Photos of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands along with an island

Scotland is famous for its Lochs, the lakes that are present all over the area of the Scottish Highlands. If you are wondering why a lake is called a Loch, it is the Scottish (and Irish) name for a Loch. These water bodies are pretty famous for the beauty they impart to the region, and for attracting visitors to the Scottish Highlands. A large number of these lakes are right next to hills, and are long and narrow. Some of them can be pretty deep, with depths of upto 200 meter or more. One of the most famous such Loch is Loch Ness, which has been supposed to have a large monster in it, affectionately known as Nessie. In the photos below, this is a depiction of a small section of a Loch which is less well settled, with no traces of civilization being shown next to the Loch. The scene is as nature would have liked to be, with no buildings on the lake, no people boating or sailing on the lake, and with the shore of the loch forming an irregular pattern. There was a highway right next to the Loch, and one could quickly reach this spot, and admire the beauty of the location. We spent close to an hour here, just watching the movement of the water, the slightly cold temperature, and almost had to force each other to leave.

Irregular shore line of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands (More photos / Prints of this photo)

This kind of shoreline looks so beautiful. The Loch is pretty narrow over here, and there is this small and narrow strip of land that projects into the Loch. Standing on this narrow strip of land, there would be a great view of the Loch all around you.

Island on the other side of the narrow section of the Loch (More photos)

A small island on the other side of a narrow section of the Loch. The whole place looked totally natural, no presence of civilization and people nearby (although I am sure there might be houses or other facilities somewhere close by). This Loch was pretty long, since it went on for long stretches on both sides, but the width of the Loch was very narrow at this point.

Zoomed view of the island seen in the previous photo (More photos)

A view with more zoom of the island seen in the previous photo. The island has a rocky shore, and does look totally uninhabited, adding to the charm of the location. 

Beauty of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands along with hills

One of the most famous attractions of Scotland (and the Scottish Highlands) are the numerous Lochs that are present all through (Loch is the Scottish/Irish name for lake). These are formed in different configurations, with some forming along a natural fault in the earth, and others forming on the sides of hills. Typically most Lochs are not very wide, being long and narrow. Many of these Lochs have been kept unspoiled, with the natural outdoors look, and look very beautiful. So, typically you have Lochs along with hills / mountains being very beautiful.

Water of a Loch along with hills in the Scottish Highlands (More photos here)

The calm waters of a Loch along with the hill right next to the Loch. The hill (as in previous photos) is covered with scrub / sparse vegetation, and with the rock of the surface of the hill showing. The whole appearance of the hill is that of a beautiful natural outdoors look. If you look closely at the water, you will see the surface of the water seems disturbed for part of the surface, and looks totally calm for the rest of the surface. There is no sign of civilization here, just nature and the unspoiled look of the lake.

The narrow section of a Loch between a hill and the shore on the other side (More photos here)

This photo is one of my favorite photos, showing the absolute beauty of the Scottish Highlands. There is the hill with sparse vegetation (showing the rugged nature, since the greenery on the hills is sparse, and it is mostly rocky) and with a Loch right next to the hill. The Loch can be pretty long, but the width of the water is pretty narrow, which is something that I have seen in most of the Lakes that I saw in Scotland. It looks exceedingly beautiful; we had stopped at the side of a highway, and could see this wonderful sight, just standing there at the shore of the lake and enjoying the view, the wind and the calm. 

Low mountains and hills in the Scottish Highlands, with their scrub

The Scottish Highlands is a beautiful part of Great Britain. Its region of great rugged outdoors, hills and mountains, lochs, and abundant greenery make for a beautiful location to which a large number of tourists want to visit. In addition to a large number of lakes, there is the incredible weather, and castles that dot the region in different places. Some of the places will seem like any other town (although the surroundings will be far more beautiful) while others will seem far more isolated and yet beautiful. For example, the photos below have been taken from a highway passing through the region, showing some of the hills (covered with scrub) in the region.

Hills in the Scottish Highlands, covered with scrub (More photos here)

2 hills in the Scottish Highlands, both covered with scrub. Most of the hills in this region are covered with Scrub, not even grasses or lush vegetation (maybe because of the local weather and soil conditions - if anybody knows the answer, please mention so in the comments). The weather overhead is not yet rainy, but it could change at any instant and become darker and start raining.

