Inverness - Summer 2003

Forth Bridge, Edinburgh

Inverness

Loch Ness

Over breakfast in Edinburgh the next morning we were chatting about the things we had seen and how a trip is never really long enough to see all the things that you really wanted to see. Emily and I had planned to go up to Inverness after Kathy left and it suddenly occurred to us that with a small shift in plans and a little sucking it up re: clean underwear and little things like that, the three of us go today and come back tomorrow instead of taking the West Highland Line to Oban. It was pretty easy to convince Kathy because she suffers from motion sickness and going to Oban and returning the same day would have been about 12 hours straight on the train. So we bolted down the remainder of our breakfast and dashed across the street to the Scottish Tourist Board where they were happy to help us make arraignments for a B&B in Inverness on such short notice.

I don't remember how long it took us but we had to change trains in Perth and arrived in the late afternoon. Of course we hadn't gotten a very early start so it probably was about a four hour trip. The countryside was lovely and the train wasn't all that crowded. They did not however, have any first class carriages so we had to ride with the ordinary passengers. I say this in a joking manner because we had been laughing at ourselves for riding in solitary splendor on most of our trips. I do remember that we were starving so the first order of business was to find a place to eat. About a block up the street from the train station was the East Gate Shopping Center and outside was a place that made a pretty decent pizza. After lunch Kathy and Emily went off to scout out the B&B and let them know we were indeed in town so they would not give away our room. I waited in the square until they came back and then we window shopped our way down the High Street, stopped in a pub so Kathy could try out a shandy, which she thought tasted downright nasty, and checked out the Tourist Board where we made reservations for a cruise down Loch Ness the next morning. I took a cab back to the B&B, and Emily and Kathy, who were hungry, went in search of sustenance.

I want to add a few words about the B&B we stayed in. I am sorry that I cannot remember the name of it but it was very comfortable and the people who ran it were very nice. The husband was rather odd, but when he explained that he was a math teacher that was all the explanation I needed. I have always found math type people to be alien creatures. Myself, I can only add, subtract and sometimes multiply but never divide. I figure that's why God made calculators.

But the place was lovely and the breakfast, served in a dining room furnished with lovely antiques more than adequate. So, well fed, and happy, we called a taxi and departed for the Tourist Board where a bus was waiting to take us on the tour boat down Loch Ness. Lucky for us we were only carrying our overnight luggage that we had packed for one night in Edinburgh so we didn't have to drag all our suitcases along with us.

The tour starts on the river Ness that feeds into the Loch and is an interesting part of the trip in its own right.. A footpath runs along the edge and is obviously a popular place for people to hike. We went through a loch and on the other side began passing sailboats and house boats. Since the weather was so fine, there were a lot of people out on the decks of the vessels we passed so we were all kept busy waving. Surprisingly, the tour boat, The Jacobite Queen was not so crowded that it was uncomfortable. There seems to be just the right amount of people on board. As the tour progresses they play a recording explaining the history of the area, what you are passing by at the time, and tell you about the wild life in the area that can be seen if you keep your eyes out for them.

Scotland is experiencing a very rare heat wave and on the day that we were on this tour the temperature reached the mid 90's. Emily had bought a rugby shirt in Edinburgh that she wanted to wear and it lasted just long enough for her to have her picture taken in it and then she had to take it off. We all ended up getting a little sunburned. Who would have ever thought it!

Once out onto Loch Ness the view opens up and we really start to feel that we are in some place very special. One of the first things we saw as we chugged along was Aldourie Castle. The castle was originally a laird’s house in the 17th century and is now classified as "of outstanding historic and architectural interest." This historic baronial castle, situated on the southern banks of Loch Ness along with 447 acres of adjoining land, was sold to an American firm that plans to turn it into an exclusive holiday resort, complete with golf course. From the description I gathered that this was going to a place that caters to the very rich and famous.

The boat makes a brief stop at Urquhart castle. People who want to explore the castle up close and personal can get off the tour boat and then re-board another one to return to the tour when they have finished. This is one of the most picturesque sights on Loch Ness, and probably the most photographed. The castle was started in the thirteenth century, was held under siege by Robert  the Bruce and eventually destroyed in 1692 by British government forces who had been holding it under siege by the Jacobites. When the Jacobites eventually withdrew the British army blew it up with gunpowder to stop it being occupied by Jacobite forces.

