I've really enjoyed sharing this series of posts about my North Coast 500 honeymoon adventure, they have been a great way to reflect on a trip of a lifetime and the first one Martyn and I had as a married couple. This post will be the last in the series and I think I've saved the best until last. What can beat the sight of a Scottish castle in a loch and an industrial engineering marvel?!

As our Scottish honeymoon drew to a close we started to make our way back south after reaching some of the most remote locations on the Scottish north coast. We broke our journey up with pit stops at Kyle of Lochalsh, Fort William and the Lake District before heading back home to Wales.

After a long drive from Thurso to Kyle of Lochalsh we spent the night at Reraig Caravan Site. We loved this small site and the facilities were completely spotless and had everything we needed. This was very welcome after more basic facilities on the north coast. The campsite is perfect for those planning on heading to the Isle of Skye the next day and is just a five minute drive from the magnificent Eilean Donan Castle. I first spotted this castle on our way to Gairloch earlier in the trip and I'm so glad we were able to stop there on the return journey. You can easily see why is is one of the most photographed locations in Scotland. 

The first incarnation of the castle was built in the 13th century during the reign of the Scottish King Alexander II. Initially, nearly the whole island was contained by a wall and houses a substantial main keep and towers to keep an eye out for any invading Vikings. The waters around the castle are shallow and potential attackers would have to wade over to the island leaving their armour weighed down with water. 

During the medieval period the Highlands and Islands of Scotland were rife with clan feuds and the  strategic position Eilean Donan meant it was a constant target and during the 17th century, the castle was briefly held by a Parliamentarian garrison before passing back into Royalist hands. 

When the the British Government learned that the castle was occupied by Jacobite leaders and Spanish soldiers, three Royal Navy boats were sent to deal with the uprising. The tried to bombard the castle with cannons but the thick walls meant this had little impact. The government forces took the castle by force and once inside discovered barrels of gunpowder and blew the castle up. Eilean Donan then lay in ruin for nearly two hundred years. The castle was not rebuilt until 1932. 

Simply stunning! I don't think I've ever seen such a picturesque sight. I recommend heading to the castle easily because it can become completely overrun by tourists. When we were there an American tourist was dressed as a princess and having a full on Disney style photoshoot outside the castle...  

After ten days of driving on single track roads for hours each day we decided to take it easy and spend the night at the Glen Nevis Caravan park near Fort William which we had previously stayed at when we visited Glen Coe earlier in the trip. We had a quiet evening with fish and chips and reading in the campervan. The large supermarkets in Fort William meant we could stock up on supplies and get some cheap diesel for the long drive back home. 

The journey south was broken up by an overnight stop just outside Keswick at the Scotgate Holiday Park. The site is ideal for camping all year round with it's tea rooms and facilities with underfloor heating. The majority of touring pitches have a shared tap between 2 pitches, electric hook-up, grey waste water disposal, tv aerial socket and hardstanding. We only had time to briefly stroll around Keswick but we loved how dog friendly everything is there. It made a nice change to be able to take Coco in a shop rather than one of us waiting outside. 

Two railway workers like myself and Martyn couldn't visit the Cumbria/North Yorkshire area without visiting the Ribblehead Viaduct. 

Ribblehead viaduct is the most impressive structure on the Settle-Carlisle Railway. The viaduct has 24 massive stone arches 104 feet above the moor. The viaduct is mighty but came at a cost. Hundreds of navvies lost their lives building the line due to poor working conditions and outbreaks of disease in the camps they lived in. Passenger and freight services still go over the viaduct. Taking in the beautiful scenery and gazing up at the viaduct was a wonderful way to end our honeymoon adventure. 

We really did have the best time in Scotland and I would love to return because there is so much we simply didn't have time to see. I would recommend giving yourself at two weeks to fully experience the North Coast 500 like we did, especially if you have to travel up to Scotland from the South West.

As previously mentioned we toured this route in a VW campervan which we hired from Morning VW Camper Hire in Newport. This was an ideal way to get about and saved a lot of time compared to pitching up in a tent but it did come with a hefty price tag. Lots of campsites had glamping pods and there are plenty of B&Bs along the route so touring with a campervan or tent aren't the only options.  To find out more about the route head over to the VisitScotland site. 

If you want your own North Coast 500 adventure you can follow our itinerary here.

I hope you're not bored of reading about my Scottish honeymoon because there are two posts left in the series and a lot of photos of blue skies and white sand beaches to share with you. 

After setting off from Ullapool early in the morning we headed to Durness via Clachtoll and Drumbeg. This was another spectacular section of the North coast 500 route with amazing views but we actually found this section a bit hair raising. The 24-mile-long single track loop that follows the coast was narrow, twisting and steep but don't be put off because it is incredibly scenic. There's lots to see on the way to Durness including Stoer lighthouse and the Old Man of Stoer which is an impressive 60ft high sea stack. 

The drive was difficult with a lot of steep climbs and poor visibility all on narrow, single track roads. I did feel for Martyn who did all the driving on the trip as this section was gruelling, I held onto the seat and our dog Coco for the duration of the journey, lots of pit stops and beach walks broke up the journey and allowed us to enjoy this section.

Clachtoll Beach is a popular beach close to a campsite (and a free car park and toilets) with some rugged terrain. The water was turquoise and the sand so white and clean. We were the only people on the beach in the middle of the day and enjoyed stunning mountain views for miles around before it started to rain so we headed back to the camper van for a cup of tea and lunch before hitting the road again. 

