Panoramic Views

The beginning of the Caledonian Canal was only 2 minutes from our B & B so the day started there with the added bonus of good views of Ben Nevis. The canal is 60 miles long with 29 locks that raise vessels to a height of 70' above sea level. http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/inverness/caledoniancanal/
Our next stop, The Commando Monument, just outside Spean Bridge set in the training grounds of 2WW elite soldiers, wasn't far either. Imposing scenery added gravitas to the solemnity of the place. More recent losses in Iraq and Afghanistan are remembered in the newly added memorial garden.
There was more highland scenery to delight our tourists on the road to the isolated Claunie Inn. Here we made a coffee stop, managing to resist sampling one of  the 200 whiskys in the bar, . http://www.cluanieinn.com/
Next came the Ratgan Pass where we made a photostop before we descended to Glenelg with it's famous Pictish brochs. The last time I was here, in the early 90s, it was cold and pourring with rain but today luck and the sun was with us http://www.lochalsh.co.uk/glenelg_broch.shtml
Packing in so much sightseeing is hungry work so we went back to Glenelg to the inn for a late lunch http://www.glenelg-inn.com/ and a bit of relaxation as there was more to see on our next leg of the journey.
The next stop was outside the iconic Eilean Donan Castle http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/dornie/eileandonancastle/index.html where we took lots of photos before Christian and Henri drove and the rest of us strolled along to Dornie Village for tea at the "Schoolhouse Tearoom and Art Gallery" http://www.highlands-info.co.uk/dornie/tearoom.html which is more gallery than tearoom but a friendly, laid back place for all that.
Ashgrove House, our B & B for the next two nights http://ashgrovebedandbreakfast.co.uk/ was just a few miles up the road in Balmacara Square opposite the pond. Somehow or other the landlady was expecting us for Wednesday and Thursday rather than Tuesday and Wednesday but once again luck was with us as she didn't have anyone booked in. Phew ...... my reputation as a 1st class tour guide  was on the line!

This evening we had to drive to find dinner and the obvious choice was to head into Plockton, made famoud as the TV set of "Hamish MacBeth" who was played by the very versatile Robert Carlyle. Plockton was busy and as there was music on at the Inn, we had to settle for the Plockton Hotel where though there was less atmosphere, we ate well.
And so, finally after a busy day, it was time for bed as tomorrow .we're off to Skye; not "over the sea" as Bonnie Prince Charlie did but by the bridge that started life as a toll bridge which later became a free passage due to the efforts of local protesters. Rebellion is definitely in the genes of the Scots!
Weather:
16.5°, sun