At the end of the tour it's back to the train station to catch a southbound train to Dumbarton. I think that the less said about Scot-rail the better. It was not a pleasant trip. The fact that Kathy is leaving us tomorrow did not make things any better. Emily and I are really going to miss her. It's been the three of us through thick and thin, literally from one end of Britain to the other. From here on out it just won't be the same.

Kathy’s Side of the Story:

We were in Edinburgh (-o), when on a whim, down a deep dark alley, where we were dining before the Tattoo, we three decided to go to Inverness to see Loch Ness the next day. We had planned to return to Nicky's and then go north the next day on a long train excursion but I mentioned that I was sorry I wouldn't get to see Loch Ness (the one thing I knew everyone would ask me if I went to...regardless that it's near the North Pole! LOL) and Emily said, "Hey, why don't we just go to Loch Ness tomorrow?" and Jeanette said, "Hey, that's a great idea!" and I said, "Hey, but we don't have enough underwear!" and then they said, "Get OVER IT  Tinkerbell!" so I did.

Anyway....Jeanette said that it was no biggie that we had no where to sleep...she'd just go and check with the Scottish agency for people who want someplace to sleep. I didn't believe her, but it had a fine gift shop on the premises, so I went happily along with her. She stood in line while I bought stuff I couldn't live without (Emily turned her nose up at my thistle rubber stamp, but honest, I've been looking for one for a while!) and pretty soon I went over to check on her progress. Emily pulled me to the side and whispered that I was to be Jeanette's daughter and she was my daughter. (I never got the full story on that one, but I straightened up right then and there and acted like Jeanette's daughter would act. :)

After a few minutes, Jeanette had secured for us a B & B. More about that on a further date...the owner looked like Lurch from the Adams family and had the thickest accent I ever heard. I looked distinctly like a crazy smiling bobble head Katy while in his presence. He ended up being a retired physics teacher (he even threw in some math formulations that went right over J's and my heads!) who was trying real hard to be friendly. His home was beautiful.) Anywho...again...when I asked Jeanette what this service was all about she said that that's what they are there for. I am sure I was asking this at some weird time...like running for our train or something...and I didn't quite get to say, "Whaaaaa?"

I just wondered if any of you have used this service?  I doubt it would work here, but it seemed to work just fine there. (Even though they wrote down that Jeanette was from Arizona. snort....yep, those Arizona accents give you away every time!)

Emily’s Side of the Story

Went to the mall, bought a shirt that says, "Smile if you’re a wanker," with a smiley face on it. Haha, its great. Plus I bought some souvenirs for my friends. Got on the train to Inverness- it was hot. There was like a whole car full of wanna be rucksackers, I had a good time laughing at them. That train had the worst train bathroom yet. We got to Inverness, had a nice lunch at Pizza Express. Kathy and I got lost trying to find our B&B..finally found it..Creepy guy...ugh..Walked back to Grams, hung out...went to the tourist info and booked our "cruise " for the next day. Kathy and I ate dinner at Pizza Express AGAIN, it was the ONLY place open. Grams went back to the B&B..shortly after her, we went too..then went to sleep.

Went on the cruise of Loch Ness. Beautiful, slow, but fun. Didn't see Nessie :( Got on the train,- the MOST horrible train of them all. It was hot and cramped. There was this lady on there and all Kathy did was ask her if the seat was taken, because we needed a place for Grams to sit and the lady went all hostile on her. The lady asked if we had the seat reserved and said that she had paid more for first class. Finally she moved, and got all huffy puffy about it, and then Grams sat down. The train guy came and checked tickets and it turns out she HADN'T paid more for first class. So I, being myself, said "If you are going to lie, I think you need to apologize for it, and you don't just get mad at someone when all they do is ask you a question." She knew I was talking about her because when I got up to throw something away she started cursing me out, and she said I was either a bloody French or I was as bad as a French. Whatever, Kathy and I decided that she was upset because she knew she had on ugly earrings. :) I will write more later :)

We got off the train at Perth and our train was delayed for about an hour. Met some people from Houston. This next train was so much better than the one before..wahooo! We then arrived at Glasgow Queen Street and caught a train to Helensborough. Got to Nicky's and crashed out. I stayed up late so that I could finish this book that I wanted to lend to Kathy. I finished it and put it on her suitcase so that in the morning on her way to the airport she would find it.