The Baalands

Skyfall Road and Waterfall

Glen Etive is a 12-mile long valley in the Scottish Highlands. It is known for its dramatic mountain scenery. The sweeping vistas along the Glen Etive Road were featured in the James Bond movie Skyfall. The road we traveled is known as Skyfall or James Bond Road.

James Bond Road

Glen Etive
Big mountain

Situated off the road, not far from the Skyfall viewpoint, was Etive Mor or Glen Etive waterfall, also called Skyfall waterfall. It wasn't the clearest day for picture-taking, but the falls and surrounding area were still breathtaking.

Skyfall Falls

Mountain Ash (Rowan)

Flowing water

In front of the falls

River Etive

Lush vegetation

Bright red berries of Ash tree

Overcast day

Eating in the Highlands

The food in the Highlands was decent. I didn't know what langoustines were before this trip. Now, they're one of my favorite foods. Langoustines are crustaceans, smaller than lobsters but bigger than shrimp. I had them on sandwiches (subs). They were fresh like the rest of the seafood. Unfortunately, I don't think I can get them (easily) in the US. They're only caught in the North Atlantic on the European side.

Langoustine sub

Seafood sub, with langoustines

I had a variety of meals, including pizza a couple of times (so-so). Sometimes, I ate with others; sometimes, by myself. In Inverness, I purchased my meal from the grocery store. I was disappointed that I didn't get to try haggis. None of the B&Bs offered it. I'm told the hotels did. I had ice cream several times. Ice cream is good everywhere!

Pork belly

Spicy pasta

Food was generally expensive, even more so than Iceland. Fortunately, you didn't have to tip, though I left a big tip (per their suggestion) when I had dinner from my friends from Virginia Tech, who had relocated to Skye (in retirement). I don't know why Americans think our tipping culture is worth pushing on the rest of the world. It's so out of hand.

Orkney ice cream

The End of the Road

John O'Groats is a coastal village at the northern tip of Scotland. It was named after a Dutchman who came in 1489 with his brothers to set up a ferry to Orkney. He charged a fee of one groat (historical corn) to ride the ferry. We stopped here before getting on the ferry to Orkney. It was a relatively quick stop to snap a few pictures and use the comfort facilities.

Coastal village

The John O'Groats signpost is a frequently photographed landmark. It marks the traditional end-to-end distance of 874 miles from Land's End in Cornwall (in England). I couldn't get an unobstructed picture of the sign, so I had to erase people from the photo.

Famous sign post, c. 1964

Obviously, I took notice of the sheep sculpture in front of the John O'Groats Inn. It was created as part of the statewide “Flock To The Show” public art trail launched in 2023 by the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland to celebrate sheep farming and rural communities. I had to pose in front of it.

A Cheviot, c. 2023

Posing

The Inn at John O'Groats was returned to its former glory in the 2000's, reopening in 2013. It was restored from a historical 1875 Inn. The Inn features luxury apartments. The large stones or boulders in front of the inn are a piece of commissioned artwork called Nomadic Boulders. The artwork must be able to withstand 100 mph winds.

John O'Groats Inn

Nomadic Boulders

Colorful houses, part of the Inn

Coastal scenery

The Highlands: Scotland 2.0

After I had to cancel my 2024 tour of the Highlands (5 days) due to Covid, I was determined to schedule another tour, this time a longer one. So, I did. I booked the 9-day Rabbies tour: Isle of Skye, Iona, Mull, and the Orkney Isles.

Map of our travels

It was actually two tours back-to-back. Two different tour guides. Different people each part. Seven of us did the whole 9-day tour. Since I didn't have anyone to travel with for this trip, I decided to try a group tour (16 people). There were pros and cons with this decision.

Small group tour

Cows and sheep, everywhere

They lift this stone during their local Highland Games.

The Emigrants

The Emigrants statue is a bronze memorial in Helmsville, Scotland. It honors the people of the Scottish Highlands and Islands who were forced from their ancestral homes during the Highland Clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries. The statue features a kilted father and his family looking out to the sea, forced to leave their homeland.