After settling in my little cottage in Plockton, looking out at Skye, I decided not to let the weather hinder my exploration of this most important area. As reported in the journal of July 2, 2024, in addition to being Lords of the Isles, two chiefs of Clan Donald also held the title of Earl of Ross. Their territory include Wester Ross, one of the most stunning areas of the North West Highlands I have seen. It stretches from Lochcarron in the south to Ullapool in the north and this was my second journey of exploration of this area. My first stop was Strome Castle, first recorded in 1472 as a stronghold of the Lord of the Isles. Built firmly on a rocky promontory about mid-way along Loch Carron it once controlled all waterborn traffic to and from the sheltered agricultural land.
Continuing with my drive I meandered on single track roads through an ever changing landscape driving through thick forest to open vistas across a mixture of rocky moorland and indented coastline. Massive mountains are reflected in the deep lochs of Torridon, Gairloch, Ewe and Maree. I was stunned by the sharp pink and grey peak rising to my left as I drove along the A896, Beinn Eighe. Inasmuch as there was no place to stop and the rain storms were moving in I realized another drive to this location is in the cards this week, provided it clears up! The rock in this area is Torridonian sandstone and Lewisian gneiss and is 2.5 billion years old, among the oldest rock in the world. Let that sink in! Wester Ross also boasts some of the most picturesque villages such as Gairloch, Applecross, Shieldaig and Plockton. One of the best sites I have found describing Wester Ross and things to do is Adventures Around Scotland. It has certainly given me ideas for the next two days I am here. As for today, it was a time to experiment with more slow shutter speed and to try and capture “weather.”
