This was our last full day in Scotland, and it was raining. Living in
England, I have seen heavy rain before, I have seen persistent rain before, but I
have never seen such heavy and persistent rain before. This was truly Scottish
weather. After much discussion we decided to go to
Fort George. Having decided
that our original plan to have a boat ride on Loch Ness was no longer a good
idea. As we drove along the road by Loch Ness we realized why there had been
road signs warning of heavy rain. We encountered waterfalls coming down the hillside,
not just trickles of water, but torrents cascading down by the side of the
road, where no waterfalls had been before. The surface water made the roads
more like streams or large pools, and driving was difficult, if not dangerous.
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| A roadside waterfall along Loch Ness swollen by heavy rain. |
On the plus side, the rain somehow highlighted all the autumn colours,
making everything look more vivid and vibrant. There was also real Scottish
mist over the mountains!
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| Scottish Mist in Fort Augustus |
We eventually arrived at Fort George and kitted ourselves out in our
waterproofs and umbrellas. A certain person, let’s for the sake of argument
call him ‘My Husband,’ had assured me that he had done his research and that
there was plenty to see at Fort George. A fort built after the Jacobite rising to quell
any more unrest in the Highlands, it is still a fully functioning barracks with
soldiers stationed there. When we purchased our tickets we were given audio
guides to help us navigate our way around,There are numerous exhibitions and a
museum, which at the time of our visit was closed for refurbishment, and not due
to open again until spring 2013. However, a lot of the visitor area at Fort George is out in the open. It was very cold and very wet. We only met two other
people visiting that day, and because it was so quiet, there was a very surreal
atmosphere. It almost felt like we were trespassing. We squelched our way
around the fort, climbing up steep, slippery ramparts, following the
instructions of our audio guide. We then had a late lunch and hot drinks in the cafe, which was also a very odd place. It had the feel of somewhere that had
not changed in decades, with its whitewashed walls and basic crockery and
cutlery, it felt very much like an army canteen. After only a couple of hours we
decided to make our way back to the cottage. I think it is safe to say that Fort
George is
not an all weather attraction. My husband and son thoroughly enjoyed
themselves though, and I’m sure that on a warmer, dryer day it would feel like a more
welcoming and interesting place.
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| The Entrance Drawbridge to Fort George |
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| A Cannon at Fort George |
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| Bastions of Fort George |
On the drive back the rain had started to ease, and we decided to go to
Fort Augustus see if the rainfall had affected the flow of the river. There
were even more newly sprouted waterfalls as we made our way along the roads.
Our last call on this day was the Dundreggan dam, a hydroelectric power station a few miles from where we were staying. I wanted to visit the dam to
get an idea of where Brianna Mackenzie from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series
might work, and where her son, Young Jemmy, would be held captive. The large
sluice gates in the dam had been opened to allow some of the excess water
through, following the heavy rainfall, and it was a most impressive sight. We
then made our way back to the cottage to start packing for our departure the
next morning.
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| Sluice Gate of Dundreggan Dam with Floodwater |
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| Dundreggan Dam |
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