Sheer cliff and rocky face of one of the hills in the Scottish Highlands (More photos here)

The sheer cliff face of a hill in the Scottish Highlands. The top part of the hill is covered in sparse vegetation, but it looks like the impact of weather or some more sudden event caused the erosion of the cliff face and fall of the side of the hill. This kind of cliff face, although not very high, is something that is treasured by climbers who like this kind of challenge (this particular one would be more used for training rather than for any serious activity).

Passing through the mountains of the Scottish Highlands

The Scottish Highlands are a rugged area of Scotland, famous for its mountains and lakes (Lochs). Some of the places are now well settled, so they can hardly be called rugged, but there are large chunks of area that are rugged, and beautiful. Many of these places are easy to visit, with highways passing through them; you just need to step off the highway when you are near a Loch or a mountain and you can see the full beauty of nature in the Highlands. In the following photos, you are actually seeing nature close to the highway which passes through, although if you were not seeing the highway, you would not be easily able to make out that this place is connected to civilization. The presence of lakes also provides a place to enjoy water sports, which can also be seen.

Multiple hills in the Scottish Highlands with wires in front (More photos)

Hills in the Scottish Highlands. These seem sufficiently rugged, with almost no habitation on the hills. The dark clouds overhead complete the notion that this is an outdoors place, as nature intended. However, then you have wires passing in front of the view, which provides proof of the presence of civilization all around you along with the highway on which you are traveling on.

Hill in the Scottish Highlands with scrub and other vegetation (More photos)

This is a view of a hill in the Scottish Highlands. Even though these hills are not very high, they do not have thick vegetation. The vegetation in this region of the Scottish Highlands is mostly scrub, and on this mountain you can see scrub and exposed rock.

On a highway passing through the Scottish Highlands (More photos / Prints)

Who would not want to travel on such a road ? A lovely road passing through the Scottish Highlands, with trees, greenery and mountains on one side, and a stream on the other side (this point is actually a bridge). One can keep on driving easily on such a highway (as long as one does not run into any emergency, in which case it could take some time to get help).

Boats in a Loch in the Scottish Highlands (More photos / Prints)

With so many lakes in the Scottish Highlands, recreational facilities are also available in plenty. I don't know which Loch is this, but there are many boats here. On the other side of the loch are houses and other such buildings, and a lot of greenery above the buildings.

Photos at and near the Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands

The Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in Scotland, and one of the most visited ones. It is an incredibly beautiful castle, although most of the castle that can be seen right now is a reconstruction. The castle was destroyed in 1719 to prevent it being used for rebellion, and was reconstructed in the 20 century along with the bridge. It is now one of the most photographed object in Scotland, and if you search, you will some incredibly beautiful photographs of the castle, especially at night and with water all around. The road leading to the castle moves along the side of a mountain, with a great view. It also means that you can start seeing the castle from a long distance, with great views.

Caravan parked at side of highway near Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland (More photos)

The road leading to the castle is very beautiful, on the side of the mountain side. As you get closer to the castle, you will be able to see the castle from a distance, since it is on an island, but closer to the shore. This was a small side clearing on the road, enough to be able to park next to the road, and from where you get such a great view of the castle in the distance. If you look in the front of the caravan, you would be able to see the structure of the castle.

Tourists on the bridge coming back from Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland (More photos)

In the previous post, I had put a photo of this bridge but without any people on it. I like this photo better, it shows some people crossing the bridge with one of them pointing to something. It looks more natural to see people crossing the bridge, highlighting the stone structure of the bridge, The water that you see seems to be under the bridge, but it is in the distance, not under the bridge. Far in the distance, on the other side of the Loch, is greenery on the slope of the mountain.

Eilean Donan Castle on the shore of Loch Duich in the Scottish Highlands

The Eilean Donan Castle is a very beautiful castle, located on the shore of Loch Duich. It is actually located on an island, named Eilean Donan, which is located very close to the shore. The castle was part of many protests and fighting over the years, and was finally destroyed many centuries back to prevents its use in rebellions. It was only in the first half of the 20th century that the castle was restored back to the condition in which it is seen today and a bridge was constructed to connect the island to the mainland, and over the years, the castle became a tourist highlight. Right now, the castle is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland and is also among the most visited.

Flag of Scotland in front of the Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands (More photos )

This photo shows the Saltire (the Scottish Flag) in front of the Eilean Donan Castle, in a small stretch of green right in front of the castle. The rest of the grounds seems a bit brownish, but this is because this entire stretch of brown is the land that gets covered by water when the water level is high. Right now the water level was so low that even the bridge was over dry land, with no water below it (and when you see photos of the castle, there are times when the water level was much higher). In the background are hills with trees and green cover on the hills.

