 🙂
PS: you may have noticed that I am trying out a new blog theme. It’s nice to have a change from time to time. I’d love to hear what you think of it.
What a beautiful start to your journey. Scotland is one of my favourite countries – it is just so beautiful (and I love the people!). I look forward to seeing more of your photographs- how lucky we are to be able to take so many digital photos now.
I love the new blog look, very “clean” looking for lack of a better word.
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The advent of digital photography is a total revelation. How marvellous it is to be able to snap away at will – and see instant results. Thanks so much for the feedback on the new look – I was totally reaching for ‘clean’, so am really pleased this is how it comes across 🙂
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What a fabulous journey and epic views! And Scotland being voted the most beautiful country, stunning in its majesty.
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Thank you Claire – we are blessed to live in such an amazing part of the world 🙂
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Yes, ‘clean’ was the word in my mind too. I like it. (Though I liked the old look too!) And I love this opening to your holiday. A real sense of journey. Wonderful quote, Liz 🙂 I’m looking forward to hearing more!
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Thanks so much Sandra – that’s great to hear! 😀
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Yes, I like the new look of your blog too.
Such a beautiful scenic journey; I am so jealous! 🙂
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Thank you Clare – really appreciate your comments. 🙂
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Here’s a part of your beautiful country I’ve actually been to–Glencoe! Your photos of it are great and hint at its dramatic history.
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Thanks Kerry – it is such an iconic place – one of our favorites.
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Scotland is stunningly beautiful Liz, and these photos do it justice. If you both ever go to the Lofoten Islands, a few hundred k above the Arctic Circle in Norway, I guarantee you will find them extraordinarily impressive. They are the most beautiful place on earth. I wish we could take you there!
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Thank you Liz. The Lofoten Islands sound wonderful – thanks for the recommendation! 🙂
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