This morning, we decided to have one last whip around Nice before getting the bus to Èze. We walked past our favourite bus stop, down the promenade, and back up to the viewpoint, as we stupidly forgot to see the waterfall on arrival day. It was built in the late 19th century, where the medieval keep once stood. It can also be seen from the promenade below. When back on ground level, we had a stroll through the fruit and veg and flower market. In 1897, Nice opened the first wholesale cut flower market in the world, and the market today is still full of hustle and bustle, bright colours, and glorious smells.
After our obligatory visit to Maccies for our World Tour series, we checked on Google Maps for the bus route to Èze. After getting on the wrong bus (despite the driver telling us it was the right one) and him not letting us get off again, we ended up paying €30 for an Uber, as buses are unfortunately, few and far between. He drove like a bat out of hell, but it meant we got there in super quick time.. every cloud! When we got dropped off, our initial thought were, is this it 😬 it wasn’t quaint, and there were just a few perfume shops and a few bars. We decided to follow the crowd who had just got off the bus we should have been on, and luckily we did, because it was here where we found what gives Èze its charm. Winding cobblestone streets through fairytale architecture. The narrow streets are full of independent shops, vibrant flower, and tiny expensive boutique hotels. Wrought-iron street lamps hang on every building, and colourful shutters around each window. It was a total maze of dreamy alleyways to find the entrance to the exotic garden, which was totally worth the €8 entrance fee.
The gardens boast a stunning view of the Cote d’Azur, although as always, we were blessed with intermittent large clouds and fog. There are wooden sun loungers dotted around for relaxing, but we just enjoyed getting lost (a theme in Èze!) in the ridiculous amount of pathways through the garden. Another attraction is Our Lady of the Assumption Church, but unfortunately, this is undergoing a large renovation project, so the majority of the inside is covered with scaffolding.
After a quick drink in a cafe, we joined the huge group of people waiting for the bus back. Our plan was to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in Villefranche-sur-Mer – an idyllic little town just under 10 minutes by train from Nice. Luckily, we managed to get on the bus, and we set off the coastal road, all packed in like sardines. We fought our way off the bus at our stop and headed down (thank god not up, as we passed quite a few incredibly sweaty people) the 100s of steps to sea level. Just like all the other towns we had visited, we were greeted by pastel buildings and winding cobblestone streets. It was incredibly quiet with hardly anybody else about. We found a cute little cafe run by an Italian family and stopped for a latte and pastry selection before heading to Plage des Marinières for a spot of sunbathing.
The water was such a gorgeous colour, and we thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the beach, listening to the waves and taking the weight off our feet. It was much needed after our 30k a day.. our trotters were in bits! As we were just 7 minutes on the train from Nice, we decided to have some food in Villefranche as there are loads of waterfront restaurants to choose from. Unfortunately with that comes a rather cheeky price tag, so we chose the cheapest (and busiest) restaurant, and enjoyed a very tasty meal – apart from Mark’s Tiramisu, which was just pure cream, and my mousse which looked like a turd (fortunately it didn’t taste like turd).
We would have loved more days here to explore the other way, places such as Cannes and Antibes. That can only mean one thing, though – a return trip is most definitely on the cards! If you have a few days off though and are at a loss as to what to do, we would throughly recommend coming to Nice and exploring the stunning French Riveria.
After a lovely hotel breakfast, we headed for Nice Ville train station to fathom out the trains to Menton. The queue for the ticket machine was quite long, so we decided to buy them on the Trainline, as we had no issues when in Germany. However, when we tried to go through the gate, they wouldn’t open.. we asked one of the staff, and they said we needed to press the yellow SOS button. This seemed a bit extreme, but after telling the gentleman on the other end that our tickets didn’t scan, he just opened the barrier. No further questions asked! We got onto the platform, and it was absolutely rammed, as this is also the train to Monaco. Despite the boards and trainline app suggesting our train was going to be delayed, a train did pull onto platform 2 at the correct and original time. After a bit of confusion, and everyone in their various languages checking this was, in fact, the right train that was now on time, we all piled on. The train was clean and spacious, and everyone managed to get a seat.
The journey to Menton was full of stunning coastal views, and is the last stop before the train heads into Italy (I tried to persuade Mark to let me have an hour in Italy, but I lost that battle..) As we headed out of the station, we were greeted by lots of construction and clay tennis courts and not the cute lemon coloured building I had seen on TikTok. A quick check on Google Maps showed we had a 20-minute walk to the old town, which oozed charm and history. Lots of cobbled streets later, and we arrived at the iconic Basilique Saint-Michel Archange de Menton. Not only is this a beautiful baroque building, but there are stunning views down to the beach. It’s also the place for the obligatory photo of the lemon coloured geometric stairs – Les Rampes Saint-Michel. It’s absolutely fascinating watching everyone getting that perfectly posed photo for Instagram, as well as how totally oblivious some people are when others are getting the perfect shot.
We walked down to the newer part Menton, ready for a beverage in one of the many cafés that line the beach. As it was 5 pm somewhere, we opted for a glass of wine and a pint and enjoyed the relaxation and people watching. We had spotted a group of people on some rocks in the sea and decided that that would be a great place to view Menton in all its pastel glory. We soaked up the sun and enjoyed the views of the Pearl of France. Dreamy buildings, colourful shutters and terracotta roofs – is really is the most glorious little town.
On the walk back to the train station, we decided to buy some of the lemony goods that Menton is famous for, and came away with lemon beer, lemon biscuits and lemon meringue ice cream 😋 essentially, everything under the sun has lemon in it!
