The views in and around the monument are breathtaking, built on a beach on the shores of loch…read moreshiel, the monument leans ever so slightly. The monument commemorated those who died fighting the Jacobite cause and gave their lives to support Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Jacobite uprising in 1745 and it is around 18m high. I loved climbing the monument and standing beside the lone highlander and looking out across the loch as well as looking over to see the spectacular Glenfinnan Viaduct! The climb to the top of the monument is not that strenuous but it's narrow and the steps are steep and there's a heavy steel hatch door that you open (think it was supposed to be open already) and you climb up and enjoy the view which is definitely worth the effort and very rewarding! Think it was one of my favourite things to do in Glenfinnan!

The Glenfinnan Monument is located 3h from Edinburgh and 25 min from Fort William and marks a place…read moreof historical importance for the Scottish Highland Nation. I always planned to visit this monument, because of its historic meaning. Bonny Prince Charlie (Charles Stuart) raised his army around this monument at Loch Shiel. There he raised his banner. Originally he only arrived with about 8 comrades, but clans from all over the Highlands started joining his ambition to win back the throne of Scotland. Another Jacobite Rising was initiated from this place in time. It is a shame that it all ended with the battle of Culloden. It is a wonderful and peaceful place. You can oversee Loch Shiel, admire the nature surrounding the Loch and even enjoy watching the Harry Potter Train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct. The monument is part of the National Trust of Scotland. There is a visitor centre where you can enjoy some nibbles and drinks and browse the gift shop for souvenirs. It is a nice place to stop, admire and rest.

The pretty village of Fort Augustus lies at the southern end of Loch Ness and is one of the most…read morepopular visitor destinations on the Loch. The village straddles the Caledonian Canal, the 19th-century engineering project that connects Inverness on the east coast to Fort William on the west coast. Fort Augustus is famous for being the other end of the Caledonian Canal, after the five locks that complete the journey, allowing boats to enter Loch Ness, and travel to Inverness and the sea Stretching for 60 miles, the Caledonian Canal connects Scotland's east and west coasts, running between Inverness and Fort William using a combination of lochs and man-made canals. It was built in by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford and opened in 1822. The canal was first mooted in 1773 but was not completed until 1822. It was 22 miles long and had 29 locks. The canal took 12 years to build and cost a staggering £910,000. It was never a commercial success, though it proved useful during WWI when the German navy threatened shipping off Scotland's north coast. It is now mainly used by leisure visitors. Watching boats pass through the canal on their way to and from Loch Ness is always a popular pastime and you can often find the canal locks lined with visitors. I was lucky enough to see another group of boats go through, both the locks and the swing bridge into Loch Ness

Most people come here to see the flight of 5 locks along the Caledonian Canal. It's a staircase…read morelock system that lifts the vessel up and out of the canal to a higher elevation of a nearby tributary. It works the same way by lowering them into the canal on the way back. We did catch a view of the locks as we passed over on the A82. It wasn't part of our tour due to the season. It's not operational in parts of autumn and all through December. Keep that in mind if you have your heart set on seeing how it all works. We were in Fort Augustus strictly to see the view of Loch Ness that is up the road from this attraction. The viewing point is just off of Oich Road, and it's a beauty. It sits at the mouth of the lake and directly in between the River Oich and the Caledonian Canal. It's where Nessie has been spotted, although she's obviously been all over the lake. Our guide even encountered a huge splash of water in this area during one of his tours that made him a true believer. It's quite possible given how deep the lochs are here. We didn't see her, but we enjoyed a fantastic view from this vantage point. It's so peaceful, yet I can see how it would be a little eerie at night. The sun was just starting to set. It brought a nice illumination on the lake. We hit it at a great time. There weren't as many tourists around. Only a few (including us). The town is quite small with a population under 1000. It's very walkable. There is a woollen mill and a few war memorials. There's also a place called the Clansman Centre that may be a seasonal attraction. Honestly, I think the scenery alone was worth the trip. The view of Loch Ness coupled with the Commando Memorial along the way back to Edinburgh was the perfect ending to an amazing day in the Highlands. Highly recommended!

This castle tour takes about 2 hours and is filled with information about the long and colorful…read morehistory of it's life. It is privately owned and the owner has a tremendous knowledge of the history of the castle. It was a ruin that was rebuilt by his family.

Looking to escape and evade from your busy day to day life? Look no further, a weekend away in one…read moreof corrour cottage will allow you to chill right out. If you are lucky you may bump into wild deers if you walk or drive in the estate. The lochs are amazingly beautiful, the place is simply enchanted. The cottage we stayed in had a fire place so our evening was spend in the living room playing cards and chatting away. The kitchen was fully equipped and our beds were the most comfortable. We all commented about the high quality of duvets and pillows and remarked they were approved by sweedish monarchy, it was lush so much so we tried to buy them for personal use online when we came home after our weekend in corrour! Sadly they are not cheap! Anyway if you are looking to evade to a beautiful and tranquille place, this is the place to go.

