Snow country

After a day of almost perfect weather on Thursday, we woke to a spectacular winter's scene the following morning. The foothills around our hotel were covered in snow - the first fall of the season. Only the lowest reaches remained untouched, including our location by the shore. Over breakfast Garry and I debated whether to risk driving to Edinburgh or to simply turn south along the coastal road.

The previous night, upon hearing the weather forecast, we'd called Edinbugh to cancel our hotel ooking only to discover that we's still be charged a one-night penalty rate. Now we weren't sure what to do. However, local authorities reassured us that the road across Rannoch Moor, more than 300 metres above sea-level, was open and safe to traverse. We decided to head east for Edinburgh.


The scene that greeted us as we drove inland rapidly unfolded into a stunning, winter wonderland. Within 15 minutes we were winding our way through Glen Coe, passing six inch snow drifts on the side of the road. I asked Garry to stop several times so that we could take photos and marvel at the scene around us. It was clear that plenty of other travellers had the same thought. We passed numerous people making snowmen and even a few hardy souls going for treks across the moors.


Driving through the snow-clad highlands was a wonderful adventure. The drive was tiring but well worth the experience. It was certainly something we'd not planned for, but without a doubt one of the year's most memorable highlights.