On Saturday, June 26, we visited the southern end of the Firth of Forth bridge at South Queensferry shortly before sunset around 10 p.m.
Hunting fish between the bridges
Very fitting!
Next morning started relaxed at breakfast, yet somehow we reached Wormit exactly right for the 11:00 HST Aberdeen-London Kings X at Tay Bridge without looking at any watch.
Grey Dundee in the background
The water level was lower than during my last visit in April 2009
A nice gift!
Dundee seaside, on the way to the well-known Tesco
Exactly 12 a.m., three hours until the big match for England, sadly they seemed to have lost one of their substitutes...
A XC SuperVoyager passed by
The array of anglers somehow reminded my of the Golden Horn...
Roads through the UK often offer nice surprises
After about an hour's drive from Dundee we had reached the Highlands. One break we took near Drumochter Pass, with 452 m the highest point of the British standard gauge network.
The score was already 2:0 for Germany, when DB Schenker 66171 rolled downhill the Highland Mainline past us with an engineering train
Typical Scotland, you drive through the big void for some time, and suddenly a dream castle emerges!
It got more rainy towards the west
Loch Laggan reservoir
Arrived at our bed&breakfast in Fort William
On the way into town, it was still raining heavily
Of course: on my very first evening in Fort William 2009 I had a full rainbow across Ben Nevis, now, on my second evening, too!
Next day, July 28, we did a tour along the Great Glen, still a little civilisation to accustom ourselves, so to speak. The Jacobite, hauled by Black 5 45231, could be caught on the swing bridge across the Caledonian Canal at Banavie.
Thanks to the "3rd hand" I could get the train from this perspective as well. On the road bridge noisy maintenance was stopped and the workers watched nicely as the train passed. Meanwhile the boats inside the early 19th century lockage "Neptune's Staircase", were kept on a leash, or so it seemed...
Ingenious!
Wild highland forest cattle? But only for show behind a fence with explaining signs. They didn't seem to have much inclination to wander off into the forest...
Passing Loch Loyne in driving rain
New monsters for Loch Ness...
Fort Augustus
View towards the lake from the southwestern end
Right above at Loch Tarff this beautiful moor landscape could be found.
Forest at the Falls of Foyers
Across from Urquhart Castle
After a short visit to Inverness we looked down at Urquhart Castle from the other shore
A nice bridge at Invermoriston, however not as old as it looked (19th century)
After a nice meal at the local inn we took an after-dinner walk along the local fishing grounds
Beautiful light at the quiet Loch Ness
Evening mood at the shores of Loch Lochy
And near Spean Brigde rather martial with the slogan "United we conquer"
A view towards the Nevis Range, and really, the last train towards Fort William also just passed shortly before 10 p.m.!
