House Sitting in the Highlands with Hamish

Posted by on March 18, 2016 in Accommodations, Advice + Tips, Beaches, Coast, Featured, Hiking, House Sitting, Landscaapes, Pet Sitting, Scotland, Waterfalls | 8 comments

Castles in the sky, or at least close – my house sit in Fort William, in the Highlands of Scotland, came in the form of a Victorian manse, complete with a lively companion…

imageimage

The Highlands have long been high on my list, and I had two weeks to enjoy the fall, with free accommodations in exchange for keeping an eye on this lovely home and entertaining my new furry friend, Hamish. Little did I know that he had 100 times my energy, and would keep me on my toes about 14 hours a day. A Border Collie blend, Hamish loves to chase balls, from the crack of dawn (over 50 throws before breakfast)…

image

…until late at night, with enough zest to knock the stuffing out of both the balls and me.

imageimage

Luckily, there was a jacuzzi with a view for some recuperation! The hot water and jets felt heavenly on my sore muscles – both throwing arms, as well as legs from hiking.

image

When he was not chasing balls, Hamish loved to show me all of the surrounding hikes.

imageimage

The Scottish Highlands are rugged and gorgeous, on both sunny and rainy days, and if you’re lucky like I was, you may get both at once, and end up with a rainbow!

image

But first, before going exploring, I had to learn how to drive. True, I’d been driving since I was 16, so with decades of experience, you wouldn’t think of it as a problem. But upon my arrival, I learned that all of our dog walks, twice a day, started well beyond walking distance. Hamish isn’t comfortable walking in town; he was recently re-homed, and has a few “issues,” such as fear of thunder and cars, and a fondness for chasing sheep. “You have use of our car to take him on his walks,” the homeowners told me, and showed me their big SUV, with, oh God help me, a stick shift. I have to say, this was the most terrifying time on my entire around the world trip – a stick shift, which I haven’t driven in years, in a big SUV, the owner’s pride and joy, on many a steep hill, on the left side of the road with double lane roundabouts. My heart pounded, and I broke out in a sweat. I fessed up to my lack of skills, but they were kind, and took me out in the countryside for some lessons…

image

Once I had the hang of it, I appreciated the luxury of such a nice car, with navigation that gave me verbal directions, since Hamish wasn’t much help in that department. We climbed through woods by rushing waterfalls in Glen Nevis…

imageimageimage

…over lush moss, past fields of heather and wildflowers.

imageimage

We crossed rushing rivers, and hiked partway up Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the British Isles. Hamish even knows how to climb over stiles, smart dog…

image imageimageimageimage

And speaking of smart, Hamish also knows how to ride the ski resort lift; he showed me how to board the gondola for drop-dead gorgeous views. His owners were kind enough to buy me a pass so we could go hiking on top, one of our favorite spots.

imageimageimageimage

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’d appreciate the hike near Glenfinnan, up to see the bridge where Harry’s train took him to Hogwarts. We even timed it right to see the old steam train, its whistle blowing as it chugged by below us. And there was lunch in an old parked dining car, where the service was up to Hamish’s standards – they brought him a bowl of water and treated him like an honored guest. Many movies have been filmed in or around Fort William, including scenes from Braveheart.

imageimageimage

If you’re more of a beach person than mountain, you’ll still enjoy heading to the Highlands. A short but scenic drive will take you to the shore, and one of Hamish’s favorite places. He’s not afraid of cold water, and lunged into the sea to chase ball after ball, splashing spray up into his sand-covered muzzle.

imageimageimageimage

Warm sunny days alternated with cold rain, but still we hiked, twice a day, and discovered that we didn’t melt. With a rain jacket for me, and fur coat for Hamish, we shook off the drops, and enjoyed the peace and solitude of being the only ones out. Fort William is the start/finish of both the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way, if you’re into long distance walking or cycling.

imageimageimageimage

The quaint town of Fort William has plenty of pubs, and if you’re a hiker, plenty of shopping, with no shortage of outfitters. Warm cosy coffee houses offer shelter, where I could take a short break from my charge – the house was just up the hill, so I could also take a rest from driving.

imageimageimage

They say in the Highlands the midges are worse than mosquitoes, but I didn’t have a chance to find out – apparently in September, I had just missed midge season, barely by a smidge.

image

The house on the hill had magnificent views, overlooking Loch Linnhe and Fort William. With a turret and rooftop garden, sunken tub inside and jacuzzi out back, a fireplace with lots of wood, ready to keep me warm, a library of DVD’s, a wine cellar and whiskey cupboard (with permission to sample), and a grand kitchen in which to cook my stew, I was a pretty happy camper. Yes, I was kept on my toes, Hamish isn’t one to rest, but house sitting in the Highlands was a heavenly haven, and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

imageimageimageimage

 

Share

8 Comments

  1. What an adventure with your furry friend! Just love it!! 🙂

    • He was a handful, but very sweet, and the Highlands are gorgeous!

  2. Hamish says “fame at last!!” – he’s truly honoured to be the recipient of such generous compliments !! Also – thank you for all the great adventures together – no-one throws a tennis ball like Lynn !

    • Thanks Anne & Ken (and of course, Hamish!)I miss you all!! ❤️

  3. What a wonderful blog…

    Anne and Kenny shared it with me as temptation to come stay with them for a weekend soon.

    Very dear friends of mine, we recently got back in touch and my memories of their beautiful home have just come flooding back looking at your pictures.

    I will definitely be going!

    Love the picture of the spiral staircase…look forward to exploring that…it wasn’t there the last time I was.

    Did someone creat the basic blog for you or is there a link I can find to create one of my own?
    I used to be a blogger in another life and would like to get back into it.

    Lovely to “meet” you and read your Anne and Kenny house experience!

    Best wishes from Inverness, Scotland.

    Iris Anne

    • Hi Iris Anne,

      Thank you so much for your lovely message!! I’m glad my post has inspired you to go back and visit, it’s such a beautiful place, and I adore Anne and Ken (and Hamish!) 🙂

      There are templates you can use to create your own blog through several different sites (mine is WordPress). However, being as un-tech-savvy as I am, I had someone set it up for me. I found my “web guru” through a friend, but I think you can find help on line. Good luck with getting yours going! (If you want, I can connect you, I think she’s in Australia or Hawaii, just ask Anne for my email).

      Best wishes back,
      Lynn

  4. I really get a sense of the place and your experience with the combination of your great story telling skills and fantastic photos. What a gorgeous place in the world. Thanks for sharing.

    • You’re very welcome, Carol! It’s a magical spot. Best of luck with your current and future house sits – enjoy Spain!!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *