Touring Scotland:-
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After major overseas tours in 2015 and 2016 we decided to stay at home in 2017. That idea worked well until about June and then we thought of all the reasons that a visit to Scotland in the Autumn would be a good idea. On previous trips we had driven along the Great Glen lochs and seen the Caledonian Canal. What a wonderful canal trip that would be... And before the ideas of Scotland, canal and autumn colour in the forests had time to get acquainted, the canal boat was booked, the plane fares paid for and October was filled up in our calender.
But the first week in October is also a noted date in the calender for Nottingham - GOOSE FAIR !!! What better way to start a holiday than all the fun of the fair, and the largest fair of its type in Britain.
Paul and Colma, October 2017
Our Itinerary
| Day | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Tuesday 03 October 2017 | Depart Auckland on NZ2 bound for Heathrow London via Los Angeles. Yes I know we had vowed never to set foot in LAX again, but it is all over in 2 hours and then you are on to London. |
| Day 2 | Wednesday 04 October 2017 | Arrived Heathrow, queued up for UK Immigration and then uplifted the rental car (a Vauxhall Mokka X SUV) and headed out onto the M25 and then the M1 for Nottingham. |
| Day 3 | Thursday 05 October 2017 | A visit to relatives in Nottingham Cemetery and then the tram ride out to Goose Fair |
| Day 4 | Friday 06 October 2017 | Enough of the excitement - a long drive north to Oban and the Calmac Ferry to Mull and on to Tobermary. |
| Day 5 | Saturday 07 October 2017 | The ferry across to Kilchoan, drive to the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse (the most western point in mainland Britain) and then on to Fort William. |
| Day 6 | Sunday 08 October 2017 | Fort William, north over Ratagan Pass (in the rain), the small Glenelg Ferry to Skye and on to Portree. |
| Day 7 | Monday 09 October 2017 | A drive around Skye and the Quirang |
| Day 8 | Tuesday 10 October 2017 | More of Skye and Talisker. |
| Day 9 | Wednesday 11 October 2017 | Drive to Elgol (in the rain), ferry to Mallaig. |
| Day 10 | Thursday 12 October 2017 | Small Isles trip cancelled due to bad weather, so back to Skye, over the bridge (finally) and on to Inverness via Plocton and the amazing mountain road to Applecross. |
| Day 11 | Friday 13 October 2017 | A day in Inverness to see the city and prepare for our Caledonian Canal adventure. |
| Day 12 | Saturday 14 October 2017 | Caledonian Canal Cruising - Grocery shopping for the week ahead before joining up with our Caley Cruiser canal boat. Inverness to Urquhart Bay on Loch Ness, together with a mid-loch rescue in stormy seas. |
| Day 13 | Sunday 15 October 2017 | Caledonian Canal Cruising - Loch Ness to Port Augustus and on to Kytra Lock. |
| Day 14 | Monday 16 October 2017 | Caledonian Canal Cruising - Kytra Lock to Laggan Lock through Laggan Avenue. Awaiting Cyclone Ophelia. |
| Day 15 | Tuesday 17 October 2017 | Caledonian Canal Cruising - Crean Loch, through Loch Lochy to Banavie and the top of Neptune's Staircase. |
| Day 16 | Wednesday 18 October 2017 | Caledonian Canal Cruising - Banavie, Loch Lochy, Laggan Avenue and on to Invergarry Castle. |
| Day 17 | Thursday 19 October 2017 | Caledonian Canal Cruising - Loch Oich, Fort Augustus and Loch Ness to Urquhart Bay. |
| Day 18 | Friday 20 October 2017 | Caledonian Canal Cruising - Urquhart Bay, Loch Ness and back to the Caley Cruiser marina |
| Day 19 | Saturday 21 October 2017 | The end of the Caledonian Canal Cruise - Early morning return of the canal boat. Drive through Inverness to Aberdeen. |
| Day 20 | Sunday 22 October 2017 | Aberdeen to Pitlochry and the Enchanted Forest. |
| Day 21 | Monday 23 October 2017 | Pitlochry to Lindisfarne and Aberdeen. |
| Day 22 | Thursday 24 October 2017 | Pennines and Yorkshire Moors to Hawes. |
| Day 23 | Thursday 25 October 2017 | Hawes to Keighley Moor, Glossop, Snake Pass and the Chequers Inn at Froggatt Edge |
| Day 24 | Thursday 26 October 2017 | The M1 back to Heathrow and flight NZ1 to LAX and Auckland. |
Last updated: 28/02/2018