A friend and I spent a week driving round Scotland. Partly out of boredom, but also out of a realisation - that both of us had lived our whole lives in a country that we hadn't even begun to explore. Our goal was to find the scenery we'd only seen in books, the open wilderness and dramatic landscapes that, until now, we'd only been told about. As car enthusiasts, we were equally as excited about the prospect of driving some of Europe's most amazing and secluded roads.
We were given a glimpse into what Scotland has to offer. The June weather was authentic, the midge bites were in their hundreds... This is Part 1 because I feel like we only scratched the surface. These photographs are what I managed to capture on various stops along the way.
Bealach na Bå - the pass to Applecross. The UK's highest ascent that you can drive, made up of singletrack road and blind hairpin bends. Rock on one side, steep drop on the other. Exceptional views, except on this day the weather turned and gave us one of the most dramatic drives we've ever had.
Visibility on the pass was so poor, we only found out a car was coming when it's hazy headlights appeared in the near distance.
The Isle of Skye amazed us with it's demanding roads. It also claimed a wheel bearing on the Mini pictured. After another night camping we dashed across the bridge, over to Fort Augustas and then on to Inverness to get a fix.
We reached John O'Groats in the evening, after rescuing a uwe stuck under a bridge near Lairg. The drive to the north coast from Wick is surprisingly normal, albeit littered with long-abandoned cottages. The coast hit us rather abruptly over a crest in the road, and the beauty of the Orkney islands twinned with the bright yellow/blue/green of the north sky told us exactly where we were. John O'Groats is blessed with a campsite, providing the perfect backdrop to some bbq, whisky and swimming in the orange North Sea at 1am alongside the local seals.
On the north coast, near Durness, is Smoo Cave. Set into an alcove along the rocky coastline, there are waterfalls, streams and crevaces disappearing beyond the torch.
The Drive from Durness to Ullapool was something to remember. Starting off harsh and rugged, full of grey rock, the scenery gradually got greener and wetter the further south we drove. The road ribboned its way straight across the landscape, diving between crags and winding round lochs and waterfalls.
To be continued...
