River Coe

Left Campbeltown to head to Fort William. We started the day really really well by taking the wrong road out of town and ending up in Machrihanish. Can't say I was disappointed though, because that has to be one of the best town names I have ever come across!! And it cannot be said without a slight Scottish accent, just to out the haggis on top. ;)

So we got back on track and headed out the way we came in, he main road to/from Tarbert. And somewhere not far after this point, saw our first wild deer!!!! It was quite funny because or tourist cartoon map, showed deer in that exact spot!

I believe we drove all the way to Glencoe. We stopped in here because I really waned to have a look around. There was a small thatch house down the main street and turns out that was a museum so we went in there to have a look around, it was a tiny place, and most of the museum was about the history of people in general, but there was one small area regarding the massacre at Glencoe. The MacDonald's were hated by a lot of people and so when James II (of England and James VII of Scotland), was deposed and eventually said his people in the north could beg their allegiance elsewhere, the government tried to stop the chief of Clan MacDonald from making it to swear his fealty on time. Thy had heard MacDonald was coming, and decided to allow it, even though he was a bit late, because he had tried so hard to get there on time and do the right thing. It was accepted, but the paper with all the signatures got sent, and his name scrubbed off. England sent a nearby clan to station with MacDonald, which they did for two weeks before there real orders came through to slaughter everyone under 70. Only a few refused. But most used loud guns in an apparent attempt to warn others. The chief was murdered and his wife let out onto the snow to freeze to death or eaten by wolves.

The story is insane but there isn't s lot there to really look at or see. There is a monument at the end of town where a descendant of MacDonald erected something in 1888 or thereabouts.

I saw on a map a visitor centre near one of the sites of origin of the three-pronged attack, and it mentioned something about a ruin. I tried to find it but we somehow missed it or took the wrong road to start with. I googled t later, and the sign appears to say it wasn't this ruin but it was close to here. Not quite the same thing, so I'm not too upset about missing it.

Continued driving around Loch Leven and onto Fort William where we had a great place in town and were about to cook our own meals. Right smack in the centre.Read more