Our next stop for today was Monaco – the second smallest country in the world, and the land of James Bond, F1 and wealth! The dream would be to land here in a private helicopter or bikini clad at the front of a super yacht. Unfortunately, as our wages don’t quite stretch that far, we settled for the train instead. I was excited to see all the big, lavish boats.. but was actually left a little underwhelmed! Where were the huge luxury yachts you see in pictures 😭 Getting around was slightly difficult at times as well due to path closures, as they were taking all the F1 construction down.
We hadn’t got a what to see and do plan in Monaco, so we ended up missing the ‘The Rock’ and the views from up there. We did, however, go to the most iconic building – the Monte Carlo Casino. We came from around the back of the casino so we could really appreciate the lavish and ornate building, which was designed by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opéra. It was swarmed with tourists trying to capture the best photos and, of course, plenty of expensive cars. Mark wasn’t allowed in due to his bag of beer bottles, so we had to take it in turns to check out the grand decor. The marble columned entrance hall is beautiful, but a lot smaller than I had expected! If we had more time, we would have loved to sit in Café de Paris and watch the wealthy arrive in their cars and head in for a flutter, but it was getting late and were keen to get back to Nice. So we walked past all the wealthy shops instead back to the train station and piled on with the 100s of other people.
Back in Nice and we decided to have dinner in the bustling old town. We found an Italian down one of the side streets and settled down for the al fresco feast. The menu at the restaurant next door then caught my eye.. roasted quail stuffed asshole! What an absolute treat. We finished off the evening with drinks in a few bars and some super expensive macaron.
The drive to our next hotel was a soggy one, and the rain continued right up until we were a few miles away. I think our taxi driver felt bad about getting us late (that or he was finished for the day and wanted to get home) and spent the drive weaving in and out of traffic and pushing the speed limit. It’s safe to say we both felt quite nauseas 🤣 Our next hotel is part of the Lux group, and that meant 7 days of 5* luxury. We were greeted with a lovely refreshing drink, had an explanation of the huge complex, and got shown to our room. The bed was enormous, we got fluffy robes and slippers, and a large balcony with a view over the beach. We headed to the bar to get some drinks, where the conversation with the waiter soon turned to football. This however meant Mark bagged himself a free beer (we couldn’t afford all inclusive 🤣)
We spent the next two days on the sunbeds with a book in the adults only section of the hotel (because who wants screaming children ruining the ambiance 🤣). The sun was shining and we finally had 2 whole days without rain. We also played some pentaque and tennis, before heading to the enormous buffet restaurant in the evening. It had live cooking stations, foods from all cuisines, and a walk in cheese fridge. Heaven! We also got dressed up for the posh restaurant in the hotel, and the food here was absolutely divine, and totally worth the extra cost.
We were really keen to explore the capital whilst in Mauritius, so we booked a food walking tour with a company called Taste Buddies. The waiter in the previous hotel had also organised his friend to be our chauffeur for the day, to take us to the capital, and anywhere else we fancied. Unfortunately, not long after we got in the car, the sliding door flew open. He tried to quickly fix it but wasn’t able to, so between me and the driver, we held it shut for the journey for to Port Louis. We met our guide Rudi and set off to try lots of local treats. We started off with Dholl Puri – similar to a tortilla but made using yellow split peas. The queue at this vendor was huge, which is always a good sign. The wrap itself had quite a sandy texture, but the filling was spicy and delicious. We then had roti, again with a tasty filling, and lots of other treats along the way. We walked through Chinatown (which isn’t allowed outside food vendors) and saw all of its graffiti, which is interactive with an app! We finished up at the central market and had Alouda to drink. We walked through the fruit and veg, and then decided to brave the meat. This was a decision we quickly regretted, as a man was hacking away at a cows head, and the smell in the poultry section was beyond revolting. It was absolute heaven to be back outside in the fresh air. After the tour we tried to continued to explore Port Louis, but the heavens opened again and the rain was now torrential, and without an umbrella meant one thing – a local bar.
We met our driver with his newly fixed car door, and he took us to the citadel which has great views over the capital. There was even some horse racing, which we were able to watch. We then went to the Botanical Gardens, and luckily, Sunjay had an umbrella in his car we could borrow. They are the oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere and are famous for its long pond of giant water lilies. The site is huge and you could easily spend all day here. We then visited 2 local beaches before finishing our trip at the famous Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice de Cap Malheureux, or just simply, the red church.
We were meant to have eaten at the hotels Creole restaurant tonight. However, due to the weather (as its an outside restaurant), they had to close. All was good, because Newcastle were playing and the hotel has a huge cinema that plays PL games. Unfortunately, the storm meant that the connection was terrible, the WiFi went down and we were unable to watch the game, or even keep up with the score!
Our lovely friend John (1/4 of the Sweden Survivors) has friends all over the world, and at the start of our trip, linked me up with his Mauritian friend, Pliny. Today, we took a taxi to the next town, Grand Baie, to meet Pliny and his partner Jay. We had a fabulous time, trying more local food and finding out more about the country and their culture. Jay’s mum had even made us some treats because today was Diwali. As the weather was beautiful again, we explored the beaches of Grand Baie and watched the hustle and bustle within the village. We then headed over to McDonald’s 🤣 and it was here that I got an email from Air Mauritius – your flight home on Tuesday has been cancelled and rebooked for Wednesday. All the thoughts were going through our heads… we now needed to organise an extra night at the hotel, we needed to rearrange the transfer, etc. Luckily, it was all quite easy in the end! And it meant an extra night in paradise.
