WHY THE NC500: A PERSONAL JOURNEY

By Stewart Hart

This book is not a tour guide or instructions on how you should travel the NC500. It chronicles our trip and explains why we undertook the adventure. It's a book that gives a reason to live life to its fullest. It describes a journey of heartache, anger and frustration, and at the heart of it is a love story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: STEWART HART
• Release date: Jan 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9781802279641

Book preview

Introduction

Scotland – A country that shouts at you, talks to you and whispers to you. It’s angry, calm and quiet. You can stand there for a moment in time and watch how quickly the weather changes on the tops of the mountains. It’s understandable why so many people are taken by its grasp.

It is steeped in history from the legends of Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, and Rob Roy.

It is home to the famous lochs of Loch Morar, the deepest freshwater body in the British Isles. Loch Lomond is considered the boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands and is the largest lake in Great Britain. The myth of Loch Ness with Urquhart Castle on its banks is the second largest loch in Scotland next to Loch Lomond and the second deepest loch next to Loch Morar.

Urquhart Castle dates back to the 13th century and played a role in the wars of the Scottish Independence. In the 20th century, it was placed into state care and is now one of the most visited castles in Scotland.

Scotland is a place of so many childhood memories for both me and my partner (Jan). For Jan, it was the time spent with her family on a campsite nestled at the foot of Ben Nevis; a stunning place to be, even as a child. You can’t help but be in awe of the view it gives and of the stories it might tell.

Jan recalls the time when she went fishing with her uncle, brother, sister and cousin. They were armed with their fishing nets in what Jan recalls was a stream, which is a full-blown river.

She also remembers the purchase of a tartan recorder case, as, at the time, she was in the school orchestra. Thankfully, it was a career that was short-lived, much to the relief of her parents.

For me, it was the flying rabbits, the boat being tied to the rock, and the calf that wanted to play.

This was the day when Dad decided to take us all on the Whisky trail. Of course, as kids, we were not allowed to partake in the samples that were on offer, unlike our dad, who I believe had a tot at each of the distilleries. As we were driving down the road, Dad pointed out that there were rabbits in the road, which consequently flew away, which put our mom into fits of hysterics. This was funny in itself as mom didn’t laugh that often, but when she did, it was always at the expense of Dad.

One year, dad decided to buy a fibreglass dinghy which we used for fishing. As we sat in the caravan overlooking the loch, a shoal of mackerel was spotted, so my