Day 2 of our North coast tour was a very long but full day. One thing we love about Rabbie’s is they take roads less traveled and are happy to stop and explore at the whim of the riders. Willie was great about letting our little group out of the bus to admire the wonder of the highlands and take pictures.
Our first stop got us back in the castle mode near a town called Lochinver, the castle Ardvreck. This ruined castle dates back to 1490 and is associated with the McLeod clan.
As we traveled to our next stop along the way, Willie saw something he knew we would all enjoy. You may remember on our last trip we did not see any highland coos so I found one and named him George. Willie saw a chance for us to meet the real thing up close.
Everyone on the bus had a fun time petting and feeding the coo. This is the great thing about Willie and Rabbie’s. He had the freedom to treat us to fun surprises like this.
You see different members of our touring party in the pictures. You may be wondering what was this coo’s name. Well, of course, his name is George.
From our nice coo love fest it was back to amazing mountains, islands and beaches. The area near the village of Drumbeg and Kylesku Bridge shows off the beauty of the Scottish highlands well.
One of the information displays said that there were 35 islands off the coast at Drumbeg. I counted maybe 10 that I could see but I am prepared to believe them. The miles of coastal beach was a nice surprise and some of our young fellow travelers took the chance to frolic a bit. We picked up some lovely shells.
The last stop of the day came with a bit of lore. A little lore on a tour is great. Smoo’s cave was a whopper of lore and here are the details…
The trip to see the cave was long and a bit challenging. We were tired from a long day of climbing in and out of the bus and around the various sites, but a phrase we both use in this situation is, “after all you came all this way.” (The actual phrase is “after all. Dr. Venkman, you came all this way.” We will leave it to those of you who like movie trivia to figure out that movie reference.)
We enjoyed a full and satisfying day exploring the north coast of Scotland. We settled into our next accommodations in a small coastal town called Thurso. It was not as nice as Ullapool but adequate, and we were able to rest up for our last day of the tour coming up the next day.
Malcolms in Scotland 23 
The cave castle in Lochinver is most interesting. Do you suppose it was a multi family dwelling? George and friends are really friendly coos! I scanned the QR code and found a continuing saga of the Coigach and Assynt Heritage Trail. The information at the site is wonderful history.
I’m so happy you survived Smoo Cave! There may have been another bit of lore if two American tourists disappeared in the waterfall, (which is simply beautiful). I especially loved the church and the tulips in the commons at Thurso. I love the sign in front of the church letting folks know there is a warming station inside with a cuppa and a place to get warmed up and probably a friendly handshake.
LikeLike
You might consider it multi-family in the sense that servants might be housed there, in addition to extended family and guests. I read an interesting story about a time when the laird (lord) was away and a rebel Duke came to ask for shelter as he fled a battle. The lady welcomed him, then locked him in the dungeon until her husband returned. He was transported to Edinburgh where he paid for his crimes with his life. This was considered a betrayal of Highland Hospitality, but it may depend on which side of the law you were on.
LikeLike
The caves look beautiful, and I love the photo of you both in front of Ardvreck. The colors seem more vibrant over there than what we have here in Oklahoma, absolutely stunning. (Love the movie trivia joke! I’ll admit, I haven’t seen that film; however, I had to play librarian, and google the quote lol! We actually just saw the Ghostbusters car in Branson when we were there over the weekend. So fun!)
LikeLike