Inverness, Scotland, United KingdomWeathrspoon Hotel, Church Street
, Inverness Scotland
When I woke up, I started to think of what I should do since I felt that there was a lot of tension between Marilynn and me and I was worn down by it.
I was still grateful to Marilynn for all her efforts, both in planning the trip and in doing all the logistics of selecting hotels, transportation and guiding me through booking trains online, and leading us to bus stations on time to catch various buses to various places. I know that Marilynn did make compromises, like letting me get food for dinner last night, even though she would rather have rather skipped dinner to listen to music and she did go along with some of my preferences for restaurants. I was upset that she would not move her ticking alarm clock from the table between the twin beds. I just wanted out at this point so, after some deliberation, I decided I would stay in Inverness. I really liked Inverness and had been disappointed that I would not get to do any of the walks that seemed so appealing.
I am never good with conflict or confrontation so I booked my room in Inverness while Marilynn was showering, then I showered. We hadn't really been conversing in the mornings much at all. At our appointed time, we went into breakfast.
James brought our pre-ordered breakfasts. Maybe it was the agitation, but I didn't really feel hungry at all. We left for our room. I started gathering my things a bit, pulled out the Scotland castles tea towel that I bought for her and gave it to her and told her that I would be staying in Inverness. I think she was stunned when I told her. I did feel sad and bad.
Marilynn left to the train station - alone. she did not want me to accompany her and help by carrying her daypack. James and Angela stood uncomfortably as Marilynn said goodbye and went off. They asked me if we had had a falling out and said that it has happened before.
I repacked my belongings to fit the new circumstances - which were moving to the new hotel, leaving my luggage, and going for a walk in Inverness. I then left as well, walked over the bridge, turned on Church Street and almost immediately found the hotel, almost across the street from Hootananny's on one of the main streets in Inverness center. I couldn't check in but they put my luggage in a storage closet. I then walked to the train station and bought a new ticket to Edinburgh for Friday. It would cost more being Friday, but I was able to apply my BritRail Senion. pass. I would have had to take the train today to use the original ticket booked for today. Oh, well, this turned out to be an expensive decision. I think that was the part that got to Marilynn the most - that it was costing me to stay in Inverness alone.
After the train station, I found the tourist info on High Street. I think I had the same woman; she was very, very nice and set me up for walks - mostly with bus schedules and I bought a little booklet on walks around Inverness. I told her I might be interested in one of Rabbie's tours if they had any spaces and I told her about the German girls who had trouble yesterday getting spots on the tour. The tourist info woman could not really figure out what the problem was unless something to do with the internet. It turned out that either there was no availability for my days or I had already done what was offered, so no more tours for me. I thought the Rabbie's tours that Marilynn had chosen were exceptionally good value.
I then set off for a walk to the mouth of the river Ness and the Bays of Maree and Beauly. I also walked through a nature preserve and along the Caledonian Canal. I saw birds - swans, ducks and crows. I had a wonderful time. Oh, I forgot, first I got lost and went a ways out of my way before getting straightened out.
I still am not sure where I went, but instead of getting to the city center after the tourist info office, I ended up in business parks outside the city center. After I headed to the point beyond the canal, I realized I needed to save the canal walk for later and get back and register and get my room.
It was after 2 pm when I checked in. I had eaten a picnic lunch at the point looking across to the Black Isle. I straightened out some things, repacked my daypack lighter. I had taken off my leggings and sweater and jacket because I was hot. When I got ready for my second walk, I went outside and was cold so had to come back in and get dressed up again in my warm clothes.
Oh, I forgot a met a woman going to the point. First, she directed me and then offered to walk with me to the point since she had been going that way. She told me the names of the various physical spots. She also told me about crofters vs people just eking out a survival. Her brother who was a civil engineer is a crofter as a hobby.
He has quite a few hectares. This year he grew what was cut as silage by 5 tractors and they took it away. Then he has someone else's sheep coming to graze. Crofters used to live in the small renters farms and pay a rent to the land owners and keep what they produced. She also told me about other walks around there that she liked to take.
In my afternoon walk, I went over the bouncy bridge and turned toward Loch Ness and followed the Ness Walk until I came to the Botanical Garden which was closing then. I followed a young mother's directions and was looking for the next part of the route when I asked a man where the Caledonian Canal was. He pointed out where it was and how I might get there. Then he asked where I was from and what it was like and whether there were any Scots around. I told him about Perth NY and McKay and McQueen roads where I grew up. He said something and I replied with Green something and he told me he was not in favor of Green initiatives because they are not well researched.
The economics does not support them. Then he launched into a pro-nuclear rant. The Chinese are on the 4th generation and can build modules and put one on the back of a truck and transport them to a site. Then he mentioned hydroelectric. I mentioned the plant I had read about that was located within a hill, but he was not familiar with it. He was actually English from Cumbria but had moved to Scotland in the 90's to a small town north of Inverness that was important for the nuclear industry I think...no, it was oil rigs. Then they stopped making them and started making wind mills. I He also did not know about the underwater energy generating project.
Off walking again, I found the Caledonian Canal at this point to be pretty tame - not much change in scenery. A few ducks, fireweed, grass, nothing much at all until I got close to the marina at the top end of the canal. I walked through the marina rather than beside it. The road came out near where I had walked in the morning, but I found another road - not such heavy traffic - to lead me back to the city center.
I made it back in OK time, by now my feet were not in such good shape. I got some breakfast food at the coop market along with an Orkney Island brewery Dark Island Dark Ale - which was good. Then I walked around several blocks looking for take-out fish and chips. I ended up at my hotel restaurant. I came into reception to ask how to do it. I had to select a table, get the number on the table, go to the bar and order, then they brought my food to the table. I guess I don't go out enough. I left through a door into the hotel and came up and had my food. The fish was not as good as my previous fish and chips, the chips not so great - thick and more mushy than crispy. The garden peas were OK. They were regular peas, not mushy peas.
That is pretty much it. I didn't have many Nikon photos to upload. I don't think I will transfer my previous days blog entries from Wordpad to Travelark yet. I tired myself out on my first solo day this trip.
2025-05-22