We had been told by various people that the best thing to do during Diwali is to get a taxi to a town half hr away called Triolet. They have a large community who celebrate and therefore decorate their houses with lots of pretty lights. We contacted the driver who had taken us to Grand Baie that morning, and he drove us through lots of little villages (who also celebrate) on the way to Triolet. Unfortunately, this seemed to be an incredibly popular thing to do, and the traffic was beyond awful. We decided to get out of the taxi and arranged to meet him further down the road so we could take in the atmosphere. The houses were so colourful, full of twinkling lights and candles. One family even invited us over and gave us a large box of Indian sweets. All the locals had the gates open to their houses and encouraged you to go and admire their lights, and everyone was wishing each other a Happy Diwali.
We had been debating whether to do a boat trip, and research suggested that taking a trip to Ile Aux Cerfs would be a good option. It was another glorious day, so we got an early taxi and drove through part of the country we had not yet seen, to the place where we would be catching our speedboat. We got to the island, and it was stunning! White sandy beaches and crystal clear water. We decided to do parasailing, and the views we got were incredible. After a couple of hours paddling and lazing around, we got back on the speedboat and headed to a waterfall via lots of monkeys! We then headed to another island, where we had a delicious BBQ lunch and unlimited drinks 🍷🍺 It was a really lovely day, and although we hadn’t done anything strenuous, we were both exhausted and fell asleep in the car on the way back to the hotel.
It was now our last day, the day we should have been flying home. Air Mauritius paid for us to keep the room we were in for all our drinks and our evening meal that day. What a winner! Of course, the last day was spent dodging the rain 🤣 but we managed to have a float about on a pedalo and a few hours with a book. Mark made good use of the weather and went to get his beard tidied up ready to go back to work 😭 We made good work at the buffet and literally ate everything in sight, before settling down in the bar to play Scrabble, because we are cool 👍🏻
Despite the awful weather we have had, Mauritius has still been an absolute dream, and just the (sort of) relaxing trip we both needed. If you are planning on putting it on your bucket list, I’d 100% visit both the North and South as they are so, so different. I perhaps wouldn’t stay in Grand Gaube (North) however, as you are quite far out from the main shopping areas and bars, and the sea here isn’t the crystal clear waters you expect from Mauritius. I’d also consider hiring a car as it’s actually quite reasonable. Just don’t drive in Port Louis unless you’re a very confident driver!
The drive to Gatwick wasn’t its usual hellish self, meaning we arrived before check-in had even opened! However, so had the rest of the plane, so the queue for check-in was huge already. We hadn’t realised you needed to fill out an incredibly lengthy health form before check in (turns out most of the plane didn’t realise either) so we were able to get that completed in the queue. After dropping our bags, we whipped through security, meaning we had plenty of time to eat. We chose burritos, then did a couple of (unsuccessful) laps of the shops to try and find some chub rub shorts that I’d forgotten to pack. The airline we flew with was Air Mauritius, meaning momma gets a new sick bag to add to her collection! The next 11.5hrs were… interesting. Including the child behind projectile vomiting everywhere about 20 mins after we had taken off, the child to our right running around, banging the chairs and wailing for most of the flight, meaning there was a colourful arguement between his Dad and the bloke in front, and the driest sausage and egg for breakfast.
We landed early in the morning, collected our bags, and met our driver to take us to our first hotel in the south. He was very keen to show us lots of places on our way to the hotel, including some beautiful viewpoints and a waterfall. Whilst we were very grateful to him for doing this, neither of us had slept due to the noisy child and constant wafts of vomit, and we just wanted to get to the hotel. We arrived at Chalet Chamarel, and wow. The views were absolutely incredible over the Le Morne mountain. Due to arrival time, we weren’t able to get into our rooms, so we sat and chatted with the 3 other couples who had also arrived that morning. The chalet we were given was beautiful. It had an egg chair outside the front overlooking the incredible views, a balcony out the back to look over the forest, and a massive half outdoors shower. It really was stunning. That night, we were treated to a gorgeous sunset, a lovely dinner, and a much needed early night.
The next day, we had a lazy one planned. Just sit by the pool, read, and take in the views. November in Mauritius is, of course, one of the best months to visit due to little rainfall. However, when we woke up, we were met with thick fog and drizzle. We remained optimistic that it would pass, but unfortunately, the heavens continued to open, and by 1pm, it was still pouring with rain. So there was only one thing for it – head to the rum distillery! We organised a taxi through reception and initially got quoted £45. Bearing in mind, the distillery was only 15 mins away, we decided this was way too expensive and managed to get them down to £36. The taxi driver arrived and drove us down the roads that now resembled a river to the distillery. He said how unusual this amount of rain was, that the amount that had fallen that day so far was usually the amount for the whole of November. He was confident, however, that the next day would be better. We joined the quick distillery tour, but obviously, we were all here for one thing – rum tasting! The first one we had was actually quite nice, but they soon went downhill after that. But if rum is your thing, you get 8 tastings! We then explored the grounds and headed to the café for a mojito, which was delicious. We hopped back in the taxi and made our way back to the chalet to get ready for dinner. Luckily, our chalet was right next to the restaurant, but some unlucky couples had to wade through the mud to get there. After dinner we joined the others 3 couples we had chatted to the day before for drinks, and we chatted for hours about our past travels and experiences.
The following morning we woke up to glorious sunshine and gorgeous views once again over Le Morne and the Indian Ocean. Sounds like our taxi driver was right! Wrong… by 10am, the heavens had opened again, the fog was back, and it was way worse than the previous day. So we settled in the egg chair for another day of reading. By around 2pm it was just drizzle, so we decided to put on our hiking boots (which we had originally packed as we had planned to either hike Tamarind Falls or part of Le Morne, but the weather meant either was now far too dangerous) and walk to 7 Coloured Earth Geopark – an area of sand dunes comprising of seven distinct colours. The paths were getting flooded, but it was still nice to be able to get out and about. The taxi driver from the previous day had told us that because we were staying in the Chalet Chamarel, we would get in for free. This, however, wasn’t the case. After explaining what we had been told, explaining we had no cash and no data to buy tickets online, the lady eventually gave up and let us in for free. Due to the weather, the 7 colours you can usually see weren’t as vivid, but we were still glad we had done it, as it’s one of the must do attractions in the area. We then decided to walk to the waterfall that we had seen on arrival day, and what a difference the rain had made. The falls were now full and thunderous, and between the thick fog patches, it was spectacular to see. The walk back was soggy and uphill, but we saw loads of interesting birds and plants, and as we were one of the few people out and about, it was really peaceful as well. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to pack the Jungle Formula, so we both got absolutely eaten alive.