Bridge connecting the Eilean Donan Castle with the mainland (More photos)

The stone bridge connecting the Eilean Donan Castle with the mainland (with the highway pretty close by). At this point of time, the water level was so low that the area under the bridge was totally dry, while at other points of time, the water level was much higher and there was some amount of depth of water under the bridge. The bridge looks real wonderful, looking like typical stone bridges from older times. 

Visitors at 2 different castles in Scotland

The castles in Scotland have a great infrastructure in terms of visitors entry, facilities for visitors, ticketed entry, and so on. There are provisions for food and drink, well maintained outdoors (even though the actual castle building may be in ruins). The overall effect can be very beautiful. Some of the most famous castles in Scotland are Edinburgh and Stirling Castle, but there are other castles that also attract a large number of visitors, also because of their setting. A couple of such castles are the Eilean Donan Castle and the Urquhart Castle, both on the shores of Lochs and with an overall beautiful setting.

Tourists at Urquhart Castle in Scotland (More Photos / Prints)

Visitors at the view point near Urquhart Castle. The castle is located on the shore of Loch Ness, and it is a big complex. There is a visitor entry right at the highway, and once you have crossed the visitor's entry, there is this viewing platform (where there is also a telescope that be used for getting a closer look at the ruins of the castle) from where you can get a great view of the castle, the lake, and the mountains at the other end of the Loch. In the photo, one can see many tourists using the same location to get a great view of the entire castle and the background.

Eilean Donan Castle and visitor entry outside the castle (View more photos)

The beautiful entrance to the Eilean Donan Castle on the shore of Loch Duich in the Scottish Highlands. The Eilean Donan Castle is connected to the mainland by a small bridge, a small portion of which can be seen in the photo. Right before the gates of the castle (and before the bridge) is the visitor entry gate, where tickets are checked. Right outside the gates are some benches and a sitting area, and one can see some visitors sitting on these benches - these are some beautiful locations to relax and enjoy.

Urquhart Castle - A beautiful castle on the shore of Loch Ness in Scotland

Scotland is famous for many castles, spread all over. There were a number of clans spread over the region, and there were a number of battles in the medieval ages for supremacy and power. One of the major castles (besides the major ones such as Stirling Castle and Edinburgh Castle) was Urquhart Castle, located on the shore of Loch Ness. The castle is now in ruins, but the spread is still very beautiful, with the castle and the backdrop of Loch Ness, mountains in the distance and incredible greenery near the castle. The castle is located right next to the highway, making for easy access; and with a proper visitor center, it is a delight to go to.

The plaque highlighting some influential people at Urquhart Castle in Scotland (More photos / Prints)

This is a plaque at the visitor center at Urquhart Castle. The plaque highlights some of the critical people who are important and influential and who have been here - namely, St Columba of Iona, Sir Andrew De Moray, Sir Donald MacDonald, and Sir John Grant (chief of Clan Grant).

Replica of wooden trebuchet at Urquhart Castle, on the path (More photos / Prints)

A trebuchet was one of the most powerful siege weapons, used by attacking armies against castles. The trebuchet could throw all kinds of projectiles over castle walls as well as attack castle walls (along with the catapult); one of the more horrific uses was in terms of throwing diseased bodies over the walls with the intention of causing disease among the defenders.

Photos from Urquhart Castle (along Loch Ness)

Urquhart Castle is a fabulously beautiful castle located on the shore of the Loch Ness, close to Inverness in Scotland. The castle is essentially ruins now, but its location, and the incredible greenery all around the castle is superb. It is located on the A82 and is very accessible. Right next to the castle, one can get boat rides of Loch Ness, and the whole experience is superb. The castle was in prominence from the 13th to the 16th centuries, and was destroyed in 1692 to prevent its use during rebellions.

View of Urquhart Castle and the path leading to it (More photos at this link)

This is the approach to the ruins of the castle from the road and the visitor center. The place is incredibly beautiful and with the great Loch Ness right next to it, it can look pretty romantic.

Tourists on a stone bridge crossing the moat at Urquhart Castle  (See more photos at this link)

This is a small bridge. It is over a moat that no longer exists of course, and it is speculated that the moat was built in the middle ages, but there is really no correct dating of when the moat was made. This bridge has to be crossed by every visitor who comes to see the castle.

