Roughly 18 hours after waving farewell to our hiking companions from the Wilds of Assynt, we headed to the Perth train station. There, we met our guide and hiking companions for a second week of guided hiking with Wilderness Scotland: Glencoe and the Highlands. Our small group included just one other couple (friends from the Bow Valley, back home in Canada) plus our guide. The itinerary is rated green (easy), with a mix of hiking and cultural experiences.

Day 1 (May 25, 2024)

Following introductions and a quick orientation, we climbed into the 9 passenger van and headed off into the Scottish countryside. After about a half hour drive, we arrived at our first cultural and historical point of interest.

Innerpeffray Library and Chapel

We arrived early, so we had about 20 minutes to stretch our legs. We didn’t have time to explore the route of the old Roman road that passes through the grounds. Instead, we headed out along some tracks between farm fields for a look at Innerpeffray Castle.

Although currently referred to as a “castle,” these ruins are of the Drummond family house, originally constructed in 1590. The building was updated in 1610, and then fell out of use and started going to ruin in 1692. I confess to being preoccupied with the regenerative intercropping in the field between the track we walked and the castle ruins. We’d just watched the episode of Clarkson’s Farm when they try regenerative intercropping for the first time – and I recognized what they’d talked about on the show in the field before us!

The Chapel

Soon enough, the current Keeper of the Books, Lara Haggerty, ushered us into the Drummond family chapel. You can read a more detailed history of the Innerpeffray Chapel here. The short version: constructed around 1507, used for Catholic worship until the Protestant Reformation, then became the family mausoleum.

The exterior is a fairly plain, stone rectangle. Inside, the acoustics are wonderful. We know this first hand, because Lara sang for us. Some of the original stone carvings survive. So do remnants of a celestial mosaic painted on the ceiling of the vestibule.

There’s a narrow circular staircase up to the loft of the vestibule. This was the location for the very first public lending library in Scotland. People came from all around to borrow books from the Drummond family collection.

The Library

Today, the book collection – and the original registers listing all the borrowers and books borrowed – are housed in a Georgian building next door. This was our next stop. Library volunteers/scholars shared some of the research done here, and laid out any books we wanted to see. I chose a book on wildflowers in the area. Other members of our small group enjoyed seeing one of the very old Bibles in the collection.

Finally, after signing our names in the visitors’ register and selecting a book marker in remembrance of our visit, we said our farewells and headed back to the van.

Birks of Aberfeldy

Another half hour drive and we were in the highland market town of Aberfeldy, where we enjoyed lunch at The Watermill. Then it was time for our first walk of the trip: the Birks of Aberfeldy, featured in Robert Burns’ The Birks Of Aberfeldy and mentioned in Ed Sheeran’s The Hills of Aberfeldy.

It was an easy walk through mixed forest. The trail took us past several waterfalls on the Moness burn (aka creek, or a small watercourse). There was a bit of up and down, for a total of 238 meters elevation gain. At one point, with some members of the group breathing hard, we paused and I did a reading of Robbie Burns’ poem.

One nice thing about having a guide along is that they will take photos of you whenever you ask. In this group, the last one is of the four of us on a bridge over a waterfall on the Moness burn.

We saw other parts of Aberfeldy on our way to/from the Birks o’ Aberfeldy trailhead, including some of the sculptures along the Feldy in Flower Sculpture Trail. There was an abundance of wildflowers, as most of the town was observing “no mow May.”

Back in the van, it was just a short drive to our accommodations for the next three nights: Fortingall Hotel. The countryside we saw along the way was stunningly beautiful.

Fortingall Hotel

The first half of the week, we stayed in a quaint, country house hotel, founded in 1891. The 11 bedrooms were a little dated, but still comfortable. Importantly, they were equipped with towel warmers, which do a great job helping soaked boots to dry overnight. Take the insoles out of the boots and prop them on the towel warmer. Loosen the boot laces and pull the tongue as wide open as possible and place near the towel warmer!

The restaurant was fantastic! Breakfast offerings fueled us for the day. The packed lunches were so generous we ended up asking for just one sandwich between each couple. And suppers were so good – lots of fresh fish and local produce, chicken, salads, etc.