That evening, the weather had kindly cleared up again, and arrangements were made for us and the other 3 couples to eat together. So we got dressed up, and made the most of the clear evening to get some content 🤣 we had lots of lovely food and lovely wine, the company was great, and we all had such a nice time. It was the perfect end to our last night in the South.
The following morning was glorious again, so we decided to have a boujee breakfast and have champagne. We went back to pack, but as if by clockwork, the rain came again, this time, however accompanied by thunder and lightning. We were meant to be getting picked up at 1pm to be taken to the North. However, the no-show and frantic phone calls from the staff suggested that this probably wouldn’t be happening and time soon. Luckily, our driver did eventually arrive – due to the weather, the roads were flooded, and trees had come down, so he had to go an alternative and much longer way round to get to us.
We were so looking forward to exploring the South, as there are so many different things to see and do, but we were just so unfortunate with the weather. Every local we spoke to couldn’t believe it, and said that even in the wet season, it wasn’t this bad! We were lucky to be staying in such a lovely place, although slightly isolated, and feel blessed that mother nature still let us have some gorgeous views. Hopefully, the North would bring us some solid sunshine…..
The forecast for the next 2 days was awful with severe weather warnings in place, so we knew we wouldn’t be able to do everything we had planned whilst on Skye. We started off the soggy day with breakfast at the highly rated The Coffee Bothy. It was a really cool vibe inside, with the most incredible cake display and the really friendly staff. Unfortunately, it was style over substance.. Mark ordered a lorne and bacon roll, which was a bit dry and lacked flavour. The cake was moist but had a slightly strange flavour.
Portree As with everywhere we have been so far, there are plenty of places to pull over for a view and a quick photo. We spotted a waterfall and P, so we parked up, and I popped over the road for a closer look. Unfortunately, there was a large family who had got there first. They started by all having individual photos, then various group photos.. they were completely oblivious that others were trying to admire/photograph the falls. I got fed up waiting, so I took a photo, edited them out, and went back to the van to continue the journey. Portree is the colourful capital of the Isle of Skye and is a lovely little seaside town. It’s full of cafés, bars, restaurants, gift shops and of course, whisky shops. A trip here wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the viewpoint for the multicoloured houses or a walk around the harbour to see them up close. On a nice day, there are plenty of cafés to choose from to sit back and watch the boats bobbing on the Loch with the stretch of hills in the background.
The Old Man of Storr This was one of the walks we were both really looking forward to, and luckily the rain has stopped and the skies were clear. One of my favourite things to do on a hike is to look at what other people are wearing. My favourites from here were hotpants with knee high boots, ankle boots with a heal (she had to have people either side to help her down) and pyjamas 🤷🏼♀ The Old Man of Storr is an iconic landmark on the Isle of Skye, with a towering pinnacle of rock perfectly set among the landscapes of the Trotternish Peninsula. The hike is a steady slog straight up the side of a hill, and due to the amount of food I’ve been consuming this past week (I’ve definitely put on a stone) I had to have regular stops just to catch my breath! There are so many photography opportunities here, and each turn just gets better and better. The rock formations are enormous and impressive, and the views out to the lochs, mountains, and surrounding islands were incredible. We really were so lucky with the weather!
Lealt Falls & Kilt Rock And that was where the good weather ended. It continued to rain for the rest of our time of Skye. One good thing about Skye is a lot of the waterfalls are easily accessible. You park up and walk to a purpose built viewing area. Both of these falls offer just that, and are definitely ‘must swing by’ falls. Lealt waterfall crashes into Lealt gorge and is surrounded by rugged terrain. Kilt rock is an ancient cliff resembling a kilt, with Mealt waterfall plummeting from the top of the cliffs to the rocky coast below.
Staffin As mentioned in the previous blog, there aren’t many campsite options this late in the season. But we found a small one in Staffin, which is located near to the dinosaur beach. By now the rain was heavy, but I was determined to find the dinosaur footprints which are located on various rocks around this black sand beach. We hunted for them, but soon gave up, which by the looks of it, so did a lot of people judging by the amount of footprints drawn in the sand instead. On a clear day, the Quiraing dominates the skyline here, so if you are fortunate with the weather, you should definitely add this beach to your list. The campsite for the night was small and settled, but despite multiple signs saying do not dry clothes using hand dryers and hair dryers, people were drying their clothes with hand dryers and hair dryers.
The Quiraing This was meant to be one of the hikes we did, however today the weather was even worse than yesterday. Due to the uneven ground and steep sections, a lot of reviews on AllTrails (and other websites) suggested that you don’t attempt this in adverse weather unless an experienced hiker. So… as we are absolutely not that, we thought we would try the viewpoint instead. This is one of the most photographed places on Skye, but unfortunately we just didn’t have luck on our side, and by this point, a small stream was also forming on the roads. Instead, we got a coffee and a bacon roll from the van at the car park (we were his first customer) whacked the heating on, and gave up on waiting for any of it to pass.
