Glenfinnan Viaduct & Eilean Donan Castle

Today was a massive travel and destination day, with us visiting the Glenfinnan Viaduct, Eilean Donan Castle, and The Fairy Pools(on Isle of Skye).

We started our day with a hearty breakfast at the hotel, and of course coffee. Afterwards we packed up and resumed our travels, heading first to the Glenfinnan Viaduct. When we arrived at our destination we saw it was SLAMMED, with every parking lot marked full. Thankfully we got very lucky and found an inn selling spots in their lot, and we got the second to last available space!

We were parked outside the viaduct area, and hiked a mile or so past the railway station to get a view of the viaduct from a nearby hiking trail vantage point. There were a ton of other people here, but we thankfully found a perfect viewing angle. Now why were we so excited for a view of a viaduct? Well this is the viaduct that the Hogwarts Express train travels across in the Harry Potter movies, and we got to see that reenactment live as a train crossed the viaduct(slightly behind schedule). After enjoying the train, we hiked back to our car and hit the road again, heading to Eilean Donan Castle.

The Eilean Donan Castle was built in the 19th century, so not super old or historic(it replaced a much older castle there originally). That said we didn’t visit this castle due to the history, or to even go inside, but rather to take in the view! This castle occupies an island where three lochs meet, and is accessible via stone bridge, and it is absolutely picturesque to see! We took our time enjoying the views, and then drove from here to the Isle of Skye.

Once at the Isle of Skye, we crossed the ocean bridge connecting the island to the mainland. On reaching the island, we unloaded our bags at the night’s hotel, and then drove inland on the island to the Fairy Pools. The Fairy Pools are a unique river system that flows from pool to pool in a terraced fashion. The water running through is crystal clear, and the area is hemmed in by massive mountains covered in green grass. The whole area is quite a sight! We hiked the two miles out and back to see the river and pools, and just generally enjoyed the sights, before heading home.

On our way back we stopped to try the local’s version of fast food- fish and chips! The portion size was beyond generous, but boy oh boy was this greasy. Both Chris and Chelsea ended the night with upset stomachs, and vowed to have no more fast food on this trip!Read more