Our second day on the Orkney Islands was a beautiful sunny day! We tried to get the most out of it by getting up and out at 8:00 AM, and returned at 23:30 PM. If you are interested in history this island can keep you busy for a while! We started our day visiting the Standing Stones of Stenness and were the first people on site. The stones are a Neolithic monument and it might be the oldest henge site in the British Isles.

The Orkney Islands are un-Scottish. Closer to Norway than to London, proven very very early inhabitants, once occupied by Vikings, strategically important in both World Wars, this Island group is full of history. Not yet spoiled by mass tourism (although getting there), we experienced a tranquil heaven.

The North coast 500 is a scenic route along the coast through the highlands of Scotland. It’s divided into 6 main regions, 516 miles long and the official starting point lies in Inverness. Depending on what you prefer, you can either drive the route in 2 days or take 2 weeks to explore the regions and everything it has to offer.

One of Scotlands highlights is the Isle of Skye. Skye is situated just off the West Coast of Scotland and part of the inner Hebrides. I read somewhere Skye is a miniature version of Scotland. If you’ve seen Skye, you get a good impression of Scotland as a whole.  To be honest I think it is a bit exaggerated, but the island is beautiful and definitely worth a visit. Since 1995 it’s possible to travel to Skye via a bridge. It’s an easy and convenient way to enter Skye. We choose an other way though; the small ferry from Mallaig to Armadale. At least, that was the idea. The weather interfered and the ferry was cancelled due to rough seas. So in the end we did drive via the bridge.

Our travels aren’t complete without a decent hike. This time we choose The Great Glen Way, a 118,5 km long hike, starting in Fort William, ending in Inverness. We did not hike all of it, but allmost half of it; 51 km (32 miles) from Laggan to Drumnadrochit. The Great Glen Way is stated to be a decent introduction into long distance walking, following a low level walk path for most of the time. In 2014 a high level route was introduced, so you have the option to either stay in the forest or walk above the tree line. Routes are well marked.

I fell in love with Scotland, but Lewis & Harris stole my heart. The Island is unspoiled, remote and not yet flooded with too many tourists. There is wonderful history to be found, amongst them the interesting tale about Harris Tweed. 

"The next assignment is to tell a tale in 10 pictures", my colleague stated with a smile on his face. I reacted rather surprised: "but that's quite a challenge for us beginners". Well, That's a good way to learn", he responded.

Welcome to Luke's Tales & Travels!