Since our stay, the property has changed owners and is now an ANBÔISE Hotel. It’s been closed since November 2024 for renovations and upgrades, with reopening slated for spring 2025. For the sake of future guests, I hope they’ve retained the two incredible people who ran the property when we were there. The chef is a real talent.

Fortingall Yew Tree

Right next door to Fortingall Hotel is Fortingall Kirk, graveyard and yew tree. The yew tree is significant, in that it’s considered the oldest tree in Europe. Age estimates range from 3,000 to 9,000 years old. The concensus estimate was 5,000 years old until a recent study made a good case for 3,500 years old.

Regardless, it doesn’t look like I’d imagine a many thousands of year old tree would look. There is no center trunk. Apparently the loss of heartwood is common in ancient yew trees. Instead, there are multiple trunks. In 1769 the circumference of the yew’s multiple trunks was measured at 52 ft. This has vastly reduced over time and what remains are the relics and offshoots of the original tree.

According to local legend, Pontius Pilate was born in the shade of this yew tree and played there as a child. Honorary research fellow in history at the University of Dunee, Dr Paul S Philippou, suggests the legend is a local myth. Regardless, the engraved paving stones leading from the church to the stone wall surrounding the tree attempt to convey just how long this tree has been on the local landscape:

Up ahead stands Fortingall’s oldest resident, a 5000 year old yew tree
Imagine those who have passed this way before
Stone Age Man
Bronze Age Man
Reindeer, Boar and Wolf
Picts
Scots
Roman Legions
Christians
Warriors
Explorers
Scholars
Kings & Queens
Worshippers through the Ages
and YOU

Day 2 (May 26, 2024)

Hill of the Hare

Our second day started with two group members not feeling great. Nonetheless, we headed out for what turned out to be a quintessential Scottish experience – a proper bog hike! Our trek up into the clouds enveloping Hill of the Hare in Glen Lyon was a solid half-day hike covering 13.2 km with about 600 meters elevation gain.

Whisky Tasting

Yes, we got pretty wet on our “proper bog hike.” And yes, we enjoyed long, hot showers back at the hotel. But even better, this was the evening for our whisky tasting experience. We gathered in a cozy sitting room at the hotel to sample several whiskies. Our first swallows were “neat,” followed with just a drop of water added. As newbie whiskey tasters, we were all astonished at how a single drop of water could change the taste profile SO MUCH!

Concensus favourite was the Aberfeldy 12 year old whisky. I was the outlier, preferring the Laphroaig 10 year old bottle. We all came away with a copy of the tasting notes, which embody similarities and differences to the tasting notes so familiar to our wine-savvy friends. And to the chocolate tasting notes increasingly familiar to the GeoKs!

Day 3 (May 27, 2024)

Pitlochry

Since we basically had a private tour, our guide had no problem changing today’s itinerary to accommodate some shopping time in nearby Pitlochry. It’s a pretty little town in Perthshire, population around 3,000. It’s large enough to have a good outdoor clothing store (where our friend could purchase a good rain jacket). But also small enough that Mr GeoK and I could head off to find a shop to buy packets of tissues and Fishermans Friend throat lozenges!! We spent about 45 minutes completing our shopping.

I would have liked to stick around a bit longer to try the fresh “bean to scoop” chocolate gelato in a waffle cone, but we needed to get going to the day’s main event!

Schiehallion

Also known as the “fairy hill of the Caledonians,” Schiehallion is a well-known Munro hike in the area. Coming in at 10.6 km and 759 meters elevation gain, it was a bit of a challenge for those of our group fighting one kind of virus or another. But we all persevered, made it to the summit, and enjoyed the views of Loch Tummel and Loch Ronnach.

Day 4 (May 28, 2024)

This morning we expressed thanks and bid farewell to our wonderful hosts at Fortingall Hotel. Then we loaded everything into Wilderness Scotland’s van for the drive to Oban. We had one break along the way, with a stop to photograph Connel Bridge. Unfortunately, our timing was off to see the tidal Falls of Lora. Nonetheless, it was a pretty stop and a chance to stretch our legs for a few minutes.

