UNITED KINGDOM - Scotland

Location - Western Europe; Capital - Scotland - Edinburgh; Population - Scotland - 5.2 million; Currency - Pound Sterling MORE UK - SCOTLAND

I couldn't resist the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Inverness, a sleeper train being a novelty in the UK, complete with its own bar-restaurant carriage - April 2016.

Scottish banks issue their own versions of the Pound - this is the Bank of Scotland's

After arriving in Inverness I continued by bus via Wick to the far north-east of Scotland at John O'Groats. It's the traditional start of charity walks and bike rides spanning the extremities of mainland Britain, from John O'Groats in north east Scotland to Land's End in south west England (aka LE JOG). Only 874 miles to go!

The John O'Groats ferry is a summer ferry to the Orkney Islands, seen in the distance above - John O'Groats

The colourful Inn at John O'Groats boasts luxury accommodation - John O'Groats

The tiny hamlet is a 3 hour bus ride from Inverness - John O'Groats

A dog owner braves the wind, hail and rain for some exercise on the sands of Dunnett Beach

John O'Groats may take the glory but the most north-easterly point of mainland Britain is actually a couple of kms further east at Duncansby Head. And the most northerly point is Dunnett Head, the peninsular shown here as seen from Dunnett Beach

A lighthouse stands lonely at Dunnett Head, the most northerly point of the British mainland

Across the North Sea is the island of Hoy, one of the Orkney Islands - Dunnett Head

The rock protrusion rising in the middle of the photo is the 137m sea stack known as the Old Man of Hoy - Orkney Islands

A very dark sky closes in on Dunnett Head, where you can also see a few ruined World War II fortifications

I spent my first night in Scotland further west at the coastal town of Thurso, which boasts an attractive sweep of sand

The 12th/13th century Old St Peter's Church - Thurso

Oil rigs dot the north east coast offshore - Thurso to Dunbeath

The drive from Thurso to Dunbeath is a lovely one - expansive, sparse, bleak and mountainous

A snow-capped mountain backdrop above the Ness River - Inverness

The River Ness flows through Inverness, with Inverness Castle on the left

The 19th century Inverness Castle (no public access) - Inverness

On the banks fo the river is the 19th century St Andrews Cathedral - Inverness

Keep walking south along the river, past the castle, to the Ness Islands - Inverness

Fishing in the River Ness - Inverness

The Ness Islands are a collection of islands in the Ness River linked by pedestrian bridges - Inverness

It's a lovely, tranquil area only 20minutes walk from the city centre - Inverness

Greig Street Bridge crosses the River Ness, with the Old High Church on the left and the Free Church of Scotland on the right - Inverness

The Eko is a community-based currency based at Findhorn Bay, a 45min drive north east of Inverness

A second class cabin on the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Edinburgh, where it then splits to three destinations - Aberdeeen, Inverness and Fort William. On the right is the bar-restaurant carriage. Evening meals and a cooked breakfast are available - London to Inverness

Found him! Easy really.. Drumnadrochit is the heart of Loch Ness tourist activity, though strangely it's set back from the lake so there's no view of it from the village

Outside the Loch Ness Centre is a submarine from a 1960s research expedition. Many have tried and failed (or hoaxed) to track down the elusive Loch Ness Monster - Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness

So bad it's good! Nessie that is, as the monster is affectionately called. But this rival exhibition inside Celtic Crafts is informative - Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness

Just 2km from Drumnadrochit is Urquhart Castle, which has a perfect location overlooking Loch Ness

Onw of many cruise boats on Loch Ness, the largest lake (by volume) in Scotland and the UK - Urquhart Castle

The ruins of Urquhart Castle date back to the 13th to 16th centuries - Loch Ness

The first photographic 'evidence' of Nessie was in 1933, and there's been plenty more since - Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness

The bus ride from Inverness to Skye is chock-full of superb scenery

It was a weirdly snowy late-April so the number of snow-capped mountains was high in May; a definite bonus - Inverness to Skye

