Loch Ness, Glen Coe and Highlands Tour, Scotland

Duration: 11,5 hrs

Distance: 520 Kms

Stops and Highlights: 

• Loch Lomond
• Fort William
• Glen Coe
• Great Glen
• Loch Ness
• Inverness
• Spean Bridge
• Caimgorm National Park
• Pitlochry
• Stirling Castle

Price: 42 English Pounds

I've made a trip to Glasgow and being in Scotland i just simply could not miss the chance to visit Nessie up in Loch Ness. So i took this tour and let me tell you guys, besides the price and the huge amount of kilometers done in just one day, it was one of the coolest tours i've ever done and i strongly advise everyone that visits Scotland to do it.

The tour started in the very center of Glasgow were a bus was waiting for us and other 20 (approx) people. The bus driver/tour guide was absolutely fantastic. He was a human encyclopedia in what is related to Scotland. He started by explaining some history about Glasgow and through the way he kept giving us all the details and highlights about the places we were passing by. He also introduced us to some traditional Scottish music and some national Rock/Pop artists as well of his selection, giving a more personal touch to our journey.

In this tour you'll be able to see a lot of Scotland's country side, which is way different from the big cities such Edinburgh or Glasgow and also check some of the most well known historic places of Scotland such as the place of the Glen Coe massacre, the Stirling Castle where William Wallace once stayed, and of course the mysterious Loch Ness.

As you are passing through the Highlands and the country side, you'll most likely get the chance to see the famous Highland cows, with all their fur and a very friendly and peaceful image. It is one of the symbols of Scotland specially in the northern part.

In this parts you can see the old constructions made of stone, all the small villages in a very medieval style and people with a very warm Scottish welcome. It is wonderful as you can feel like coming back in time to a more simpler years. 

The tour is full of history as well, the tour guide will explain you all about Scotland's old legends or even the ones that actually happened such as the Glen Coe massacre where an entire family gave shelter to some soldiers that were planning their deaths, or the times when the great warrior William Wallace walked through the gates of Stirling Castle, one of the most famous in Scotland. It is very interesting and fun tour as at the same time you are passing through this places you are hearing some traditional songs that are actually talking about these historic moments and places.

And the most exciting stop of the tour is the Loch Ness. You can see hundreds of people trying to spot "Nessie" and you will too feel the great and mysterious atmosphere of this place. It is not included on the price of this tour but they give you the opportunity to make a cruise in the Loch Ness where you can hear the histories and myths about the Loch Ness monster, see all the new technologies used in the boats to search the bottom of the Loch Ness and also some nice histories about this place. In this boats you can enjoy an amazing view of the lake and also try some traditional Scottish whisky while trying to spot the monster.

It is a wonderful way to get more into the spirit of this location.

After you can get some Nessie and Loch Ness souvenirs on the several shops located in the village and bring some presents to the family. 

It is a very "heavy" tour as it takes you along 520 kilometers during 12 hours but it is definitely worth every minute and every penny of it. You will learn more than by just seeing some museum about the Highlands or Loch Ness and you'll find it very amusing and interactive. Again if you are in Scotland i STRONGLY advise you to take a day to do it, you won't be disappointed.

You can find this and several other tours in this website Scottish Tours, all the details of the journey and current prices.

I'll leave you with a couple more photos of my journey, hope you like it and try it out.

See you next time!!

Mahora, Spain

Mahora is a small village in Spain, in the province of Albacete which has aproximatly 1.400 habitants.

It's a lovely place in the country side with marvelous people, delicious food and great festivals.

I went there in August, time in which they celebrate their Saint, and i was able to see all the festivities and all the tradition of this people.

Everyone knows everyone in this village and when there are people from outside, they love to recieve well and show every corner of their village, where to eat good, where to stay, what to do and where to party. 

During these festivities, which lasts for an entire week, other than the religious activities, they have a parade, which goes around the village, usually with the young people participating in it. They also have a very particular activitie during the night, every night at 2.30 in the morning they release the fire bull which is nothing less than a man carrying a structure similar to a bull's head, in which are placed several fireworks. So the man goes through the streets runing after people, with no fixed trajectory, and everyone runs from him not to get "burned" until the fireworks run out.

It is very intense as everyone goes there to see it, from young people to the elder ones.

One of the days they also organize the Grand Prix, which joins several teams and puts them to the test in some sports and intelectual games. It is really funny to see as it usually ends up in people falling or making funny gestures, allways in a safe mode.

Music and kids activities are allways present with the tents on the streets selling typical products, inflatables and trampolines, bumper cars, concerts and so on. There is also a disco "Los Jardines" where you can continue partying all night long.

The architecture is beautifull and the landscapes of the countryside are amazing. If you love photography it is a very nice place to take some great pictures. There is the river nearby with some rapids and a "hidden" pathway which is abandoned but you can still manage to get there. It is great to explore and to be in contact with nature, also in the middle there is a water spring with the natural water flowing where you can enjoy a refreshing sip and recharge batteries for the way.

There is also a huge abandoned bridge built for the train to pass in the old times. 

 Food is delicious in Mahora. Naturally, as they are in the country side, it is based on animal stuff such as Pig ear or fried tail, prawns on the plate, potatoes with special sauce, barbecue meat and so on. It is very cheap as well as it is not a very well known touristic place, so you can eat until you are stuffed full and pay as little as 10 euros or so. One of the best places i've eaten was in the restaurant ABEYRA, close to the swimming pool and the footbal field.

To get to Mahora the best way is to rent a car. You can fly either to Alicante, Murcia or Valencia which are more or less between 130km and 200km from Mahora, but in the airport the best thing to do is to rent a car. In Spain the rent a cars are quite cheap and you can enjoy the trip through the country side and make some stops to taste the spanish food along the way. 

Other option is to take a bus or train from Valencia to Albacete and then local bus to Mahora. That would take you a little bit more time but also a nice way to know the surroundings.

There are places to stay in Mahora, there is the Hotel Cervantes which has an 8,3 classification in Booking and the Maxi Pension. Also there is the "La Casona de Mahora" which is kind of a guest house but quite new and very comfortable as it looks by the images in the web.

I'll leave you with some more of my photos, hope you like it and brings your desires to visit this amazing place.

See you later.

Adios!!