On the Moors

On the Moors, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Photos: August 14, 2011

A day of travel - through mountains and past many lochs. In the ever changing weather we saw the last of the Highlands.

We stopped in Doune to see the castle (it was used for the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail).



Back in Stirling we had dinner and returned our car. The weather did not disappoint. A brief rain shower then spread a rainbow over the town.

The next day we boarded a train for London.

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One Track Road

One Track Road, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.
Photos: August 10-11, 2011

This may look like a lane but in reality it is a one track road. While this one is narrower than some (it was part of a 12 mile detour), one track roads are common in northern Scotland. There is a whole etiquette to driving them.



If you are able to see ahead (not always the case when there are sharp curves) the one closest to the passing place, especially if it is on the left, pulls over to let the other pass. Both drivers wave thanks and continue on. If you meet someone unexpectedly (not unusual with these curves) the one closest to a passing place backs up. If there is someone behind you who wants to pass, pull into a passing place, the one who passes honks to thank you. If you are at a passing place and want to signal to oncoming traffic that you will wait for them to pass, flash your lights. The real challenge comes when you meet unexpectedly near curves. One of the drivers has to back up to the nearest passing place to allow the other to pass. It is all more complicated that fancy dance steps!

I found this challenging and I wasn't driving. But these roads took us through some spectacular scenery (though our eyes were often focused on the road ahead). Misty, rainy days brought moody closed in views and when the sun  shone, the vistas opened up to moors, mountains and lochs.

Fortunately there were parking areas where it was possible to stop and just enjoy the views. Above is the Kyle of Durness. As we got near Kylesku the mountains were higher. They plunged down into the lochs. We decided against the very scenic route (another many mile one track road) as the main road actually allowed us to admire the scenery.



Even the main road (at this point two lanes - one in each direction) wound up and down the mountains.

So many of Scotland's mountains are treeless. The views go on forever.

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On the Road

Livestock At Large, originally uploaded by susanvg.

A drive from Banff to Brooks is an extraordinary experience. The day starts in majestic mountains, rocky, craggy and snow capped. We drove down through the Kananaskis Mountains. We stopped for a short hike only to see goats on the road.

A Columbia ground squirrel made its presence known with high pitched squeaks.
Some livestock are free to range in the along the way. Texas gates keep them from going past certain boundaries. We had to wait while they crossed the road.

Eventually the mountains turned to hills and the forests gave way to farmland. Oil wells look out of place in the middle of fields.

Still later the land flattened even more - fields of grass, bales of hay, reaching out to the sky. Brooks is in the Badlands of Alberta. Coming.... a trip to Dinosaur Provincial Park.