Breakfast at the Loch Ness Lodge was amazing. Dad and I enjoyed our Scottish salmon and local sausages with scrambled eggs. I’m going to try the Scott’s pancakes tomorrow, they look lush!
We started the day with a 50-minute circular cruise of Loch Ness with Jacobite Tours, which conveniently started from just outside our hotel. We sat on the upper deck (I was fully prepared this time with my woolie hat and coat), looking out for Nessie as the boat crept along serenely in the mist. The water was so still. It was beautiful, very “moody”, just what I’d hoped for. The boat turned around at Urquhart Castle before heading back. It was lovely to view the historic castle from on the water. When I popped inside to grab us a coffee, I saw that the lower deck had onboard sonar seats so you can sit and watch for Nessie on the screens. Pretty fun!
Next, we headed to Urquhart Castle but I’d underestimated how busy it would be and we were turned away because it was full! We had to book online from the carpark for a slot later in the day. With time to kill, we headed to the Loch Ness Centre where we spent an hour being guided through an interactive exhibit about the history of Nessie and the various sightings. Despite the exhibit being aimed at kids, it was amusing and was voiced by David Tennant.
After the Loch Ness Centre it was time for our slot at Urquhart Castle. Once one of Scotland’s largest castles, Urquhart saw great conflict during its 500 years as a medieval fortress. Control of the castle passed back and forth between the Scots and English during the Wars of Independence. The last of the government troops garrisoned here during the Jacobite Risings blew up the castle when they left. It was interesting to see the “clumps” of castle wall scattered around the grounds where they had been blasted.
We had lunch in the canteen (which was a bit “tourist trap”). I then got myself into a bit of a tizz about where we could book for dinner. Everywhere I called was fully booked so we headed back to the hotel to ask the reception manager for help. Having secured a booking at a local pizza place called “The Italian Job” we headed back out on the road to finish the A82 scenic drive.
Apparently, the A82 terminates on a boring grey roundabout in central Inverness. Needing a better destination than that, we decided to visit the Clava Cairns (a prehistoric, Bronze Age cemetery, around 4,000 years old).
Whilst in the area, we quickly popped to the carpark of the Culloden Battlefield for a photo, before heading back to the hotel for a rest. Despite planning to have a restful day we did a lot.
Dinner was nice, woodfired pizza. Dad had local venison and walnut on his!