Scotland - Day 3 - Into the Highlands and to our Home away from home!

With over 150 miles and 4 hours of driving time alone, we have a full day today to get to our home away from home, just south of Fort William in Ardgour. We meet at 7:45am to get an early start to fit all our adventures in!

Our first stop, about an hour outside of the city, is the medieval Doune Castle where we are again able to use our Historic Scotland Explorer Pass. Many in our group are very excited to go to Doune, as it has been featured on screen in many of our favorite shows including Outlander as home to the MacKenzie clan, Game of Thrones as the great hall in Winterfell, as well as in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

On our way to Doune, we will catch glimpses of Linlithgow Castle, the Kelpies, Stirling Castle, and the Wallace Monument. Some of which we will stop for on our way back into Edinburgh later in the trip.

Built in the late 13th century, Doune was built to impress, and it does not fail to continue to do so today. After we get our obligatory picture at the Winterfell sign while waiting for the castle to open, the doors are finally thrown back and we head into the castle exploring the chambers, the great hall, the kitchen and the grounds, taking in the splendor of it all. The great hall and the kitchen are amazing with grand fireplaces and amazing architecture, the chambers with their recessed windows and the towering courtyard all speak to the splendor of this once royal retreat.

Once we have exhausted all of the nooks and crannies of Doune, and even played a little dress up, we are back in the car for another hour (or so) on our way to Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond. We are all very eager for our next adventure, because what trip to Scotland would be complete without an excursion to a Highland Gathering! So we make an afternoon stop at the Luss Highland Gathering where we get to see Highland Dancing, Bag Piping, Racing, Strongman Competitions, enjoy local Scottish food, beer, Irn Bru and shop for local wares on this beautiful sunny day in the Highlands.

After a few fun hours spent in the sun, taking in the Scottish culture the gathering has to offer, we jump back in the car for the last leg of our trip, through stunning Glencoe.

Even having read the travel guides and having an idea of where we are headed, nothing could have prepared us for the truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring views of Glencoe. I can try to describe it, and I can post pictures, but none of it will do justice to the rugged, unspoiled beauty that we are able to behold. From munros, waterfalls, lochs and huge sky to the small streams, beautiful flowers and the hundred shades of green, we stand and stare in awe at the panorama that surrounds us.

We stop at every scenic stop the road has to offer, as each one is more magnificent than the next. Finally, when we are almost through the Glencoe, we make a brief stop at the National Trust for Scotland Glencoe Visitor's Center where we get some history and geography of where we have been. Then we are on our way again so we can catch our ferry and get to our house before dark, because none of us wants to be maneuvering these hills and hairpin turns in the dark!

Finally, after a full day of driving and many adventures (and a little bit of off roading on our driveway) we arrive at our amazing, historic, quirky home away from home, Ardgour House. In no way a luxury estate, our 250 year old manor house is perfect for us. It is offbeat, and some things are a little worse for the wear, but we all know most of this going into it and are ready for our authentic Scottish experience.

As we make our way past the gauntlet of massive pot holes on the dirt road leading to our house, we are all a little nervous about exactly how off the beaten path our accommodations will be. Once we catch a glimpse of our house we are all very excited to explore and settle in. A lush front lawn surrounded by farms with sheep, goat and even a Coo or two, ancient trees and picturesque mountains with waterfalls welcomes us to Ardgour House.

Ardgour House Exterior

The house itself, that used to be a hunting manor, is filled with so many amazing rooms. From the entrance hallway filled with antlers and antiques, to the 3 story grand staircase, the 22 person dining room table to the indoor pool and sauna and the 13 foot billiards table to the drawing room with couches to spare, there is no lack of space in our sprawling estate. We all find our rooms and unpack our bags to get settled in for the week.

Ardgour House Interior

After another long and exciting day, we are ready for some relaxing down time with family. Thankfully we were able to arrange groceries to be delivered to the house the day of our arrival from Strontian Stores so we have food, beer and wine and the refrigerator stocked and ready for us! And Day 3 is in the books!