Scotland 2023 – Day 6

Today we drove west via Sterling and Glen Etive to Fort William. But first we had to find a jet wash in Musselburgh. It’s a coastal town with a lot of seagulls. They seem to have a grudge against sports cars. But luckily the nearest petrol station had a jet wash where we could clean up the mess!

Once the cars were clean, we headed towards Sterling and the castle there. The GPS did show us one direction and the signs another one. For once it turned out that the GPS was right! There were quite a lot of tourists there. So, it took some time to get to the parking area. But once there, it was very well organized. The castle is in good condition and has clearly been restored recently. We’ve read about Sterling castle and also watched several programs on Historyhit and Youtube. It was interesting to finally visit it. One thing we missed when comparing to other castles we’ve been to is the furniture and decorations. There is very limited amounts of furniture inside the rooms. But nevertheless it’s worth a visit if you are interested in history.

After the visit to Sterling castle, we drove a couple of kilometers to the Wallace monument. It was built during the 19th century in honour to William Wallace, also known as Braveheart. We didn’t go inside the tower, but the view from outside is great. You also get a good view of Sterling castle across the valley. After walking up and fown the hill, we had lunch at the visitor center.

The next stop was Glencoe Mountain Resort. Here we met up with the other two in our little group. Time for a cup of coffee and some apple pie.

Then it was time to drive on the famous Glen Etive road. Also known as Skyfall road. This is were the well known scene in the Bond movie Skyfall was shot. Where Bond and M returns to his childhood home. We didn’t manage to find the exact location where Bond parked his DB5. But the scenery is stunningly beautiful. It’s a single track road with pockets for overtaking. Most other cars managed to handle this. But we did encounter a Karen in a Kia who simply refused to reverse to the pocket just behind her. The road is approx 19 km and ends at Loch Etive. There is a small car park. Then you have to drive back on the same road again. It’s well worth it for the scenery.

The last part of the drive to Fort William also came with some great views of the highlands. The hotel however turned out to be a disapointment. But more about that tomorrow.