James Bond fans will remember the breathtaking climax of Skyfall when all hell breaks loose in the Scottish Highlands. And, the die-hard Bond fans, if quizzed, will instantly tell you the dramatic action scene took place in Glencoe, the most famous of the Scottish Highland glens.

And Harry Potter fans will also recognise Glencoe with its dramatic steep-sided mountain peaks and craggy knife-edge ridges from scenes in two films in the series — Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and The Half-Blood Prince.

This scenic gem was on our route when we took to the road in our hired car to travel through the Scottish Highlands which pack in the most fantastic scenery — from jagged mountains, lakes and imposing castles to scary cliffs that cut away to the pounding sea below.

The A82 is the main route from the south running from Glasgow to Inverness by way of Fort William, the second-largest settlement in the Scottish Highlands. This road passes close to the biggest tourist attractions in the Highlands, ranging from Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor to Ben Nevis, the Commando Memorial, Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle and leads to your final destination — the Isle of Skye.

Your first halt is in Callander, a beautiful tourist town on River Teith, near Stirling, that’s often described as the gateway to the Highlands. It’s a meeting point between the Highlands and the Lowlands.

As you travel further north, you’ll learn about Scotland’s warring clans and the 100 years of rebellions and battles known as the Jacobite Risings that ultimately failed to restore the Stuarts to the throne and culminated with the death of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1788.

Our next big halt was the tourist town of Fort William — or An Gearasdan which in Gaelic means “The Garrison”. It’s one of Scotland’s most popular holiday towns in the Lochaber region, which is home to The Great Glens, Glen Nevis, Glencoe and Mallaig and supplies some of the Scottish West Coast’s most stunning scenery.

Then we reached Loch Duich near Dornie, a former fishing village. It’s here you find Scotland’s most photographed castle, Eilean Donan. It’s a favourite Bollywood backdrop too and its iconic image appears on more British shortbread tins than any other castle. Nestled on a tiny island, it overlooks the Isle of Skye at the point where three great sea-lochs meet, and is surrounded by the splendour of the forested mountains of Kintail.

The castle was built in the mid-13th century and was partly destroyed in 1719 in a Jacobite uprising. It lay in ruins until 1911 when it was bought by Lt Col John MacRae-Gilstrap who restored the castle to its former glory and added a bridge which completes the classic castle image. You can explore every nook and cranny of the castle which is still tended by the MacRae family.

Then, leaving the castle, we headed to the magical Isle of Skye. It’s one of the largest in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland — Hebrides meaning a group of islands. It’s now connected by bridge to the mainland. But many locals grumble they don’t like the bridge as they feel it disqualifies Skye from being called an island!

But we weren’t bothered by the bridge. We only had eyes for the Isle of Skye, a 50-mile-long island of mountains, sea cliffs, lakes and two castles that’s famed for its dramatic beauty. We were spoilt for choice for hotels in Portree, the main port town which functions as its capital, and there’s also a popular homestay option. We made Portree our base and drove the hour’s journey to the unrivalled Neist Point, site of one of Scotland’s most famous lighthouses and a photographer’s delight — especially at sunset when the reddened skies cast a rosy glow.

There’s also a dramatic rock formation and there can be strong winds that make one approach the cliffs gingerly and carefully peer down at the deep, blue sea. And for those liking a “wee dram,” it’s home to the famous Talisker distillery for those who wish to taste peaty single malt whisky.

Our next destination was the Quiraing mountains, but we made a brief stop en route at Faerie Glen, a miniature landscape of grassy, cone-shaped natural mounds. You can also see a huge rock that looks like a castle and is said to be where fairies reside.

Continuing on to Quiraing, there were a couple of hairpin bends, and then we arrived. It was arrestingly beautiful, home to the panoramic Trotternish Ridge and beloved by hikers.  This Trotternish Ridge escarpment was formed by a massive landslip which created high cliffs, hidden plateaus and rock pinnacles. From the cliff, there’s a sweeping view of the “Table,” a plateau surrounded by rock formations and sea cliffs.

Next, we headed for Staffin, set beneath Trottenish Ridge. Many love to stay here and enjoy its distinctive spotty houses, lovely beach and amazing geology. The beach is ideal for families with kids as it boasts dinosaur footprints, the largest in Scotland, dating back 165 million years.

As a side-trip, we went off to see the famous Kilt Rock, a sea-cliff in northeast Trotternish where you can also see the Mealt Falls, a spectacular waterfall dramatically plunging to a rocky beach below.

Then it’s time to head back to the mainland. But en route there are also sights. You’ll pass through Cuillin Hills, an eye-catching mountain range. And returning to Edinburgh, there was no way we were missing Loch Ness, Scotland’s largest loch, that’s famed for the legendary Loch Ness Monster, familiarly known as Nessie.

After trying to spot the elusive Nessie, it’s back to the lowlands and finally to our starting point which was Edinburgh. But fond memories of your visit will linger and, as the great Scottish poet Robert Burns said in one of his famous poems: My heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go.

READY RECKONER

♦ Getting there: From Calcutta you can fly to Glasgow via Etihad or Jet Airways. Or fly Qatar Airways or Air India to London and take a train to either Glasgow or Edinburgh from where car or personalised
mini-bus tour can be taken.

♦ Where to stay: There’s a choice of hotels for staying the night at Portree. A homestay can also be arranged by tour operators like Rabbie’s.