Fairy Glen A delightful and enchanting miniature landscape of grassy, cone-shaped hills. The Isle of Skye is rich with faerie lore, however, the unique geological formations here are actually the result of a landslip (but dont think about that, let your imagination go wild). This is very easily accessible, with lots of parking and the whole area is a lovely walk. There is a large rock formation in the middle, known as Castle Ewen, which you can climb up for views across the whole site. Unfortunately, we chose to do it whilst it was quite busy, and I got wedged in the tiny gap used to get up to the top. Conscious that people were trying to get up and down, I managed to unwedge myself, but gave up giving it another attempt. We spent a bit of time exploring the area, but as the rain continued, the ground just became too boggy to enjoy it anymore. Luckily, everyone had decided to leave, so I gave Castle Ewen one more try, and with a bit of manoeuvre, managed to make it to the top.
Dunvegan Castle We knew we would have around an hour to explore here (in hindsight, we should have sacked off Neist Point to spend longer here) so we only paid to visit the garden, and not the joint castle ticket. Dunvegan boats 5 acres of formal award-winning gardens, including the water garden, rose garden, walled garden and woodland walks. You can tell they’ve put a lot of money and effort in to try and restore the gardens to their former glory, and were full of autumnal colours. They have a waterfall, and offer seal boat trips (these finished on 30th Sept) and the views of the castle across the water are stunning.
Neist Point The road here towards the end was absolutely terrible and full of pot holes, and the car park was rammed with badly parked cars. When we arrived we were greeted with heavy rain and thick, thick fog.. I left Mark in the car whilst I popped out for a look, with everything crossed that the fog at least would lift. However.. that wasn’t to be the case. The round trip walk down to the lighthouse was around 2 miles, and I was really conscious that we were booked in for a tasting at Talisker later that afternoon. There was, however, a cake fridge at a house by the car park! So to try and cheer us up, I got a lemon and a coffee and walnut slice.
Talisker As this is one of Mark’s favourites, we had to make sure we factored in a visit here (and also a perfect excuse to get out of the rain). Talisker offer a tasting experience, without having to do a distillery tour, so this was perfect for us (on the whole, if you’ve done one distillery tour, you’ve done them all!) As I was driving, I was given a drivers pack so I (Mark) could enjoy them later. We were taught the importance of sniffing the whisky with your mouth slightly open and sniffing it through one nostril at a time before trying the whisky neat, then adding 2 drops of water. Mind-blowing! You also get 10% off in the shop for attending the tasting, which is great considering how much some of it costs. The area around Talisker Bay is also meant to be stunning, but we really were fed up with the rain and wind putting a downer of Skye, so decided to head back to the campsite.
Sligachan Bridge We had stopped here yesterday for a walk around, but it was so so busy. Luckily, the car park and the bridge itself were now empty, so we parked up and had another look. It was now only drizzle rather than torrential rain.. hooray! The legend of Sligachan states that if you dip your face in the river water by the bridge, you will be granted eternal beauty. Knowing my luck, I’d fall in, so as tempting as this sounded, I decided to give the dipping a miss. The bridge is surrounded by mountains in the distance, and the weather makes it more atmospheric. When the water level is low and the sky is clear, you are able to get a really cool framed mountain shot through the arch of the bridge. There is a campsite here, but unfortunately, it closed for the season on Sept 30th. There are so many amazing photography opportunities here, so it’s really worth stopping, whatever the weather!
We were so looking forward to coming to Skye, but unfortunately, we’ve just been a bit underwhelmed. The bloke at the campsite we stayed at said they hadn’t seen weather this bad for a very long time.. so that obviously hasn’t helped. We missed out on Fairy Pools because the walking route was too deep with water. We’ve also been really spoilt with the incredible views of the west coast, and other tourists on the NC500.. Unfortunately, Skye was full of inconsiderate people, people parking in passing places, nobody said hello when you walked past.. and my biggest annoyance of all, nobody thanked you on single track roads for letting them passed. We’ve just been very unlucky. But I’d definitely return to give it a second chance in better weather!
This morning we woke up, glad that the van was still standing. It was blowing a hoolie all night that everything is the van was shaking. It’s our last full day on the NC500 before heading into Skye this evening, so it’s a long day of driving ahead.
Victoria Falls Not to be confused with the falls on the Zambezi River 🤣 Scotland has its own Victoria Falls, named after Queen Victoria, who visited in 1877. From the car park, it’s a very short walk to the viewing area to see the falls, as well as views over Loch Maree. This was a super quick stop as it was on the way to our next destination. We got back into Ruby, ready to drive off, and a dirty man decided to have a wee right in front of us!! No shame…
Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve The rain continued on arrival to the car park. If we had better weather (and more time), we would have taken on the mountain trail, but the trail leaflet suggested 4 hours, and it was wet, foggy, and cold. So, instead, we opted for the woodland walk. It’s the Caledonian pinewoods here that led Beinn Eighe to be designated as Britain’s first National Nature Reserve. Before you start the walk, you can pick up an information leaflet that explains the views, trees, and other things you might see en route. Unfortunately, due to the weather we had, we didn’t have the best views of the mountains or lochs.. but there were plenty of other interesting things to look at, including multiple varieties of fungi (which Mark thoroughly enjoyed 🤣) It was full of autumnal colours, rushing streams, and rustling wildlife. If you come at the right time, you may see Golden Eagles! When we got back to Ruby, the rain had eased off, so we were able to sit on a bench next to the Loch for a while and just watch the world go by.