Loch Linnhe / Loch Leven Cruise 

In Oban, we had a few minutes to walk around. It’s pretty little seaside resort town, with lots of seafood restaurants and pubs. I would have liked enough time to walk up to McCaig’s Tower atop Battery Hill. It’s an open stone tower dating to 1897, with an inner garden perfect for picnics and panoramic views over Oban Bay.

However, with a more than 4-hour boat ride ahead of us, our Wilderness Scotland guide ushered us down to the seawall. There, we descended a set of stone steps and climbed aboard Hyskeir, a Redbay 11-metre cabined RIB (rigid inflatable boat), skippered by Struan Smith. To be honest, when the I read “RIB” in the published itinerary, I imagined something more along the lines of the the Zodiac RIBs we’d used in Antarctica. Given it was raining in Oban, I was pretty happy to see the comfortable cabin on the Hyskeir!

While our luggage headed to our next hotel in the van, the four of us headed across Oban Bay.

Isle of Kerrera

Our first stop was just a few minutes across the bay. Struan moored at the marina on the Isle of Kerrera and led us on a short walk to Hutcheson’s Monument.

The monument is a towering granite obelisk erected in 1883 on the northeast end of Kerrera, overlooking Ardantrive Bay. It is the only known memorial to David Hutcheson, an entreprenuer and visionary ship-owner. His firm, David Hutcheson and Co., operated boats and steamers connecting the West Highlands and the Hebrides Islands, starting in the 1850s. Nowadays, the company he founded operates as Caledonian MacBrayne and offers modern ferry services throughout the region.

Looking southwest from the monument, we saw the pens that we’d come to associate with Scottish aquaculture. These ones were operated by Kerrera Fisheries Limited. According to Struan, they are as controversial as the aquaculture pens we saw in Loch Broom from the top of Ullapool Hill.

Returning to the marina, we spent a few minutes watching as a catamaran was carried down the boat launch by a purpose-built machine.

Back aboard Hyskeir, we rounded the northeastern end of the Isle of Kerrera. We passed Dunollie Point, with its castle and lighthouse as we did so.

Lighthouses and Castles

Cruising northwest across Loch Linnhe, we passed Lismore Lighthouse, a beautiful sailboat near Lady’s Rock Lighthouse, and then Duart Castle.

Sited on a high crag at the end of a peninsula jutting into the Sound of Mull, Duart Castle is the seat of Clan Maclean. The Keep was built more than 700 years ago by Chief Lachlan Lubanach Maclean. On the vulnerable landward side, its walls are 10 feet (3m) thick while the walls facing the sea are less thick ranging from “just” 5 to 9 feet thick (1.8m to 2.4m).

The oldest part of the Castle was completely refurbished in 1911, by Sir Fitzroy Maclean. It had been a ruin from the 18th Century. Other parts were under refurbishment the day we cruised past, evidenced by the extensive scaffolding on the seaward side. The Castle has featured in several movies and TV shows, including Entrapment (1999), When Eight Bells Toll (1971), and I Know Where I’m Going! (1945). It was also the base of Buffy Summers in the first half of season eight of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 

Sea Eagles

From there, we turned north and cruised along the inland coast of the Western Highlands peninsula of Movern. Struan was hoping we’d spot at least one White Tailed Sea Eagle – and we did!

This one was perched much closer to sea level than the pair we spotted along Loch Broom. So Mr GeoK came away with a superior photograph compared to our previous sighting.

Other wildlife we spotted along the way included some Eider Ducks and Atlantic Gray Seals.

Continuing up Loch Linnhe, we skirted the northeastern end of Isle of Lismore and made our way to the Port of Appin. There, Struan tied the boat up for our second stop of the day: The Pierhouse Hotel and Restaurant, our lunch spot.

