Part two of my grand journey to Scotland began today with  my trip to Islay, the whisky island.  This was one of the main objectives of the trip and the pilgrimage began in Edinburgh where I had journeyed the day before by train from Inverness.  My guide, Bo Fraser, picked me up at 8:30 and off we went, first stopping in the Trossachs on the way to Oban. Once again the beauty of Scotland was laid out before me as we had a perfect weather day with intermittent sun.  We viewed the Falls off Dochart in Killin and  then made a stop in Oban for lunch. I enjoyed a plate of scallops that rivaled anything I get at home. I included a wee dram of Macallan 12 year old double cask whisky – I keep trying new ones! After all, this is my whisky trip!!

Next stop was  Kilmartin Glen located between Oban and Lochgilphead, surrounding the village of Kilmartin, on the west of Scotland. According to information from the website, “the area spans 5,000 years with a multitude of cairns, standing stones, carved rock, stone circles, forts and castles. Kilmartin Glen is considered to have one of the most important concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in Scotland.

There are more than 350 ancient monuments within a six mile radius of the village, with 150 of them being prehistoric. Monuments include standing stones, a henge monument, numerous cists, and a ‘linear cemetery’ comprising five burial cairns. Several of these, as well as many natural rocks, are decorated with cup and ring marks.The remains of the fortress of the Scots at Dunadd, a royal centre of Dal Riata, are located to the south of the glen, on the edge of the Moine Mhòr or Great Moss.” From there we journeyed on to Kennacraig to catch the ferry to Islay and tomorrow the exploration of the Islay distilleries begins.