Photos from inside Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the city of Edinburgh, in fact, in the whole of Scotland. It has been there for many centuries, starting from early fortifications with succeeding kings either building on top or replacing the existing structures. The castle sits on a natural defensive fortification, a volcanic plug that rises above the surrounding area and hence provides a natural line of defense (although it does make getting supplies inside in the case of a siege more difficult).
Edinburgh Castle is also famous for another more sinister reason, it is supposed to be haunted (although since most people visit it in the daytime, you won't see people running out of the place scared). These haunted sections are typically supposed to be in the underground dungeons and tunnels connecting to the Royal Mile (there has been no proof though, so consider this with a pinch of salt).

The Portcullis set inside a gateway of Edinburgh Castle (More photos at this link)

The metal Portcullis set as part of the stone doorway near the entrance of Edinburgh Castle. The purpose of this metal device was simple. At the sign of any danger or as part of normal security procedures, the metal structure with thick bars would be lowered to ground level, setting another barrier against enemies who had managed to penetrate inside the Castle to this point. Now of course, it is permanently raised, just being there so that visitors can also note the presence of one of the security structures located inside the castle.

The sign for the Castle Gates inside the Edinburgh Castle (more photos here)

The audio clue (also meant for those who have rented headphones for an audio guide to the castle) telling visitors that these stone walls have been guarding the inside of the castle for over 2000 years, maybe in different versions. But these high and thick walls have been protecting the castle for millenia now, ever since fortifications were setup on this site (located at a much higher level than the surroundings).

Grand staircase inside the Edinburgh Castle (view more photos at this link)

A grand and sweeping outdoor staircase inside the Edinburgh Castle. The blue sign that you see announces an exhibition inside the Argyle tower, a tower that got its name from politics and death (it was the tower that was apparently housing the 9th Earl of Argyle before he was finally executed in 1685). The castle seems very well maintained, and it is pretty safe to walk all around the castle without worrying that any of these structures (or part of them) will come down.

Tourists emerging from a lower level in the Edinburgh Castle (View more photos here)

The Edinburgh Castle has a number of different buildings inside it, as you would expect, given that the castle had a large number of people living inside it, and was expected to hold out for long periods of time during a siege by enemy forces. In addition to the royal family, there would be the garrison (royal guards and others), and the staff catering to the royal family. Some of them are at different levels, some of them have lower levels (or basements), walking through the entire Castle can be tiring for those not used to walking so long.

More photos in and around the HMY Britannia (berthed at the port of Leith near Edinburgh)

Previous photos about the HMY Britannia (Link 1, Link 2)
It is very rare for normal laypeople to see the kind of conditions in which royalty lives like, and the HMY Britannia provides a way for people to be able to view such conditions. Visitors are able to see several sections of the ship, although there are cordoned off sections of the ship. The ship is visited by a large number of visitors every year, and is part of the various bus schedules that are part of the Edinburgh tourist circuit.

The stately wardroom inside the royal yacht, HMV Britannia (See more photos here)

This is the wardroom inside the ship, meant for the senior officers, the captain and members of the royal family (if they are on board). The table has been preserved with places set, giving a view to visitors of the dining standards and facilities on the royal ship.

Tourists on board the deck of the royal yacht HMY Britannia (View more photos here)

On the deck of the HMY Britannia. There is a specific tour route that visitors follow, you cannot just roam around here and there on the ship. This part involves a small walk on the deck of the ship, from where an open door eventually leads inside the ship.

The royal yacht HMY Britannia berthed at the port of Leith (View more photos here)

This photo shows the berthed side of the ship at the port of Leith near Singapore. There are metal supports that ensure that the ship remains stable and at an even distance from the shore. In addition, there are multiple gangways for getting onto the ship, some of them meant for the tourists, one ceremonial one that is only meant for royalty, and some meant for supplies. 

Photos from the HMY Britannia, at Leith in Edinburgh and can be visited by tourists

The HMY Britannia, used by Britain's Queen Elizabeth for more than 40 years, was finally decommissioned in the year 1997, and was probably the last such ship available to the Queen. It has not been replaced by another ship, and at times of austerity and recession, it would not be politically feasible for any Government to announce the construction of a large ship for the Queen. British subjects have changed, from loving the Queen and the royal family earlier, to now grumbling about the expenditure on the royal family. As a part of this, let us see some more photos from the decommissioned ship and the way that the royalty would travel.