I am not quite sure how to review a place I have not acctualy been inside but I feel this castle…read morewarrants it. I find it mysterious and haunting and just lovely and have trecked quite a bit along an old railway line to see it from the bank of the loch. Set on an island Loch Linnhe in Argyll it is famous for appearing in Monty Phython And The Holly Grail as Castle Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh. It is belived to have originaly been a small fortified building build arround 1320. Though the years it has been owned by many different people including the Campbells and the Stewarts. It was bought in the 60s by Lt. Col. D. R. Stewart and he and his family and friends spent the next ten years restoring it. There are tours available on selected dates to visit the castle but I was not able to make any of them this year. Top of my new year wish list for next year is to go. The official site for the castle offers a virtual tour for those who want to see more. http://www.castlestalker.com/

You MUST have reservations to take the tour. It happens rather infrequently, but is given by the…read moreowner. It's well worth the trouble to email them (they have a great site with a video tour) to get your tour date/times. Cost is reasonable and is paid at the end. The tour is GREAT! Having the owner give the tour is such a plus - all the little anecdotes about refurbishing the Castle and about the history. Beware of finding the parking area to take the tour; it's NOT at the Castle Stalker overlook place.

Wow!! This is an absolute must visit spot in the Highlands. You may think to ignore it because it's…read morea bit out of the way, but it's absolutely worth the visit! We arrived an hour before the train was scheduled to pass. We thought there was no way we'd see it, but the hike up took so long that we stuck around and it was worth the wait! There are two pathways. There's a quick view point behind the visitor center or a longer hike to the left. The hike can go as long as you'd like. We went to the viewpoint just above the tracks but you can go all the way to the station if you want! If you're able, it's absolutely worth making the climb. It isn't hard but it's best to have shows that can sustain some mud and water. The views were breathtaking and it was amazing to see the train pass through!

Glenfinnan Viaduct (in operation over 120 years as of writing this in 2023) is built between hills…read moreon the Scotland highlands landscape. A trail leads up by the viaduct and has flatter parts where one can stand or sit on a rock and watch the trains travel past. I watched a few trains travel past and spent a little over an hour here on Monday 15 July 2019. The number of viewers increased until an old-school/nostalgia train (red and black style from the 1970s and before) whistled as it made its way past. My first time to the viaduct, I came in the afternoon and found parking was backed up along the road about a mile from the main small parking lot. I decided to do something else and return later in the day. When I returned, around 6:20 p.m., I found parking in the lot and made my way towards the viaduct. Finding my way, I managed to get stung by nettles for the first time. A main paved roadway led to a path up past the viaduct. An information board at the parking lot area provided a map of the trails and other area-specific information. Warning sign(s) along the trail reminded visitors of fines for trespassing in certain areas. The blowing of the whistle of the trains as they approached and crossed the viaduct is something I remember to this day, Saturday 20 May 2023. I would guess such striking imagery is why that particular imagery was fitted into scenes in movies, television, and fantasy book series. Twas constructed decades before the conception of the "Harry Potter" series/franchise and inspired its creator to such an extent that they actually even decided to film here. Even some of the colours of the train lines operating across the viaduct were taken and incorporated into the fantasy series. Always interesting to see (and in this case both literally see and hear) how real-life places inspire fictional enterprises.

Fort William town is in Scotland and is situated near to an expanse of water, a truly beautiful…read moreplace to visit. There are some car parking areas around the town. The town of Fort William is full of character and the atmosphere is pleasant, it is on one main stretch and there are little roads and paths leading off it too. The town is attractive, clean, well maintained, friendly and just a nice size to browse. There are some places to sit. There are a good few shops to look around including groceries, clothing shops (lots of mountain wear, hiking, walking, rainproof jackets etc) gift shops, bars and a great selection of places to eat. We stayed for a week in Fort William and the restaraunts where all wonderful, the food was of a high standard and the welcome from the staff was superb. Really friendly people. If you go down to the water front you can have a very pleasant stroll and the views are awesome. Peaceful and relaxing.....bliss. If you are very lucky you may spot the odd seal. Fort William is in a great location to access the surrounding area which includes the awesome Ben Nevis range...you can go up via cable car to part of the range.....views are out of this worldincredible. Also there is the famous Loch Ness not too far away. A car is an advantage to get around this beautiful area. This has to be one of my favourite places to be and I Highly Recommend it.

Despite being a relatively small town, Fort William is a diverse town with loads of things to do…read moreand see. There is of course Ben Nevis, which has many climbing trails and a gondola cable-car. There are many local shops which sell tourist good and cute keep-sakes, as well as this there is a shopping centre which features some high-street stores. The area has a wide variety of places to stay and if you want to venture out, Loch Ness and Loch Lomand are each about 90 minutes away.