Glencoe/Glen Nevis & Laggan Locks
At first peek out the window this morning, rain clouds loomed and the tow path outside glistened with moisture. The wakeup call over the PA echoed what we were seeing and it was tempting to roll over and just stay in bed. It turned out to be a deceiving wakeup call. As we dined at breakfast, blue skies appeared and the sun broke out and gave way to another glorious day. For the second day in a row, the peak of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Great Britain was clearly visible.
We traveled along a rolling and winding road to Glen Nevis where some of us went on a lovely brisk hike along the trails at the base of Ben Nevis. The rest continued on to Glencoe, famous for its beautiful vista. We stopped at the Visitors Centre where interactive exhibits educated us on the history and formation of the region. A video showed how mountaineering progressed in Scotland over the years as many were drawn to climb the peaks.
The mountain peaks of Glencoe were formed by eight massive volcanic eruptions over a period of 5 million years. Over the course of time, glaciers carved out the valley and shaped what we see today. Glencoe is also known for the infamous massacre where 40 members of Clan MacDonald were killed by their bitter rivals, Clan Campbell, by order of King William III. Somehow their name did not appear on an oath of allegiance that all heads of clans had to sign in support of the King. Ironically, before they met their death, the MacDonalds extended hospitality for nearly two weeks to the soldiers who were mostly Campbells. Hard to believe that such a gruesome event took place in such a scenic area.
We returned to the Lord of the Glens for lunch and set sail shortly thereafter up the Caledonian Canal. As Larry, our Expedition Leader declared, “It is a ridiculously gorgeous afternoon!” Our passage was so calm and sublime that it felt like we were gliding up the canal effortlessly with hardly a hum of the engine heard. Hillsides and clouds reflected off the glassy canal. Two of our guests rode the bikes eight miles along the tow path parallel to the canal and traveled faster than the ship. They met us at Gairlochy lock where we picked them up and continued our journey in Loch Lochy.
After dinner, we made a hop, skip and a jump over the lock gate to the Eagle which is an eclectic floating pub next to Laggan Locks. All of us managed to squeeze in for a wee drink and a few tunes on the bagpipe by Sandy the Piper. We then retired for the night on the Lord of the Glens which was locked up for the night in Laggan locks.
At first peek out the window this morning, rain clouds loomed and the tow path outside glistened with moisture. The wakeup call over the PA echoed what we were seeing and it was tempting to roll over and just stay in bed. It turned out to be a deceiving wakeup call. As we dined at breakfast, blue skies appeared and the sun broke out and gave way to another glorious day. For the second day in a row, the peak of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Great Britain was clearly visible.
We traveled along a rolling and winding road to Glen Nevis where some of us went on a lovely brisk hike along the trails at the base of Ben Nevis. The rest continued on to Glencoe, famous for its beautiful vista. We stopped at the Visitors Centre where interactive exhibits educated us on the history and formation of the region. A video showed how mountaineering progressed in Scotland over the years as many were drawn to climb the peaks.
The mountain peaks of Glencoe were formed by eight massive volcanic eruptions over a period of 5 million years. Over the course of time, glaciers carved out the valley and shaped what we see today. Glencoe is also known for the infamous massacre where 40 members of Clan MacDonald were killed by their bitter rivals, Clan Campbell, by order of King William III. Somehow their name did not appear on an oath of allegiance that all heads of clans had to sign in support of the King. Ironically, before they met their death, the MacDonalds extended hospitality for nearly two weeks to the soldiers who were mostly Campbells. Hard to believe that such a gruesome event took place in such a scenic area.
We returned to the Lord of the Glens for lunch and set sail shortly thereafter up the Caledonian Canal. As Larry, our Expedition Leader declared, “It is a ridiculously gorgeous afternoon!” Our passage was so calm and sublime that it felt like we were gliding up the canal effortlessly with hardly a hum of the engine heard. Hillsides and clouds reflected off the glassy canal. Two of our guests rode the bikes eight miles along the tow path parallel to the canal and traveled faster than the ship. They met us at Gairlochy lock where we picked them up and continued our journey in Loch Lochy.
After dinner, we made a hop, skip and a jump over the lock gate to the Eagle which is an eclectic floating pub next to Laggan Locks. All of us managed to squeeze in for a wee drink and a few tunes on the bagpipe by Sandy the Piper. We then retired for the night on the Lord of the Glens which was locked up for the night in Laggan locks.
