The Scottish Highlands is a vast environment with a magnificent landscape. I have spent the past week exploring some of the rural towns and villages in the area. Cliff Cottage proved to be the perfect getaway, planted deep into the countryside surrounded by nature. This post presents a selection of shots from Scotland, beginning with the Cottage itself, located in Port Appin.

Home for the week – the remote Cliff Cottage

A rainbow captured on the last stretch of a run back to the cottage.

Fantastic rocky shores suround the cottage.

Close towns and attractions, worthy of a visit, include Oban and Glencoe. Oban is one of the larger towns in the region, great for a day wondering around the shops and stopping at one or two restaurants. A personal favourite was Coast, a seafood and local game restaurant with pleasant staff, simple but welcoming aesthetics and most importantly flavoursome food. A second restaurant which impressed was a short walk from the cottage in Appin. The photos below highlight some of the places mentioned and impressive food on offer.

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The Pier House Hotel and Seafood Restaurant

First time trying monk fish and it was delicious.

One of the final places I visited in the highlands was Glencoe. Whilst there had been a strong night of snow it still wasn’t sufficient enough to take to the slopes. However it still made for a great day out and made for an even better opportunity to get some great shots of the Red Deer. Moving to lower altitudes where the grass was still accessible, the Red Deer were easier to locate. The first mob of deer were spotted close to the chairlift in Glencoe but as I tried to get closer they quickly moved away.

The second group of Red Deer I found came a little further down the road in a grassier area at the three-points parking spot. This location presented the chance to get a lot closer to the deer and capture some really great shots. It was a freezing day with quite strong winds but it was well worth persevering.

The closest I could get to the deer without alarming it.

Many more deers gnawed the grass close by.

The three peaks captured in one panoramic shot.

Top of the Glencoe chair lift was bitterly cold but revealed a breathtaking view of the highlands.

As I decide on what my next move will be, the short trip up to Scotland for the week proved to be a great mini-getaway. A place with an abundance of outdoor adventures awaiting travelers from close and afar. I hope to explore more of my home turf in the near future whilst I can, as it is easy to overlook such great locations close to home. In the meantime I will continue to upload regularly on my Instagram and bring new stories here as they happen.