Loch Ness and Scottish Highlands

We actually had to SET our alarm today!  Our tour to the Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands started at 8 a.m. and we had to check in at 7:45.  We were all up on time and headed over early to be able to get a breakfast sandwich and a coffee.  Then we had to get in line AGAIN to check in for the tour.  Diane is totally figuring this out, as she just slid right in behind the first person in line, and we were second and she didn't offend anyone!  lol.  Our tour guide is Keith and we are set to leave at 8 a.m.   Once we got on our bus, we had people from Hong Kong, China, Canada, New York, California, and our group from Arizona.

We took off promptly at 8 and our guide, Keith, complete in his striking kilt, started in on a history lesson right away. We learned many interesting facts as we rode along the way.  Of course the information given discussed William Wallace aka Mel Gibson in BRAVEHEART!  That story led way to much expounding about Robert the Bruce.  Such historically interesting information. Keith had a wealth of knowledge that he freely shared with us off and on the entire 12 hour trip.   Our tour guide also had some great music, both traditional and modern Scottish tunes.

We passed bridges, both for railway and for cars, mountains (montons), immensely beautiful and plentiful lakes (NOT!!! they are lochs), and an incredible amount of greenery around the environment. We passed some brilliant yellow fields, and upon inquiry, discovered that they were fields of canola plants in bloom.  Our guide noted that while Americans use it for the oil, in the UK it is used for biofuel.  Interesting... We crossed over the River Tay, which is the longest river in Scotland.  A few times during our journey we spotted deer, which we were told were Roe deer.

One of our first stops was a quaint little town, Pithlochy, where we were supposed to just look around and use the bathroom.  BUT...  we came across a great little deli where we wanted to order lunch.  We got fresh sliced salami, sliced ham (prosciutto), six different cheeses from across Scotland and Wales, an assortment of olives, fresh strawberries, bagettes,

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and a bottle of wine.  By the time we got to the Loch Ness, we were STARVING and so ready for our lunch, which we set up on a fountain.  We were supposed to be on a tour of the Loch Ness loch with a few of our fellow van riders, but we ran into a few snafus along the way that made us late...  more about that later.  Let's talk about the Loch Ness.




Loch Ness is actually the biggest loch in all of Great Britian (which includes Scotland, Wales, and England).  I am sure you have heard many different tales of the Loch Ness Monster, Nessie.  Well, we had an impressive view of the enormous water that is called Loch Ness, but, alas, no Nessie was to be spotted by us today.  The weather was absolutely beautiful the entire trip.  Keith said that that is totally not the norm, and we were VERY blessed to have sunshine with us almost the entire day.  But the winds were blowing off the loch, and it was very cool in the shade.  I have totally learned to dress in layers, as Alexis commented on earlier.  You HAVE to.  I would have pants on (I know, I know!!!) and a nonsleeved shirt (lol) but then add a light sweater and a waterproof jackets AND a scarf! I have a few beautiful ones that someone either gave me or I purchased, and I have NEVER worn them before, but they were perfect here.  We look very stylish, if I do say so myself!  :)  Anyway, walked around the lovely village that accompanied the Loch Ness and enjoyed the amazing views.  We were there about 75 minutes, then back in the van and on the road back home.

Keith did a great job of stopping at many breathtakingly beautiful places along our adventure.  What I noticed about the Scottish countryside is that it seems to be a lot "wilder" than in Ireland.  This was especially true in the highlands.  Just the types of the trees, bushes, and layout of the land lended to this feeling.  One of our stops was to Ben Nevis (sp?) which was the highest mountain in all of Great Britain.  Incredible views. Another stop was at Glencoe, where we had the opportunity to go out for a short 30 minute hike.  We traversed down the rocky slope and up to a river that spanned a small river.  The mountains that we were surrounded by were absolutely ENORMOUS.  We just stood back with our mouths open admiring the view before us.  Astonishing!  

OK...  back to the snafus... one of the snafus was a group of cyclists who were riding 100 miles today!  And a total of 300 miles in 3 days.  Just incredible the stamina these people have!  We were cheering them on along the way.  But, as they were riding, they were also taking up the road space and there was not room for us to get past them.  So, we just had to wait until the other side of the incredibly SKINNY road was clear before we drove around them.

A twelve hour trip can be exhausting, especially if you didn't sleep well the night before...  but what a memorable and unforgettable experience it was for all of us.  The Scottish Highlands are truly an inspiring portrayal of the people and history that occurred there.