1:30-7:00


Thurso, Scotland


After leaving Inverness, Cherry handed me a small magnet of a painted picture of a thistle . She said that she knew how much I like thistles (not true, I just wanted one in a glass paper weight), so she got it for me. I thanked her. Apparently she is getting the room to herself even during the 2 night stay in Thurso, and then the room will be rotated amongst the three women. We passed over the Cromarty Firth, Loch Fleet (a tidal lake which was at very low tide), the town of Golspie, Neolithic Cairn Laith, Clynesnally Distillery, the town of Brora, and then stopped in the town of Helmsdale at 3:15 p.m. for a short rest stop of 15 minutes. I purchased some postcards and a small stuffed Highland cattle (long horns and very hairy). By 3:50 we passed Dunbeath and arrive at the Royal Hotel (old renovated Victorian building, which means long corridors, many stairs, and tiny rooms) in Thurso at 4:30p.m. A 80 mile trip took 2 hours to travel due to the 2 lane winding roads and traffic. For those of us who were going on to visit the Castle of Mey, we had just enough time to get our room key, drop off our hand luggage, and use the restrooms before heading back out site seeing . The Castle Mey is a small castle next to the North Sea 15 minutes outside of Thurso. It was bought by the late Queen Mother in 1952 and renovated to be her summer home in August and October. Everything in the castle is as it was up until she died in 2002. Many of her personal things are still there. Prince Charles still uses the castle for 3 weeks (he’s actually coming in a few weeks) even though he has to rent the place since it was willed to the National Trust of Scotland. We made it back to the hotel with 15 minutes to spare before the 7:30 dinner. Dinner for me consisted of a Haggis and Whiskey Sauce appetizer (very spicy…I’m about the only one in the group that really likes it), large breast of chicken with a side of American sauce (everyone was asking me what that was, and I told them I had no idea. It was a pureed tomato sauce), and snow peas and potato for the main meal, and then ice cream for dessert. I sat with two Australian women from the night before, the two Canadian sisters, and Charles the Australian. About 9:00 p.m. we finised and I headed for the room to unpack a little and to do my blog so I can get a decent night sleep since we will be gone all day tomorrow to the Orkney islands. My windows open in my bedroom and in the restroom, but since it is quite cold up here (currently 54° F) I will close the bedroom window to a small crack. Long day on the bus, but nice to see all the small towns and out of the way places.