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Day 3 – Gairloch – Applecross – Portree

We left Gairloch and moved onto the lesser explored Wester-Ross coastal route along the western coast of Scotland. A good sunny day, twisting roads, cliffs on one side and the sea on the other; such drives are what we live for. This day was reserved for some of the most scenic drives on our route.

Applecross is a sparsely populated town towards the end of this peninsula and a junction for the route to divert inland through the high passes on the coastal trail. Before navigating through these passes, we stopped for brunch at Applecross Inn, a seaside café serving some scrumptious seafood and chowder and the most peaceful view you would get for company.

The Inn had a map of the world to pin yourself on and we were surprised to see that, though there had been a few travellers from Bangalore and Delhi who had pinned themselves up, we were the first ones from Pune and the Western part of India on that map.

Post this hearty meal, we tackled the 3rd highest pass in Scotland, the Balach-Na-Ba pass also known as the “Pass of the cattle”. There were no cattle in sight, but we did have some stunning scenery to view as the road twisted and descended down into the Loch Coire and onward to the next castle on the trail, the Eilean Donan castle.

This iconic castle is situated on an island where three lochs converge and is the location used in many a famous movie. 90’s Bollywood fans will recognise this being used as the location for the title song of the movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hain.

A short visit to the castle grounds and a tea break later, we headed through the Shiel Bridge onto the Isle of Skye, arguably the most visited place in Scotland.

Stay – The Portree Hotel.

While in Portree, do not miss the chance to walk towards the port-bay area and visit the Isles Inn; a pub famous for its fish-n-chips servings.

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