behind
the Wheel
a few pointers
for navigating
scottish roads
One-track rOads
When two cars approach,
the one nearest to a pull-
out lane stops there to
wait for the other to pass.
speed cameras
Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, home to more than 8,000 objects
West Highland Way, a 154-kilometre
walking path stretching from Glasgow
to Fort Williams.
From there, we blaze a trail to the
quaint lakeside village of Inveraray.
Its namesake castle is the seat of
Clan Campbell, one of Scotland’s
most historic and powerful Highland
clans. After a tour of the turreted
1789 structure, we pop into the
Old Inveraray Jail, a 19th-century
courthouse and prison. After a brief
stay “behind bars,” we make our escape
and set off for the the next leg of our
journey toward the Isle of Skye.
Glencoe Valley & Isle of Skye
A drive through the spectacular
Glencoe Valley is a painter’s dream,
with its babbling brooks cas-cading
down mountainsides and sheep
grazing in the distance. Along the way,
we stop to check out a herd of bemused
Highland cows, which stare at our
giggling kids, aged seven and eight,
from under their shaggy bangs.
It starts to rain as we set up our tent
in Glen Nevis, so we seek shelter in a
restaurant in the shadow of Ben Nevis,
the highest mountain in the British
Isles. I’m the only one brave enough
to order haggis with neeps and tatties
(turnip and potatoes). The meal is
delicious, especially when paired with
a dram of Macallan Scotch whisky; it
sustains me through a long, wet night,
as our tent and gear get soaked.
The next day, we stop to pay respects
at the site of 1719’s Battle of Glen Shiel,
where Jacobite forces unsuccessfully
challenged British troops. The previous
night’s rain has swelled area streams,
so I lean down, cup my hands and take
a big sip. It’s delicious and makes me »
slowing down doesn’t
fool them, as they don’t
measure your speed
when you pass it; they
time your arrival at
the next one and
do the math.
car insurance
most policies cover rental
cars in canada, but not
in the u.K. budget for
higher daily rates.
rOad signs
gaelic is tricky, so when
someone gives you
directions, ask them to
spell it out. Inverness,
for example, is spelled
“Inbhir nis” on signs.
idp
Though it’s not legally
mandated, consider an
international driver’s
permit. most car-rental
agencies require it and
caa is the only place in
canada to get one. Visit
a caa store to apply.
CAA MANITOBA
FAll 2018
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