Final Stretch

Following a delicious lunch, we re-boarded Hyskeir for the final stretch of our journey. Sights along the way included remains of an 1800s quicklime operation on Eilean nan Caorach, Castle Stalker (originally built in 1320, has changed hands MANY times and was most recently restored to its fully habitable condition in the 1960s and 1970s), and the Hollytree Hotel in Kentallen:

Shortly after passing Hollytree Hotel, we turned into the Loch Leven arm of Loch Linnhe and passed under a bridge. I swear that until this day – nine months later – I thought it was the Connel Bridge we photographed that morning. But nope, it’s Ballachulish Bridge, which looks almost identical to Connel Bridge but is about 50 km distant by road!!

A short while later, a full 4 hours 45 minutes after embarking, we docked for the third and final time. Our guide and van waited for us at Glencoe Boat Club. We waved farewell to Struan, who’d piloted us just under 70 km (41 miles), and watched him motor back down Loch Leven.

Kingshouse Hotel

Then, we pulled away and headed to the Kingshouse Hotel, our home for the next 3 nights. Some interesting things about the Kingshouse Hotel:

• It’s a waypoint on the West Highland Way, reportedly Scotland’s best loved long distance walking route: 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William.
• As a result, there are always lots of tents pitched around the hotel, and hikers come in to charge devices, enjoy the pub, use the facilities, and some of them even rent a room for a night.
• It’s also popular with tour buses, so getting a table for breakfast in the mornings could be challenging. Plus you never knew how well-stocked the breakfast buffet would be.
• They provide an excellent packed lunch.
• We saw deer, ducks and even a great blue heron on the hotel grounds.

Day 5 (May 29, 2024)

An Steall Bàn

This morning over breakfast, we agreed on an alternate hike vs what was in the published itinerary. After we picked up our packed lunches from the front desk at the Kingshouse Hotel, we headed for a large car park just off the A82 – the starting point for a short hike to Scotland’s second highest waterfall. I practiced tempering my acropobic tendencies when I crossed a three-wire bridge over the Water of Nevis. And after a group decision to hike “just a little further,” we were rewarded with another proper Scottish highland hiking experience. Heavy rain had us all soaked from the waist down! Fortunately, we had packed extra clothes, so took turns using the van as a changing room.

Highland Coos

A few minutes from the An Steall Bàn parking lot, we spotted a small herd of Highland Coos. Fortunately, there was a pullout so our guide could safely stop and provide us a photo opportunity. Mr GeoK and I had seen Highland Coos (cows) since the start of our week in the Wilds of Assynt. Mostly they were the subject of photos, paintings, tea towels and more in art galleries and souvenir shops all over the highlands!

Fort William

With several hours to go before another scheduled cultural experience, our guide suggested we spend the afternoon in Fort William. I later learned that Fort William is the second most populous town in the Scottish Highlands (after Inverness). And that it’s a major tourist centre, with Glen Coe to the south and Ben Nevis to the east. Also, it’s a huge centre for hillwalking and climbing, with nearby downhill mountain bike tracks.

In many ways, it reminded us of our hometown of Canmore, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains: heavily dependent on tourism, very outdoor-oriented, lots of restaurants and souvenir shops and a few indoor attractions. Based on shop-window signs, it suffers the same livability challenges for those working to provide services to tourists.

Among other things, we climbed up the hill to visit Three Wise Monkeys Climbing and Cafe, situated in a repurposed church:

The pedestrianized high street made for a good walk, and we stopped to admire some of the public art (mostly bronze statues).

West Highland Museum

The Bronze Ford Model-T sculpture commemorates the May 1911 ascent of Ben Nevis by Ford dealer Henry Alexander – yes, in a Ford Model-T car!!! One hundred years later, 77 Model-T Ford cars came to Fort William and a 1911 model was carried in parts by 77 people, up Ben Nevis. That car was then displayed in the West Highland Museum, where it sparked the idea to cast a full sized replica of the car, with Henry Alexander at the wheel. In May 2018, Alexander’s grandson unveiled the statue.

