GritzFranzOE: SCOTLAND

It's a lovely evening with a blooming full moon as we near the end of our nine-hour drive (long weekend traffic) from London to Edinburgh

We pass the 'Angel of the North' sculpture near Newcastle

Saturday morning in Edinburgh - the stands have been put up around the castle for the Tattoo

On the Royal Mile checking out the festival action on the street

The Pleasance Courtyard, one of the mid-size comedy venues where we saw a couple of shows

Sunday afternoon at T in the Park checking out The Editors and Razorlight

Tom Smith

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre

Fran's cuz Mike and his mate Shaw

Getting amongst the Edinburgh pub scene

A canal lift bridge in Edinburgh in action

Jimmy Chungs, Edinburgh's finest Chinese buffet where we had Monday lunch on Mike's (avid!!!) recommendation

Mike and Fran outside the Usher Hall, Edinburgh

100 years of scouts celebrated with meticulous flower bed maintenance!!

Pipers in the street

Greyfriars' Kirk

Tuesday morning we head north over the Forth Bridge

Blair Castle....Queen Victoria stayed here for three weeks and it is the home of one of the last remaining private armies in Europe - the Atholl Highalnders

Fran checking out the deer in the castle grounds

Inverness on the river Ness

Heading out on a boat across Loch Ness to Urqhart Castle...yes the wind was cold but my scarf was nice and warm!!!

Approaching Urqhart castle

Scottish patriotism...

Stopping in for a wee bit of whisky sampling at Glen Ord distillery. They malt their barley using peat, so the whisky ends up with quite an interesting smokey flavour (I still don't like whiskey though - it's horrible!! - G liked it)

Heading into the Highlands on the way to Strathcarron

Thursday morning heading on from Strathcarron to the Isle of Skye

Where the loch enters the sea

The light plays on the water looking from the mainland to the Isle of Skye

Can you see the bridge to the island in the far distance?

Heading north on Skye

Lots of mist shrouded hills

Graham enjoying driving on an open road

More hills and more clouds

One of the guns at Dunvegan Castle, home to the clan of McLeod

Eilean Donan castle, the most photographed castle in Scotland - we certainly added to the stats!!

Another loch, another hill and more misty clouds!, this time on the drive down to Fort William

On Friday morning 10am we leave Fort William on a steam train out to Mallagie on the west coast. The best train ride ever!!

We had to sit in different cabins, as there were only a few tickets left. Graham sat with an old couple, the husband was an ex steam-train driver, so he got to listen to a few stories.

I got to sit with a family with three young girls - all total Harry Potter fans and soooooo excited about being in same train that was used in one of the movies. Here they are looking out the window as we approach the 15-arch viaduct featuring in one of the scenes where the train takes the children to Hogwarts

Puffing our way through more highlands out to the west coast

In Mallagie it's off the train and a mad scramble to the nearest seafood restaurant. MMMMmmmmmm fresh mussels......

A very picturesque sea side town

The viaduct again, on the way back

Firday arvo in Oban, further down the west coast checking out McCaig's tower, awesome views out to sea and the Isle of Mull apparrently, but it was a little bit cloudy that day. We got to watch the ferry roll in though!