We started our day on the Knoydart Peninsula in the community of Inverie, a locally-owned commune that is only accessible by boat or a seventeen-mile walk from Kinlochourn. Before breakfast, guests had the option of taking a morning walk — a photo walk or a faster-paced, exploratory hike. Professor Thompson gave a talk after breakfast titled, “Davis Hume and Friends: The Continuing Importance of Scottish Enlightenment.”
Since the ship couldn’t dock at Armadale due to high winds, we took a coach from Kyle of Lochalsh to visit Armadale Castle, Botanical Gardens and the Museum of the Isles, the spiritual home of the Clan Donald. Built in 1815, the castle was reduced to ruins after a fire in the 1850s.
During the afternoon, we took a short coach trip to Eilean Donan Castle. It is the most photographed castle in Scotland and has appeared in numerous films. While the castle was originally built in the 13th century, a large portion of the structure is from the 20th century when Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap devoted his life to rebuilding the site and reclaiming it for the Clan MacRae.