Bealach na Bà Have you even done the 500 if you haven’t driven this road 😉 It’s a winding single track road through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula, and the name is Scottish Gaelic for Pass of the Cattle. On the drive from the nature reserve to the start of Bealach na Bà, as we turned a corner, loads of things flew off the shelf, which meant we had to pull over to put it all back. As we got into the parking area, we noticed loads of people were taking a photo of something – a stag! He was just walking around and sticking his head into people’s windows! He’s obviously always there, as there is a sign saying do not feed me. Obviously, certain people chose to ignore that.. but it was so lovely to see him up close. After a little Google about him, it turns out the locals have called him Callum 🤷🏼♀ we got back on the road ready to tackle Bealach na Bà. Boasting the steepest ascent of any road in the United Kingdom with its hairpin turns up to the 2,054 feet summit. Described as remote, scary, challenging, and breathtaking. So.. we did it twice! Mark did both drives, so I could concentrate on getting all the content 😉 unfortunately on the way up, we got stuck behind two cyclists, who just wouldn’t pull over to let us go by! I understand it would be difficult for them to regain momentum going uphill…. but poor Ruby’s clutch 😭 Luckily we did it on a reasonably clear bit of the day, and we got incredible views on the way up and the way down.
Applecross Everything you read online, and even the owner of the campsite we had just left, absolutely rave about The Applecross Inn. It’s the absolute best food you will ever eat.. so obviously we had to try it! I ordered haggis and oatcakes and had enough haggis to feed the 5000. It was super tasty, though. Mark had crab salad, and we both had fish and chips for the main. It was nice, but it certainly wasn’t the best I’ve ever eaten. And it definitely wasn’t worth the price we paid for it. What was lovely, though, was we saw yet another stag! Who just wondered through the village and settled himself down next to the side of someone’s house.
To Skye We left Applecross, drove back down Bealach na Bà, and headed for Skye. I’d seen a couple on Instagram take a selfie in the ‘Kishorn Selfie Box’, so much to Mark’s delight, we stopped for a selfie. I just wish they had left a box of props 😉 The last leg of the journey was foggy and raining, and we couldn’t wait to get settled into the campsite. Due to the time of year, there aren’t many campsite options on Skye, so we chose one in a village called Broadford. Unfortunately, next to us was a load of lads lads lads, who decided to be noisy until quite late. It’s not a massive issue, but we have been so used to the quiet 500 campsites 🤣
We decided to treat ourselves to a nice breakfast today due to being just a few minutes’ drive from Ullapool, and therefore a selection of cafés. We chose Cult Cafe and opted for avo on toast with feta. Now we’ve done a lot of avo breakfasts in our time, and this one was up there with one of the best we’ve ever had! We then popped into the deli over the road to see what treats they had to offer. They had a huge selection of cakes, meats, and cheeses, as well as an extensive deli roll menu. We decided to grab two to have for lunch later, however it did take them an absolute age to make them (which is ok because they were absolutely delicious) I think they felt sorry for us because we were given an off cut of a piece of millionaires shortbread for free whilst we waited.
Lael Forest Garden Mark decided he needed a bit of a rest (which involved a book, a whole cafetiere, and 3 French fancies!), so I did this one solo. Due to the recent heavy rainfall, it was very slippery in the areas where the tree roots were above ground. I took the upper path first and was a little bit underwhelmed by the whole thing. The view of the falls was also really obscured, and it was just too slippery to get anywhere near them. The lower half of the trail was much better, with loads of different species of trees and fungi. It was a nice little mile long walk to get the day started.
Corrieshalloch Gorge We pulled into the car park and saw it was a tenner to park a campervan! I’m all for paying for car parks to help maintain the area, but I think £10 is a bit steep..especially when our van can fit into the same space as a car. So we ended up being one of those.. and drove off in search of a free parking area, which luckily we found quite quickly. Corrieshalloch is said to be one of the most spectacular gorges of its type in Britain. And it certainly was spectacular! Only a short walk from the parking area and you come to a suspension bridge (which I can imagine is a massive pain in the summer as only 6 people are ‘allowed’ on at a time) and here you can marvel at the colossal gorge. It stretches approximately 1.5 kilometers long and plunges to a depth of 60 meters. The Falls of Measach that cascade into the depths of the gorge create this amazing sight. There is also a woodland walk in which at present, the native trees are rich in Autumnal colours.
Ardessie falls We parked up on the side of the road (only spaces for about 5 cars) and tucked into our rolls before tackling the next waterfall walk. Getting to the start involves walking along a narrow path by the side of the road, and some delightful creature decided to drive their car straight into a massive puddle and spray Mark.. luckily for him, he was head to toe in waterproof gear. There are no obvious paths. It’s literally a case of scramble away in the direction of the falls. The beauty of these falls is that there are many segments to them. Watching the water gushing furiously around rocks and down deep gullies in a series of rapids, as well as stunning views across Loch Broom and surrounding mountains, what more could you want! There was an option to cross the falls, but that looked far too dangerous. There was also a massive wedged boulder, which, when stood on, would make a really cool photo. However, one wrong movement would send you plunging into the falls below.. so we sacked that one off, too! We spent quite a long time at these falls.. we really loved the beauty of the area. The scramble back down as usual, boggy and slippery, but with good shoes and good balance, we would definitely recommend this walk.
Firemore beach The weather was now closing in, but we decided we could squeeze one more thing in for today. Firemore is a red-hued sandy beach, and due to its rural location and single track road (and probably also the weather), we had it all to ourselves. There are no facilities here, just a small parking area. On a clear day, I can imagine it would he a stunning place to be, but we got wind, rain, and fog, and so after a quick walk around, decided to call it a day.
