Road Trip Around Loch Ness

Another chance to escape Shambala for the day & Bec & I took the opportunity without hesitation. We planned a trip circumnavigating (is that just a nautical word?) Loch Ness. But Ann’s little red car wasn’t so excited & when we filled up in Forres, she got a bit antsy & started making strange loud noises from the axle area. We drove around Forres a bit, & after Bec did some Reiki on the car (just one of her unique talents), we decided we’d chance it & head to Loch Ness.
We stopped at a cute inn in wee town called Dores on the top of Loch Ness. Had an incredibly rich chocolate cake & hot chocolate. We left the inn stuffed to the brim & drove south along the eastern shore. The car made a few noises here & there, but there were no major dramas.
We arrived at another inn in Drumnadrochit & had a great mid-afternoon feast. Then drove all the way back up the western shore, in the dark by now, to Inverness & then back to Shambala.
Lots of driving, but just a wonderful day out!

Road Trip - Drumnadrochit to Findhorn

A gorgeous breakfast at the 4-star B&B prepped me sufficiently for the drive to Findhorn.

I decided to head back south to the end of Loch Ness (a town called Fort Augustus), then around to drive up the other side - far fewer tourists here & a couple of tiny little roads that took you through gorgoeus countryside.

At Fort Augustus, I stopped to take a few snaps of the Caledonian Canal which links four lochs together. But then it was back into Betty, & heading off on the B862 along the eastern shore of Loch Ness. I pulled up at to look over Loch Knockie & the surrounding hillsides - beautiful! Then on to a stunning waterfall stop.

After that, it was on up to check out the Culloden battelfields that was the stage for the battle between the British troops & the Jacobites back in 1746. A good, but very expensive museum was attached which I decided to save money & not go in.

Then on the the Clava Cairns, one of the best preserved Bronze Age (about 2000BC) burial sites in the UK. Quite eerie really.

Finally, I found my way to Findhorn. And there I planned to stay for two nights...

Road Trip - Isle of Skye to Drumnadrochit

After a good rest & a hearty breakfast (I cringe to think of the weight I'm putting on), I headed back down the A87 to the Highlands.

It was an incredible sensation to finally arrive at Loch Ness after having been fascinated by it since I was a wee lass. It's the biggest loch in Scotland & holds some incredible amount of fresh water - more than all the lakes & rivers of Scotland & Britain combined (if you've ever visited Scotland, you'd know that's a bloody lot of water!). But, of course, it is the mystery of Nessie, the famed Loch Ness Monster, that really attracts the tourists (& me to some degree) here.

I went to the Loch Ness Monster Museum (no laughing please) & saw an interesting documentary revealing some facts for & against the existence of Nessie - the jury is still out on this one.

I decided to make Drumnadrochit (love that name!) my base here. But before I looked for a B&B to stay, I went for a drive around a loop up to the Muir of Ord where I hoped to check out my first whiskey distillery. I briefly stopped off for an important scones, jam & cream break (heaven), before continuing to the distillery. But it had just closed by the time I got there. Serves me right for being unable to deny myself those scones!

Luckily I found a B&B cause there were really no vacancies for a single traveller. So I had to stay in a 4-star B&B in a double room & paid a high price for it. But the hosts were lovely. And, as a bonus, there was a cute country pub just out the backyard gate. So I had a good pub meal, a pint of Guinness & even a shot of whiskey to try. I don't usually like whiskey, but I must say this was delicious! I asked an old local if he believed in Nessie - "aye" he stated in a most convincing tone. After I found my way back to my room, I chilled out, quite relaxed & watch a couple of movies. Ahhh...the good life.