Today, we drove through the rugged landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. Our first stop is Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s grandest castles due to its imposing position and impressive architecture.  It’s a foggy morning but the rain is holding off.  It’s going to be another warm day. Each room of the castle has someone dressed in period costumes explaining a bit about the castle and that particular room. This castle was home to Marie Deguise, mother of Mary Queen of Scots.

The town of Stirling is very quaint and charming.  This area was used for the filming of Braveheart and a statue of the Scottish hero William Wallace sits at the entrance to the town.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Loving Food restaurant.

Our next stop, Doune Castle, otherwise known as the fictional Castle Leoch in the TV series and Monty Python’s Holy Grail. Built for the Regent Albany, Doune is a magnificent late 14th century courtyard castle. Its most striking feature is the 100 ft high gatehouse which includes the splendid Lord’s Hall with its musicians’ gallery, double fireplace and carved oak screen.

Our route continued through the Trossachs National Park, Rob Roy’s country, on to the magnificent landscapes of Rannoch Moor and Glencoe. The landscape of the highlands has changed dramatically with windy roads through charming towns and rolling hills become mountains. Some of the scenes from  James Bond movie Skyfall was filmed in this area. We stopped to take in the scenic beauty of the three sisters. Allain, our guide was dressed in a colourful kilt.

Overnight: Ben Nevis Hotel, Fort William