We arrived at our campsite and realised there was a pub next door. This is very rare as most campsites are in the arse end of nowhere! Excited, we walked in, expecting a cosy atmosphere, full of locals and campers having a lovely time. Instead, it was just the two of us and a slightly strange barmaid. After about 10 minutes, another couple came in, but all she did was moan out loud that she couldn’t have a pint of Coke. They only sold it in a can. She then decided to read the whole food menu out loud, and her and her husband had a very lengthy discussion about what haggis bonbons were (Mark heard his haggis bonbon bowel movement the following morning 💩). We drank up and headed back to Ruby to enjoy some beers we bought earlier and a mushroom stroganoff with microwave rice (little things…)
We woke up to a dry morning after a night of wind and rain, and decided to change breakfast up a bit and have crunchy nut instead! The plan was a bit of everything today – a waterfall, a castle, a cave and finishing next to a beach.
Clashnessie Falls Located just a short drive from where we were staying and with a slightly bigger parking area than the falls yesterday. If you don’t fancy the scramble to get there, you can actually see the falls from the roadside, but we were up for the challenge and set off for a closer look. Due to the heavy rain the night before, the route was very boggy and very slippery. Half way into the walk we saw a sign to the falls pointing us to walk across the water, however this was impossible due to how deep it was. We therefore had to scramble across boulders and stones in a very narrow area to avoid trespassing into the grounds of the cottage by the falls (there were signs making sure this didn’t happen 🤣) The falls were full and dramatic, but also tranquil. There was an easy path to admire the falls from above as well. As long as you have the right shoes, we would definitely recommend these falls.
Lochinver I had read about the best pies ever in Lochinver, so we were keen to try these out. Unfortunate the dine in option wasn’t available today, but fortunately it was a lovely day and we were able to sit outside next to the Loch and enjoy the pies with the view. I opted for the pork, apple and cider.. and it really was delicious. Deep filed and full of flavour.. what more could you ask for. You can even get the pies posted to you! Check out Lochinver Larder if you appreciate a good pie 🥧
Ardvreck Castle The ruin of Ardvreck Castle stands atop a small promontory of land on Loch Assynt. It is easily visible from the road and easily accessed from 2 roadside car parks. Mark decided to enjoy some peace and quiet and sat with a coffee, enjoying the views, whilst I went off to explore. It’s in a stunning location, and although just a fragment of its former glory, this scenic ruin is a must-see. You can see why Clan Macleod decided to build it here.
Bone Caves We nearly didn’t visit here because all of the instructions online seemed a bit vague, saying things like its difficult to park, and look out for said boulder and if you miss it you’ve gone wrong. It also wasn’t on Alltrails, and obviously neither of us can read a map 🤣 But… we love a challenge, so why not! Luckily, the car park is very clearly signposted and big enough for loads of cars. The paths up to the caves are also really obvious, so we’re really glad we decided to do this hike. We headed up the limestone valley to visit the caves, to the loud grunting noises of rutting deer nearby. They get their name because when they were excavated, they were found to contain the remains of species such as lynx, reindeer, and polar bear, which once roamed the area. Pretty cool! You need to be ok with heights with this walk, because around the caves, the paths are very narrow, but I really enjoyed this one. Until the very end.. when the heavens opened and it absolutely poured with rain, and unfortunately we were just too late for the coffee van at the side of the parking area.
There was some lovely P stops on our way to our home this evening. It’s so difficult not to pull over into every single one! We popped into Ullapool to check out the pub scene, as Newcastle took on PSG. Unfortunately there was only one pub showing football.. and that was showing the wrong game.. so because Mark was too scared to ask a Scottish barman to change from Celtic to Newcastle, he grabbed some beers, and we got ourselves settled in Ruby, ready for a night of top quality football. I dread to think what the others on the site must have thought with all the shouting and jumping up and down, thanks to their 4-1 victory!
We woke up to rain.. and lots of it! It was therefore ponchos on and make a dash for the showers. We had our staple porridge pot, packed up Ruby and headed a few minutes down the road to our first stop.
Smoo cave We pulled into the car park at Smoo Cave and noticed that the cheese toastie van (which everyone raves about and says is the best toastie you will ever eat) was closed, despite their website saying it was open! So.. I got straight onto Facebook messenger to enquire, especially with missing out on Crumbs yesterday. Luckily they replied quickly and had decided to open at 11. This meant we would have plenty of time to explore the cave and then return to a tasty treat. Smoo is a dramatic and spectacular sea cave set into the limestone cliffs. The cave entrance and main chamber have been considerably enlarged by sea action and is now the largest sea cave entrance in Britain. The inner chambers, where the waterfall is located, were formed through freshwater rainfall erosion. During the summer months (and autumn months when the weather behaves) you can go into the cave via boat, however this wasn’t an option for us today. Once we had explored the cave and checked out the waterfall, we headed towards the sea for some rugged views, and was greated by a rainbow. We were the only ones up there, and as the rain had stopped we sat and watched the waves crashing on the cliff edges. We walked back to the car park and luckily, the cheese toastie van was open! We ordered our cheesy treats from the most Scottish woman we have met so far (most people working here are not Scottish!) and just as they were ready, the heavens opened again.. so we ran back to Ruby and had them there. They were INCREDIBLE and so so cheesy 🧀
Oldshoremore beach As this often appears on the list of the UK’s best beaches, we wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Crisp white sand, turquoise blue water – it was like being on a beach in Thailand. It has parking and toilets which was an added bonus, and after navigating a steep sandy path, we made it to the beach. It would be the perfect place to sit with a picnic or just read a book. It was so tranquil and so so clean! It really is a hidden gem in the Highlands.
Kylesku Bridge We got back to Ruby and bashed off our boots (the hire company really doesn’t want a sandy van) and set on our way to our next destination. During this drive we were lucky to see not one, but two animals associated with the Highlands – a stag who ran out into the road and gave us the dirtiest look before running off, and Highlands cows. Mark popped in to get us a latte from the local petrol station (which was awful!!) whilst I went for a closer look. As I love a good fact in this blog.. here are some about the gorgeous heilan coos. They are the oldest cattle breed in the world, male horns are thicker than female horns, and the most exciting fact – the most common breed in the Highlands is the ginger one. After spending far too long looking at the cows, we headed for the famous NC500 bridge. The bridge crosses Loch a’ Chàirn Bhàin, replacing the old Kylesku Ferry, which linked Kylestrome to Kylesku. It was designed to blend into the Highlands it sits within, and even has a viewing area on either side.
