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Predictably, today was another day of fantastic roads, stunning scenery and lovely walks - plus the sun shone too.
After brekkie, I left Park Lodge Hotel for the 0.3 mile drive to the ferry terminal to catch the ferry to Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan Peninsular.
Disembarking from the ferry I turned left to head to the lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point, the most westerly part on the UK mainland. It was a lovely drive, though as the Little Minx was still very wet from all the rain yesterday evening, I still had the roof up.
We (myself and a family with two pre-school age children) were given a tour of the lighthouse. We climbed up 140 spiral steps, the 12 rungs on the first ladder. Our guide was the last keeper of the light when it was automated in 1988. He has just celebrated his 80th birthday and still climbs up the lighthouse every day! He allowed us outside where it was very windy, but fantastic views of the coast and across to the Small Islands including Muck, Eigg, Rum etc.
Back inside we climbed the second ladder to see the modern light, consisting of a number of halogen bulbs that can be seen 25 miles away.
I then took the roof down for the rest of the day and drove back the way I'd come and past the ferry terminal (not a lot of choice) and stopped at the Ardnamurchan Natural History Visitor Centre. This consists of the Living Building, an exhibition of local flora and fauna. Very interesting and innovatively presented.
My next stop was in Acharacle where I popped into the bakery for a sausage roll, tiffin and Diet Coke - Coke Zero seems to be very rare up here :( . I continued north and stopped at a viewpoint in the hills, then another stop by Loch Moidart and a third stop beside Glenuig Bay.
Next up was Glenfinnan. Here, on the shores of Shiel Loch there is the Glenfinnan Monument, dedicated to the Jacobean Rising of 1745, the aim of which was to get the Catholic Bonnie Prince Charlie on the throne instead of the Protestant King. The backdrop of the loch is simply stunning.
However, nowadays Glenfinnan is more famed for it's railway viaduct. In addition to the mainline services, the Jacobite steam train travels from Fort William to Mallaig and back once a day - a stunning sight as it passes over the viaduct. But this isn't what has made it so popular that the car park has been enlarged since I was last here in 2005, and a new visitor centre built. The cause of all this is that the viaduct was used in the Harry Potter films, with the Hogwarts Express going over it. I guess that's Wizard Power!
Finally, I popped into The Land, Sea and Islands Centre in Arisaig. This is a museum of local history and fascinating. Then I drove up the road to the Arisaig Hotel, where I will be spending the night. I'm now in the bar where I've ordered a brie and bacon beefburger!
Today we drove 103 miles.
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