. . . Aboard Lord of the Glens

The landscape views almost seemed mystical as we traveled through remote areas of Scotland’s Highlands on a National Geographic chartered bus. My wife and I were among 40 passengers heading to meet our ship, the Lord of the Glens docked at Kyle of Lochalsh, a small village on the northwest coast of Scotland. We were eager to begin our cruise along the intricate lock system on the Caledonian Canal through the heart of the Highlands, eastbound to Inverness. This expedition would be our sixth aboard a National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions small ship. We were excited to see our uniquely-built small ship as the bus arrived at the dock.

Lord of the Glens

The Lord of the Glens was purposely built in Greece in 1985 but renovated more recently providing 46 passengers a luxurious cruising experience. She is paneled in polished wood and her professional crew provide expert navigation, gourmet meals, and exceptional commentary and seminars highlighting our itinerary. The Lord of the Glens is the only ship of its kind able to navigate the locks of the Caledonian Canal, and sail among Scotland’s islands of what is known as the Inner Hebrides. We will spend the next seven nights aboard the ship navigating Scotland’s coastal waters and the Caledonian Canal, while exploring villages seldom seen by most travelers.

Armadale & Inverie

On the first day aboard ship we visited Armadale, and the tiny village of Inverie. In Armadale, we visited the Museum of the Isles and the ruins of the Armadale Castle. Beautiful gardens and woodlands surround the ancient ruins. Back on board, we sailed to the picturesque village of Inverie. A photo walk through the village and a stop at the community-owned Old Forge, reported to be the most remote pub in the British Isles, was the highlight of the day.

Armadale

Inverie

Tobermory

Our next stop was the colorful town of Tobermory, a village established in 1788, famous for its brightly painted houses that line the waterfront. After strolling along the waterfront we toured the Tobermory Distillery (1798) and sampled their famous single malt Scotch whisky.

Isle of Iona

After spending the night at the town dock of Craignure, we boarded a motor coach for a wild one lane road drive across the Isle of Mull to the ferry town of Fionnphort. Here we boarded a ferry to the beautiful Isle of Iona, a picturesque island best known for the Iona Abbey established in 563 which still stands today. On our motor coach journey back to Craignure, our informative driver pulled over when we approached a herd of the iconic Highland Coo. It was a thrill to observe these unique looking cattle that are a traditional breed of western Scotland.

Highland Coo

Oban

Upon returning to the ship from Iona, we sailed across the Sound of Mull to the lively town of Oban, a town well-known by whisky connoisseurs. The Scottish Gaelic meaning of Oban is “The Little Bay”. The bay in the center of town forms a nearly perfect half circle. We enjoyed some great seafood at a local restaurant while taking a break to stretch our sea legs with a hike around the beautiful waterfront.

Corpach – The gateway to the Caledonian Canal.

After a pleasant night in Oban, the Lord of the Glens sailed to Corpach, the gateway to Scotland’s Caledonian Canal. The Corpach lock is the western entrance to the Caledonian Canal built between 1803 and 1822 to connect the natural Lochs (Lakes) that lie along the slip fault of the so-called Great Glen.

The Caledonian Canal

The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish west coast at Corpach to the east coast at Inverness. The canal is approximately 60 miles long and reaches 106 feet above sea level navigated by passing through 29 locks and 10 bridges. Although the Lord of the Glens was specifically built for this canal, we marveled at the skills of the ship’s crew as they carefully eased the ship, 150 feet in length with a beam of 33 feet into locks just over 150 feet long and 35 feet wide.

Fort Augustus – Entering Loch Ness

A short timelapse video navigating the 5 locks at Fort Augustus

Inverness

Our voyage concluded in Inverness, meaning “Mouth of the River Ness” in Scottish Gaelic. Inverness is reported to be one of Europe’s fastest growing cities. We only spent one night in Inverness but enjoyed strolling the waterfront and some of the best seafood we ate in Scotland.

Sailing through the heart of Scotland through the Caledonian Canal is not only a unique experience, but it is also a great opportunity to explore the unspoiled islands of the Inner Hebrides few tourists visit. We found our small ship expedition aboard the Lord of the Glens a remarkable travel experience and thoroughly enjoyed the intimate and comfortable cruise with only 44 other passengers. We would certainly recommend this unique way to experience Scotland’s Highlands and Islands.

May all your future travels (and photos) be remarkable too!

Chuck