As usual, I was up early and decided to walk to Eilean Donan Castle. The day was calm and cloudy and to say I was thrilled to see a glassy loch showing a miraculously clear reflection is an understatement. I heaved a great sigh of contentment!

The rocks on the shoreline in front of the castle were a great vantage point so I snapped happily away with no crowds to spoil the view. More bliss!

Eventually I thought I’d better return for breakfast and to shake my companions out of bed. First on our agenda was a visit to the castle itself. It was such a pleasure to walk after all the driving the previous day.

Eilean Donan has had a chequered history which is worth looking in to before visiting. Suffice to say that through the ages it has been the scene of many myths, feuds and deaths between clans.

Apparently the castle was named after Donnan of Eigg, and Irish saint who was martyred in 617. It is thought an early monastic cell was present on the island in the 6th or 7th century, but the castle was actually built in the 13th century. It became a stronghold of Clan MacKenzie, however, due to their involvement in the Jacobite wars it was destroyed in 1719. The present-day castle was rebuilt 200 years later ‘in the 20th Century.

Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside, which is a shame as the memory grows faint due to the number of castles visited during our holiday. So at this point I have to say I have no recollection of what the interior was like. Many properties which are actually older allow photos without flash which is a great compromise.

Although the sky was a dull and moody grey, the scenery made up for the lack of interior photos. It was stunning and we explored thoroughly.

We decided to head northeast to a village called Plockton for lunch. More bliss – sitting at a picnic table on the shore, surrounded by mountains. What more could anyone ask for?

The tide was out so Charles and Marsel decided to check out the island just offshore. I thought I’d be smart, ignore the obvious path to the island, and pick my way through the mud by standing on what seemed to be solid ground, thereby staying upright and keeping my shoes clean. Not so smart, yes I did manage to stay upright, but I ended up slipping and sliding anyway and it took me twice as long to get there. My shoes had also changed to a disgusting mud colour!

Time for an Icecream, then a loo! The icecream was delicious, the border collie guarding the shop was ready for a game – throw a rock – so Marsel obliged. The walk to the loo nearly did me in and I swear I’d still be making my way up the stairs if not for the arm of a kindly gentleman. My companions had surged ahead not giving a thought for the poor old lady puffing along behind.

Eventually we were on our way again, heading north through the Strathcarron tunnel and along the shores of Loch Carron. We passed through the village of Lochcarron – a village which followed the edge of the Loch. My eagle eyes spotted a sign to Strome Castle and it didn’t take much persuading to get our driver to follow it.

There wasn’t much of it left but it was quite scenic and it certainly added to our day’s journey. We made our way back to Dornie in time for a visit to The Pub for dinner – sausages (good ones), mash and a few drinks.

Our day was topped off by a walk to see the castle lights. As the day darkened into night the castle lit up with a lovely orange glow until at last it was too dark to take more photos and we headed back to our cottage.

Tomorrow – the Isle of Skye!