The
trip to Inverness was quite scary. I was driving a rental
car on the left side of the road and going through Edinburgh
traffic required my full attention. Once we were actually
on the motorway, it was not so bad. We arrived in
Inverness and found a hotel for the night. Always having luck,
we got the last 2 rooms. It rained off and on, so we ate
next to the hotel. Dinner was good but not great. Next
moring, finished our exploration of Inverness and we were
ready to move on to Glenfinnan.
The
photos below are what we saw.
We
looked around Inverness a bit before departing and saw this nice
cathedral on the banks of the River Ness.
Our
hotel was an older building facing the river.
We
crossed over the bridge and the wind was blowing strong and
cold. Looking down river we could see snowy hills in the
distance and the yellow fields of grape seed.
One of
the churches undergoing renovation.
The
north end of the Inverness Castle complex was in the classic
style.
From the
hill we could see a nice cathedral to our south.
At the
south end of the government building was this nice statue of
Flora MacDonald, Jacobite heroine.
We left
our hotel in Inverness and headed southwest. Our path took
us past Loch Ness. We stopped to check the temperature of
the water.
From our
roadside pull-out we could see down the long axis of the
loch. The yellow blooms are on a nasty bush called gorse.
Gorse has long, thick thorns that are very sharp.
From our
travel path on the north side of Loch Ness, we could see ruins
of Urquart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness.
The
ruins were extensive, but we elected to pass on paying for the
tour.
Highland
cattle: it's what's for dinner! These cattle have evolved
to be able to take the harsh winters in the Scottish Highlands
and thrive. Tests have shown that these cattle have low
cholesterol and are therefore touted to be "better for you" than
normal beef.
We
stopped for lunch at Ft. Agustus and decided that we would eat
at the Boathouse Restaurant. The restaurant shared grounds
with the private club above. An awesome structure,
particularly considering it is private, not owned by the crown.
The
Boathouse Restaurant was just that -- a boat house. The
restaurant is on the top floor. The food was good, but not
great.
The
restaurant had a nice view of Loch Ness.
There is
a system of canals that connects the various lochs. We
encountered this bridge that was open to allow a boat to
pass. This bridge rotates in the horizontal plane.
Driving
on the left is just unnatural and spooky. The roads were
pretty tight and when large trucks with wide cargo approached we
were cringing.
Our
destination for the day was Glenfinnan. This is the church
at Glenfinnan.
From the
front porch of the hotel we could see Ben Nevis, the highest
mountain in Britain at 1344 meters. Our hotel, Glenfinnan House
Hotel, was on the shore of Loch Shiel.
The
Glenfinnan Monument was built in 1815 as a memorial to the
clansmen who died in the Jacobite Uprisings in the late 1700s.
Our
quarters for the evening were in a guest house called
Glenfinnan. The house was build in 1750 and has been in
continual use since.
The peak
of Ben Nevis was visible across Loch Shiel.
The
structure is Glenfinnan House Hotel.
The
Scottish Highlands are stark and austere but beautiful.
We
decided to hike around a bit and see what's up on Loch Shiel.
There is a salmon
farm on Loch Shiel next to the hotel. The dock is also
used for boat tours on the loch.
Sunset and calming
winds provided a nice reflection of the Glenfinnan Monument
on Loch Shiel.
We were
eating dinner and I glanced out the window and spotted these
deer coming down for a swim at sunset.
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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2015, all rights
reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.