Bunks for the crew inside the decommissioned royal yacht HMV Britannia (get more photos here)

These bunks is how the crew would rest and sleep inside the royal ship, HMY Britannia. These have been retained in a manner that would show visitors their way of living, including items they would use, their dress uniforms, and so on. These seem pretty comfortable, but then this was a royal ship and one would expect the crew to not live in a bad condition. Visitors get to see these quarters as part of their tour around the ship.

The glass enclosed corridor leading to the HMV Britannia (View more photos here)

HMY Britannia is berthed permanently, and is now a tourist attraction. When you look at the bus tours in Edinburgh, many of them include the ship in their tours, and there is a whole support system for this. On the land side, there is an entire building infrastructure for guiding tourists, providing shops for them to buy food and drinks and memorabilia. This corridor is one that connects the ship and the building, allowing a smooth flow for tourists.

Grand staircase inside the berthed royal yacht HMV Britannia, cordoned off to prevent tourists from entering (more photos)

A grand staircase inside the ship, meant for leading to the royal quarters and other parts of the ship. This area is off limits for tourists and hence the gentle reminders - with cordons at the bottom and top end of the staircase. And of course, with the number of tourists who visit the ship, too many people up and down the carpet is liable to make the carpet ragged.

The royal gangway along with red carpet used by the royal family (More photos at this link)

As part of maintaining the royal ship, this special entry gangway has also been preserved, along with the red carpet. And to ensure that nobody does any mischief, the entire area is blocked using a wooden fence, with the entry only being seen from a higher point, such as from the ship.

HMY Britannia at her permanent position in Leith near Edinburgh

The Queen (or King) of England have had royal yachts from a long time (since 1660, with the restoration of the monarchy, there have been 83 such ships to bear the royal name). The ship was commissioned in 1954, taking an inaugural journey to Malta in April of the same year, but not carrying the Queen or Prince Philip, instead carrying Prince Charles and Princess Anne, with the Queen setting foot on the ship on the return journey on 1st May 1954. The ship has been used for a number of ceremonial occasions with leaders of other countries also stepping foot on the ship, as well as being used for the honeymoon of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The ship was decommissioned in 1997 and there has been no replacement ever since, and it is unlikely that there will be, due to public relations impact of building another ship of this cost, with the cost coming from the British Government.

The pier at Leith where the royal yacht, HMY Britannia is berthed (View more images here)

Now the yacht is berthed at the port of Leith near Scotland, and offers tourists a chance to view many sections of the ship, including the bedroom of the queen (through a glass partition), many of the official dining and state rooms, and for a different touch, the sleeping quarters of the men manning the ship. A number of people take the tour, and it is part of many of the tour packages of Edinburgh.

The royal racing yacht, the Bloodhound, berthed next to the HMY Britannia (more photos here)

Tourists who come to see the HMY Britannia can also get to see the royal racing yacht, the Bloodhound. It was built in 1936 and has been used in the past by many of the royals (including Prince Charles) to learn how to sail. Now, it is available for charter. Berthed next to HMY Britannia, the racing yacht looks much smaller, but sleeker.

Deep Sea World near Edinburgh in Scotland - A wonderful aquarium

Modern aquariums provide an immersive experience to visitors, allowing them to see fish all around them, shows with fish, allowing them to swim along with the fish, get colorful fishes, and various other experiences. One of these experiences is called Deep Sea World, located in North Queensbury, under the famous bridge in Fife, Scotland. It provides a travelator where visitors can travel under and through a tank full of fishes of different sizes and shapes, including sharks, rays and others.

Corridor inside the Deep Sea World aquarium on the outskirts of Edinburgh (More photos here)

In this photo, this is a view of the corridor where the visitor starts to make the way down to the prized part of the aquarium, the passage through a thick glass tank where fish can be seen all around. The aquarium has given a rock based appearance to this corridor, seemingly depicting that this part of the aquarium is underground.







One of the attractions of a modern aquarium is to have a wide variety of fish to dazzle visitors. This is even more so when these fish are colorful, and many fishes can be very colorful.

Brightly colored fish inside a tank in the Deep Sea World aquarium (View more photos here)

These are one of the first fish that you see when you enter the aquarium. They look beautiful, with the bright colors gleaming in the light from outside that is entering their tank. For sure, it is rare that people would have seen this fish naturally. When you are going along with children, it is very exciting for them to see these fish and stand around for some time to watch these fish swim inside the tank, only moving away when either they are dragged away, or other people want to see the exhibit.