We learned all about this in the West Highland Museum. From their website:

“Our most renowned and unusual collection relates to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite cause. But we also hold a wealth of curious and fascinating collections relating to less well-known aspects of the lives of the people of the West Highlands, from the effects of political warfare, to the economic impact of tourism in the region, and the coming of the industrial and modern age.“

Harpist

To close out the day, we drove a short distance down the coast of Loch Linnhe to the Hollytree Hotel (yes, the same Hollytree Hotel we viewed from the Loch, aboard Struan’s vessel, just the day before). We had the bar to ourselves, ordered some tea, and then our “surprise guest” showed up – a harpist.

She is also a storyteller, and told us a couple of folktales, interspersed with playing some lovely songs. Heather explained that her Scottish harp, named “Bubbles,” is consistent with an instrument design from the time of the Picts (pre-Roman). By the time she left us about an hour later, we were ready to adjourn to the adjacent dining room for an excellent supper.

Day 6 (May 30, 2024)

On this final day of hiking, we trekked a short trail up into a hidden valley between two of Glen Coe’s Three Sisters. Coire Gabhail was used by Clan MacDonald as a hiding place for stolen cattle and as a refuge for those who escaped the 1692 Massacre of Glen Coe. Coming in at just under 5 km return, it’s a stretch to classify this one as even a half-day hike.

Day 7 (May 31, 2024)

Balquhidder Parish Kirk and Rob Roy’s Grave

Much like the first day of this itinerary, we wrapped things up with more emphasis on culture and history and less on hiking. Our first stop = Balquhidder Parish Church. The site includes the stabilized remains of a stone church built in 1631. Beside the remains of the old church is a cemetery that includes Robert Roy MacGregor’s grave.

Details from the old church and cemetery:

The parish church that opens for worship every Sunday in the present day, was constructed in 1855.

Interior details of this church include a lovely beam structure and a friendship room:

Walk to Creag an Tuirc

We also enjoyed a short walk in Balquhidder. There are multiple pathways in the verdant woods, so we were happy to be under the direction of our guide.

Our objective was Creag an Tuirc, a grassy knoll atop a crag that was the ancient rallying place of Clan MacLaren. The site is marked by a plaque on a short stone pillar. We enjoyed expansive views along Loch Voil.

We took a different route back to the church, and along the way I spotted a painted rock well-suited to this part of the world.

After one last stop to inspect a repurposed red telephone booth, we were back at the parking lot, having covered 3.4 km with 138 meters elevation gain.

From there, it was a short drive to Mhor 84 for our last meal of our second week of guided hiking in Scotland. No surprise, Mr GeoK ordered one last plate of fish and chips, knowing we’d be flying back to Canada in the morning!

Our guide and driver for the week delivered us safely back to Perth, where the four of us transferred by private car to Edinburgh. We stayed overnight at the Courtyard Edinburgh West, on the Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Campus. That evening’s highlight was a dark-chocolate truffle tasting, ordered for the occasion from Iain Burnett, The Highland Chocolatier.

It was a sweet way 😉 to wrap up our week of hiking together in the Highlands of Scotland.

Final Thoughts

What a lovely second week of guided hiking in the Scottish Highlands – despite the fact that three of the four of us were sick at various times over the week!

We were so blessed to have what was basically a private, guided week of hiking. That meant that our most excellent guide could change things up to accommodate how we were feeling each day. Although the hiking was considerably easier than our first week in the Wilds of Assynt, we definitely had authentic experiences, including a “proper bog hike” and then getting drenched from the waist down when we were too slow to pull on our rain pants another day.

The accommodation was great. I hope the renovations currently underway at Fortingall Hotel maintain the top notch service and that they’ve retained the talented chef. Although the restaurant at the Kingshorse Hotel could be very busy, the itinerary also included some excellent restaurants for our evening meals. Throughout, our packed lunches were tasty and generous.

Again, we appreciated having an experienced driver at the wheel – especially on the one-lane roads to some of the trail heads. As during our first week, our driver/guide had a great selection of music on rotation in the van. I’ve got a couple of Peatbog Faeries songs on regular rotation on my iPod!

Thinking back with nine months of perspective, Mr GeoK and I agree we’d travel with Wilderness Scotland again – and maybe their affiliate Wilderness Ireland!