A must see on the road to Skye is Eilean Donan Castle

It has a fantastic location between Loch Alsh and Loch Duich on the west coast - Eilean Donan Castle

It was originally built in the 13th century but destroyed in 1719. The current building dates to the 19th century - Eilean Donan Castle

The grounds of the castle, which is linked to the mainland by a causeway - Eilean Donan Castle

The closest village to the castle is Dornie which has a couple of hotels and restaurants. If you're trying to book bus tickets online to Eilean Donan just put Dornie as your destination - it's less then five minutes walk away but they can drop you right outside the castle

Kyle of Lochalsh is the gateway to the Isle of Skye via the Skye Bridge, seen here in the distance to the left of the coastal buildings

A glorious view as the bus straddles the Skye Bridge, opened in 1995 as a link to the Scottish mainland

The drive northwards to Portree - Skye

Portree, Skye is the island's main settlement. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the rock-pillar rising below the mountain is the Old Man of Storr

The pretty harbour of Portree, Skye

There's hotels, restaurants and a pub in this colourful area - Portree, Skye

Walking down the hill to the harbour - Portree, Skye

Straight ahead, beyond the bay, is the Isle of Raasay - Portree, Skye

A rainbow welcomes the sunshine - Portree, Skye

The view from behind the youth hostel - Portree, Skye

First up on a day tour of the island was the Old Man of Storr on the Trotternish peninsula - Old Man of Storr, Skye

An hour's trek rewards you with lovely views of the islands of Rona and Raasay, and the Scottish mainland on a clear day! Old Man of Storr, Skye

The last section is the steepest and slippiest - Old Man of Storr, Skye

We carried on north to Kilt Rock, a 60m waterfall - Skye

The coast next to Kilt Rock, Skye

Heading inland but still on the Trotternish peninsula, magnificent scenery follows at The Quiraing, Skye. Scenes from Harry Potter, The Wicker Man and Prometheus were filmed here

I can't remember exactly where these sea stacks are but they're below the relic of a World War II hilltop lookout, somewhere around Trotternish - Skye

Trotternish is known for dinosaur fossils and these depressions in the rock are said to be dinosaur footprints. Plus someone's foot on the right for scale - Skye

The Skye Museum of Island Life hosts a collection of thatched cottages and croft houses typical of yesteryear - Skye

There's plenty of waterfalls on the island; this one dwarfs the crane in the top left - Skye

The final stop at Trotternish was the Fairy Glen, a series of conical rock formations and other-worldly rock shapes - Skye

None of us were sure of the significance of these stone circles. Ideas welcome! Skye

on the return to Portree we pass Sligachan, an east coast hamlet on the edge of Loch Sligachan - Skye

The following day I took another day-tour but the weather was awful. This was my best effort of capturing the outline of the Cuillin Hills, Skye

The Fairy Pools are a series of turquoise pools set below the Cuillin Hills, where legend has it the fairies come to bathe - Skye

Of course Scotland is famous for whisky and naturally Skye has its very own single malt, the peaty-tasting Talisker, made at the Talisker Distillery in Carbost, Skye

After I'd spent half an hour drying the contents of my bag under a hand dryer in the toilets, it was off to Dunvegan Castle, Skye

The castle has been home to the chief of the Clan MacLeod for centuries. One of the exhibits is the Fairy Flag of Dunvegan, an ancient piece of fabric dating between 4th and 7th century and the symbol of the MacLeods - Skye

And you can't have a castle without a waterfall in the gardens - Skye

Neist Point is the westernmost point of Skye and leads to a lighthouse. Apparently it's a good place to spot whales and dolphins but we couldn't even see the lighthouse! On the right I stand one foot in front of the other just so I don't fall over in the gales - Skye

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LINKS

www.visitscotland.com - Scotland tourist board

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

www.travelinescotland.com - public transport info for Scotland

www.skye.co.uk - official guide to Skye

www.visitbritain.com - Britain's official tourism website

www.britainexpress.com

www.thetrainline.com - train information across Britain

www.nationalexpress.com - National Express coaches cover Britain

I am not responsible for the content of external websites.