Wailing widow falls Doing the NC500 at the end of the season means we have been really lucky with parking. The parking area for these falls fits about 4 cars, and there was only one more there when we arrived. It’s definitely classed as a hidden gem because unless you’ve done your research, you wouldn’t know it was there, especially as there are no signposts to it. There are lots of stories and legends relating to this waterfall, with the most popular one being the name comes from the local legend that a young man was hunting deer in the fog, and sadly didn’t see the gorge of the waterfalls and fell to his death at the top of the falls. Distraught, his mother (a widow) came to see where he had died and, consumed by grief, threw herself off the top of the waterfall. Because of the weather, the route to the falls was rather twitchy arse, and excellent balance was needed as we scrambled over wet rocks and waded through soggy bog. It was worth it though, even if I did nearly slip over at least 100 times as they were really impressive!
Achmelvich Bay & Hermit’s Castle Another award winning beach and said to be one of the most popular on the NC500, although is a bit of a pain to drive to because it is accessed via a single track road. We were really fortunate that again, we had it all to ourselves. Access to the beach itself is super easy and doesn’t involve climbing down sand dunes or other steep paths, and again it feels like you’re on a tropical beach. The water really is a stunning colour. I’d also read about another hidden gem – Hermit’s Castle, and it’s known as Scotland’s smallest castle. The instructions were just keep walking across the peninsula for 10 minutes, but keep an eye out because you might miss it as it’s camouflaged. After wading through sheep poo, we managed to find it quite easily.. and what a strange little structure it is! I think the word castle is a bit of a push.. more like a concrete bothy maybe? It certainly fits into its surroundings, but it just seems a bit pointless! Apparently it was built in the 50s by a bloke called David Scott. It took him 6 months to build it and he only stayed one night 🤷🏼♀️ shame really because it does have incredible views!
Home tonight was a lovely campsite in Clachtoll. It had a communal fire pit, a games room, a microwave and a herb garden you could help yourself to. It even had inspirational quotes in its jazzy toilets. What more could you want!
We woke up to a glorious morning, and decided to have breakfast at one of the cafés in JOG. Most were actually closed 🤦🏼♀ but that seems to be the case on Monday’s when the season is beginning to wind down. Mark enjoyed a fry-up, complete with tattie scones and haggis!
Dunnet head Our first stop today was another lighthouse. But not any old lighthouse! It’s the lighthouse at the most northerly point of mainland Britain. A lighthouse fact – it has a range of 23 miles and flashes white 4 times every 30 seconds. In previous times it was run by a series of lighthouse keepers, whose job after dusk was to keep watch in the lightroom and ensure that the light flashed correctly and to character. How many times can you say lighthouse in one paragraph… It’s also an RSPB site as it’s home to many seabirds. But again.. we had another very poor seabird show. Another exciting thing about Dunnet head is it has a trig point. So that’s another one bagged in our trig bagging quest. We were really lucky with the weather, and because it was so clear, we could easily see the Orkney Islands.
Whilst doing my research I’d found a bright pink cake cupboard which is situated on the side of the road at Bettyhill. Everyone raved about it, saying it was the best cakes and treats they’ve ever eaten. Today however.. it was closed.. obvs. A bit further up the road we found a cute little cafe and treated ourselves to a haggis sausage roll. We found a scenic P along the route and stopped to make a coffee and to enjoy the sausage roll with the views.
Coldbackie beach A lot of the places we have marked on our map are a bit of a faf to find.. and this was no different. Once we found somewhere to park Ruby, we then had to find out how to actually climb down to the beach. We eventually found a gap in fence and headed down the hillside to the hidden shores below. Golden sands and clear blue water, with little signs of life.. it was absolute heaven. We had the whole beach to ourselves. If we didn’t need to reach our next campsite by a certain time then we would definitely have stayed there a lot longer. It was just so peaceful! And the photos really don’t do it justice.
Castle Varrich Because we missed out on Castle Sinclair, we really wanted to make sure we got to a ruin. Castle Varrich is perfect because it has a superb prominent position overlooking the Kyle of Tongue. We parked up in Tongue in the small parking area outside a hotel, and began the climb up to the castle. It’s such a beautiful walk, with views over the dramatic rocky peaks of Ben Loyal. After zig zagging our way through the trees, and a final ascent we made it to the castle ruins. The views were incredible, and you are now able to climb a metal staircase to the top for an even better lookout. The precise origins and age are unknown, but it is thought to be associated with the Bishops of Caithness, the Mackay clan or the Norse.
The rest of our day was taken up driving, but with each turn came something more breathtaking. There are so many places to pull over and take in the views and get some incredible photos. It is a game of dodge the sheep however! We arrived at our campsite for the night – Sango Sands Oasis. We were really keen to stay here because we had heard good things. And they were right! It’s situated on a cliff top with views over the award winning beach below. We had originally parked Ruby on the edge overlooking the sea, however it was on a bit of a slope and the wind was getting up, so me being a massive wuss, we moved further back so we didn’t roll off during the night. The rain then came and decided to stay for the rest of the night, which meant cooking in the van. I made a bloody good chicken curry which enjoyed with a glass of wine. We also decided that sleeping in the pop roof probably wasn’t a good idea due to the weather, so spent our first night on the ground level bed, which was actually very comfortable!
The Travelling Ginger 