September 3, 2024, 6:40 am | Read time: 6 minutes
TRAVELBOOK author Anna Wengel (now Chiodo) visited the Highlands during a road trip through Scotland. Already a focal point of her trip beforehand, she was particularly excited about the Scottish north, which is considered mystical and rugged. But she never expected to eat the best seafood of her life there. A travelogue.
Heading to the Highlands for seafood? That certainly wasn’t the initial image I had of Scotland’s northern reaches. Instead, I envisioned rugged nature, mountains enshrouded in mystical fog, and the profound solitude of the great outdoors. Something like that. Simply because the images I’d seen so far of Scotland’s rugged north conveyed pretty much exactly that. Indeed, that was the reality I encountered, yet it was also so much more. But we’ll get to that in a moment. In fact, my Highland adventure began with the most exquisite seafood I’ve ever tasted. This was a delightful surprise.
Overview
To the Highlands for seafood
In my quest for the Scottish Highlands’ highlights, I serendipitously discovered a hidden gem: a modest snack bar titled “Local Shellfish”, affectionately dubbed the “Oban Seafood Hut” on Google. Perched right on the pier of the quaint harbor town, this unassuming spot serves up the finest seafood I’ve ever had the pleasure of savoring. The setup was simple: a small hut beside an expansive wooden table with benches, inviting a handful of people to sit and enjoy. Mussels, oysters, salmon, crabs, and so on—all freshly caught and so delicious that we went straight back after our first ration to eat more and pack up for dinner. The seafood isn’t just delectable—it’s also remarkably affordable.
The seafood taste experience was the first trip I took with my family to the Highlands. And on the way, I had my first glimpse of what I had imagined the Scottish Highlands to be like: rugged, green-covered mountains, their peaks so shrouded in mist that they were barely visible. Then there were wide, hilly fields and various lochs, i.e., inland waters and bays. All around and nearby were small villages with thick stone houses with gabled roofs and narrow chimneys, typical of Scotland. It was a view that captivated me throughout my journey, one I could never tire of.
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Northwest Highlands
I saw the “real” Highlands, or what I had imagined them to be, a few days later. Again and again, I’d been told that the north held the Highlands’ most breathtaking vistas. And so I planned my trip in such a way that it would take me from Gare Loch near Loch Lomond in the southeast with a detour via the more northerly east to the more northerly west. Regrettably, illness forced us to bypass a few planned stops, yet I managed to visit the essential one: the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
The journey to the iconic railroad bridge meandered through the very landscapes I had longingly admired in photographs, eager to witness for myself: rugged mountains adorned with patches of green, deep valleys, and waterfalls tumbling beside expansive fields, all untouched or minimally developed.
In my imagination (and in the pictures I knew), these fascinating landscapes were desolate, as if swept clean. The roads were deserted, and the fog was so dense at times that one could scarcely see their own hand before them, tapping into deep-seated primal fears. Primal fears of something mystical that could emerge from the fog, but also the idea of magical beings appearing in the distance. After all, where, if not in the mystical Highlands, would you feel more transported into a magical world (except perhaps New Zealand).
The Highlands in August
My reality was a little different. First of all, higher up north, there was no fog at that time, but plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. But above all, the solitude at this moment was a fallacy. I’m sure it does exist. But at other times and in other places. August is peak travel season in Scotland, and the British country is definitely high up on various travel lists. Imagine my astonishment when we joined a procession of cars on the A82, inching closer to the looming mountains, with parked vehicles at every turn hinting at the imminent reveal of something extraordinary.
And so it did: the Three Sisters of Glen Coe in the Bidean nam Bian mountain range. Glencoe itself is the name of the nearby village and probably the most famous valley in the Highlands. Despite all the beauty I had driven through before, having laughed enthusiastically, this landscape almost took my breath away. I had goose bumps running down both arms. Finding the words to describe the majesty and serene tranquility of this mountain and valley landscape is a challenge; it left an indelible impression on me. This is a place to which I yearn to return, in solitude, armed with proper hiking gear.
Eastern Highlands
Just like the landscape transitions from south to north in the Highlands, it evolves yet again as one travels eastward. High mountains gradually turn into hills, which are often covered in green and purple at this time of year, while sheep and cows graze there in large numbers. Various lochs appear between the hilly greenery, as is the case almost everywhere in the Scottish Highlands. With the rugged mountain landscape giving way to gentler hills, I found myself pondering the precise boundary between the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, particularly as the terrain above Inverness appeared comparatively subdued. This map shows how big the part of Scotland that is considered the Highlands is:
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Inverness and the surroundings
I end my first time in the Highlands in and around Inverness, itself being the capital of the Scottish Highlands. Inverness, a delightful town graced with a cathedral that echoes the grandeur of Notre Dame, lies in proximity to an array of stunning, thrilling, and well-loved locales. Probably the most famous nearby attraction is Loch Ness, famous for its alleged lake monster. Another favorite place for me was Chanonry Point, northeast of Inverness. There, the odds are in your favor to spot dolphins, or at the very least, you’ll discover a serene pebble beach crowned with a quaint lighthouse by the sea. There are also plenty of castles and castle ruins to visit nearby, including Dunrobin, Cawdor, and Brodie Castle, for those who like to immerse themselves in old aristocratic worlds.