Inverness is a bigger town than Pitlochry and a good place to base yourself to explore Loch Ness and the Nessie Monster, the Urquhart Castle, or take a day tour to Orkney islands. Other than that this city in my opinion lacked the charm to stay for a longer period.
I took the £2 Megabus from Pitlochry to Inverness. The scenic drive did keep me entertained. Also, was fun to see fellow travelers all exhausted from their long journey. After 2 hours ride, I got to Inverness main bus station.
I had no plans what to do when I got to Inverness and I was staying here for 3 days. My B&B was 25 mins walk from the center which was not the best decision but at the same time, I got to see more of the local way of life. After checking in, I headed back to the city center.
After walking through the town in an hour, I realized that I should do something or else I’ll be super bored. Walking through the bouncy suspension bridge was a lot of fun.
Each of the Scottish clan has their unique Tartan, I saw the board with the name of all the clans. Even my friend Maria’s Macnab clan was on the list. Nearby, there was a Macnabs Bar & Bistro as well. Mac simply means “Son of”. In her case, would be son of Nab.
I headed to the Tourist Information Center to get some ideas about what I should do in the Highlands.
They recommended that I go to the Urquhart Castle which has the best views of Loch Ness. Also, if I had a free day then I should do the Orkney island day tour. Now, I had couple of options about spending my days here.
Headed back to the apartment. My B&B owner was super nice and let me do my laundry. It’s nice when you are traveling light and have the opportunity to wash your clothes. Luckily the next few days the sun would be shining which is a great treat when you are in Scotland. I’ve to say that I’ve been lucky to have got very few rainy days. Also, I’ll have fresh pair of clothes and they would not be damp.
Next day, I took the bus 917 from the main bus station to the Castle. The £7.60 Day Rider Pass was perfect to do a round trip. The buses are so comfy. After a short 30 minute bus ride, I got to the castle. It’s no longer an intact castle but ruins which gives you a glimpse into the way of life and the clan wars.
The ruins date from the 13th to 16th century. Built on the site of an early medieval fortification. It was raided on several occasions by the MacDonald. It was destroyed so that the Jacobites force wouldn’t use it. It was abandoned and even pilfered by the locals to reuse the stones and lead roof. Now, it’s a scheduled monument under legal protection of historic sites. It’s £12 to access the site and totally worth it.
The view from here of Loch Ness is simply spectacular. I walked through the water gate to sit by the rocks and soak my feet in. Hoping that Nessie, the monster, would make its presence known. I’m sure Nessie must be taking a nap or else would have come out of hiding to chat with me. Just saying 😉
Took the bus back to Inverness to have dinner at a Spanish tapas restaurant across from the Inverness Castle.
By the time I got back to my apartment, it was nearly 9pm and about time to head to bed for my super early next day journey to Orkney.