We stopped off at a few beautiful beaches on the way to let Coco stretch his legs and get some exercise. He loved digging up sand and running away from the cold water as the waves came in. We met a lovely lady on the beach who told us all about the local Viking history, the Gaelic school system in the area and the affects that the NC500 fame is having on the area. Whilst many people in the area encourage tourism and enjoy the benefits I get the feeling things are getting a little tense Some tourists are not being respectful of the landscape, don't allow locals to pass at passing points on the single track roads and are becoming a nuisance. The infrastructure hasn't quite caught up with the demand and people are not deviating from the North Coast 500 route and exploring other areas meaning that not all businesses are benefiting from the current surge in popularity that this route is experiencing. 

*Preaching time* If you're thinking of visiting the north of Scotland please make sure you support local businesses and don't just stock up in the the major towns and big supermarkets, read this driving guide and leave the land as you found it so others can experience unspoilt landscapes. 

Sango Bay & Smoo Cave

After a stressful drive we arrived in the perfectly located Sango Sands Oasis campsite. Sango Sands is a peaceful, ten-acre site overlooking the beautiful Blue Flag Sango Bay beach. The site has basic facilities much like most in the north of Scotland but has everything you need including an on site bar/restaurant, electric hook ups and laundry facilities. It was around £9 per person plus £4 for hook up. Very reasonable in comparison to sites in Loch Lomond which were £35+ a night plus extra for dogs. 

The caves are said to be haunted and legends and myths say that the devil once hid in these caves. You can read more about the interesting and dark history of the caves here.

That's it for the North coast of Scotland. We headed to Thurso the next day and drove along the beautiful east coast to Inverness and then across to the West coast because we are a bit mad and thought a full day of driving would be a good idea. The scenery changed completely, much less dramatic, rural and remote and it became flatter, more populated but still full of interest in the form of castles and distilleries. 

My final post about our honeymoon road trip will feature a stunning castle and an marvel of industrial engineering. Pop back next week to read more!

The drive from Fort William to Gairloch was simply stunning but you'll have to take my word for it because I didn't manage to get any photos other than this one. I was so engrossed in the changing scenery and holding Coco still on my lap in the camper van that I didn't get my camera out. Some tips for this drive would be to fill up on petrol in Fort William and pack a lunch as there are some beautiful stops and view points along the way. 

On our way to Gairloch we drove past the beautiful Loch Maree which contains over 60 wooded islands. The area has a long history which dates back to the Druids and 8th Century monks and loch even has it's own monster - Muc-sheilche.

Ullapool is a picturesque town nestled on the shores of Lochbroom. It's a great place to stop off in its own right but it is also a gateway to the Isle of Lewis with a ferry port in the town. We stayed at Ardmair Point which was a rather basic site but had pitches with a view over Loch Broom and out to the Summer Isles and a curved pebble beach.

The culinary highlight of our trip to Scotland was definitely the lobster and dill potato salad and crab linguine we got from the Seafood Shack in Ullapool. It was on my must visit list months before we set off and it didn't disappoint. The shack has won a BBC Food Award for the Best Street food and serves top quality seafood which was caught and landed locally. The lobster was well worth battling with the cold and windy weather, holding the tray down with one hand and trying to stab at the lobster with a fork to stop it from blowing away. If you ever visit Ullapool you have to make a pit stop at the Seafood Shack. 

There are still a couple of Scottish adventure posts left for me to type up. I am really enjoying reminiscing about my honeymoon back in September and I hope you come back to check out my next post about the final stages of my journey to Durness and Eilean Donan castle.

After our first few nights visiting Loch Lomond, Glen Coe and Oban we based ourselves in Fort William. Fort William isn't a spectacularly exciting town but it is great location to explore the Nevis Range and is known as the 'Outdoor Capital of the UK' - the area was full of hikers and and adventurous types looking to make the arduous journey to the top of Ben Nevis. 

I'm way too inexperienced (lazy) to climb Ben Nevis (Pen Y Fan is much more suited to my ability) and Coco has tiny little legs and would need to be carried up a mountain so we took the easy option and took the nevis Range mountain gondola up to Aonach Mor. The Nevis Range in Fort William is home to the UK’s only mountain gondola. 

On our last trip on the gondola back in February Martyn and I were treated to loads of snow on the mountain but there was very little visibility. Luckily this time the sky was perfectly clear and we had fantastic views of the Great Glen, Ben Nevis and the surrounding areas. Once at the top there are some easy trails you can follow which are under an hour return and a cafe to get a hot chocolate to warm up. 

We spent a lovely night at the Glen Nevis Caravan & Camping park eating some of our wedding cake and reading. Yes, we took the entire top tier of our cake and scoffed the lot in the first week. The park had everything you could need including spectacular views, a dog walking area, fully serviced pitches and spotless washroom facilities. We loved the campsite so much we decided to stop there on the way back to Wales after we had completed the NC500 route around the north of Scotland. 

After a hearty breakfast which included Scottish square sausage we made our way to the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Both myself and Martyn work in the railway industry and are total train geeks. We spend lots of our days off going to railway museums and heritage railways - the viaduct was an obvious place of interest to add to our itinerary. 

I got my times mixed up and we arrived way too late to make our way to a good viewing point to see the Jacobite steam train go over the viaduct (you may recognise the train and the location from the Harry Potter films). By the time we parked up we had to dash across a muddy field to get a glimpse of the train with the dog running behind us. I'm really annoyed with myself for getting this one wrong but the viaduct is impressive with or without the Hogwarts Express running over it. 

Whilst the Glenfinnan Viaduct is free to access there is a fee for parking in the National Trust visitors centre. There is a small free car park slightly further along over the bridge just after the centre but this gets busy very quickly and you're unlikely to get a space unless you arrive well in advance.