Summer islands game of thrones driver#

The Orkneys seem farther apart from the rest of Scotland than a map would indicate - with no real tradition for clans, tartans, or bagpipes, these islands feel more Norwegian than Highlander.

While it takes some effort to reach the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland, it's worth the trouble. You can hike windswept slopes, visit a lonely lighthouse, sample whisky in a hillside distillery, take a scenically winding drive, and learn about the sordid clan history of Skye - where the MacLeods, MacDonalds, Mackenzies, and Macraes tussled for centuries. Skye, with a name that comes from the Old Norse for 'the misty isle,' has some of Scotland's best scenery: a coastline ruffled with peninsulas, sea lochs (inlets) reflecting rocky peaks, and rolling fields scattered with stony homes. Wind, boats, gulls, and the promise of a wide-open Atlantic beyond give Oban a rugged charm.ДЇarther north, the Isle of Skye is the largest of the Inner Hebrides, but has only about 13,000 residents, roughly a quarter of whom live in the main village, Portree. What it lacks in must-see sights it makes up for in visitor-friendly appeal, with a winding promenade lined with gravel beaches, ice-cream stands, good eateries, and a famous whisky distillery. Nearby Oban, on the mainland, is a smart place to spend the night. Remote and quiet, it feels like a Hebrides nature preserve. Completely uninhabited (except for seabirds), Staffa is a knob of rock draped with a vibrant green carpet of turf. Those more interested in nature than history will enjoy trips to the wildly scenic Isle of Staffa, with the famous basalt columns of Fingal's Cave - and, in summer, a colony of puffins. The island's only real village, Baile MГІr, has shops, a restaurant/pub, a few accommodations, a tiny heritage center - and no bank. But with sparkling-white crescents of sand and huge rocks that double as lookouts to the sea, it's a place perfect for meditation. While the present abbey, nunnery, and graveyard go back to the 13th century, much of what you'll see here was rebuilt in the 19th century. Though it's just three miles by 1.5 miles, it was a center of art and learning back when most of Europe was rutting in the Dark Age mud. Just off Mull is the tiny island of Iona, famous as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland.

Summer islands game of thrones driver#

Bring plenty of rain protection - as my bus driver said, Mull is a place of cold, wet, windy winters and mild, wet, windy summers. With steep, fog-covered hillsides topped by cairns (piles of stones, sometimes indicating graves) and ancient stone circles, it has a gloomy, otherworldly feel right out of Game of Thrones. The Isle of Mull is Scotland's third-largest, with 300 scenic miles of coastline. The most accessible are the Inner Hebrides: Mull, Iona, Staffa, and Skye - all easily reached by a day trip from the low-key port town of Oban. One of my Scottish friends compares the Hebrides Islands off Scotland's west coast to malt whiskys - they're all made of the same ingredients but each has its own captivating character. Here you'll find Scottish culture distilled to its most vivid and traditional.

On these remote outposts of Scottish life, mist drifts across craggy hillsides, grizzled islanders man the drizzly ferry crossings, and midges make life miserable (bring bug spray). Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: ATOL protection does not apply to the other holiday and travel services listed on this website.Along the northeast coast of Scotland lie a smattering of some of Europe's most intriguing islands - mountainous, largely uninhabited, scenic, romantic, and indelibly Scottish. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected.

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