Last night I booked us on a tour from Inverness, at 11am today. Taking in the historic and famous Urquhart Castle. It was a 7hr tour, finishing at 6pm, then we’d have had a 2hr drive back to Whitehills, so we decided we’d stay the night in Inverness and do the on off bus next day (Wednesday) before going back to the fisherman’s cottage.

Phoned and talked to Xmas and Leigh on whatapp, just check what time we’re at and we’re open to any calls!!! We’re also on Viber, it’s every bit as good.

Packed a light bag each and left at 8.45am. Arriving in Inverness 10.35am. Car parking was cheap, £4 from 11.45 am to 6.15pm. It was a 16 seater Mercedes Sprinter, beautiful vehicle, we could safely drink our coffees along the way without getting sloshed!

As we were last on, (we’d let the driver know we had arrived but needed to park the car), Kevin scored the front seat with Kevin - the driver. BIG guy, 19stones he told us, wonderful nature and a really good guide, began by taking us to see some highland coooos - cows, females have curved horns, bulls are straighter! Urquhart Castle, it was - Kevin’s contribution: “b. ......  boring, waste of space, should dig a whole and bury what’s left,” As he said, they blew it to pieces so the scottish couldn’t have it. “The last of the government troops garrisoned here during the Jacobite Risings blew up the castle when they left“. Unbelievable how commercialised the site now is - Historic Scotland cards again, thanks goodness we never had to pay to get in!!! I found it quite draining, I had to use my imagination toooo much to try to establish how it would have been.

Stopped for lunch at Drumnadrochit, a cute wee village and, as the driver said, “where would we be without Nessie”. 

Headed for Fort Augusta.  An absolute bonus was to see the huge Lord of the Glens, a cruise “ship” passing thru the locks.  Barely a meter to spare each side when in the loch. "Fort Augustus, although small, has a lot going on! This is perhaps due to its geography, situated on the shore at the extreme southwestern end of Loch Ness. With a population between six and seven hundred, the village is compact, picturesque and sometimes bustling with activity - especially so with tourists during the high summer period. Boats travel north and south along the Caledonian Canal which cuts through the centre of the village as does the road from Fort William to Inverness via a swing bridge". I thought it more a swivel to let the boats thru. 

A couple more stops on the way home, up the other side of Loch Ness - so today we’ve been completely around Loch Ness. We paused up high in the Higlands - Cairngorms, saw 4 stags and a squirrel ran across infront of us, Kevin thought it a weasel or stoat!

We did see some lovely country and it was good that Kevin could enjoy being driven for a change - and he had such a good seat too.

Our room at the BnB is just stunningly decorated, sich a subtle combination of textures, colours and different hues of turquoise, the bathroom ensuite the same. Very pleasant and relaxing - Sandra M, you’d love it.