In my last post, I shared how much I enjoyed our time in Stirling Scotland, and the highlights of that city. Our next two stops, Inverness and Montrose, were equally delightful, but I have a bit of bad news related to these cities. I ended up catching a cold, so I had to pass on many of the fun things I would typically enjoy. Sadly, I know I’ve forgotten half of my experience due to being unwell and dazed. It’s a shame: these were among some of the most active days of the tour. In any case, I’ll share what I can remember.
We left Hotel Colessio in the morning, after eating breakfast and putting our bags on the tour bus. on our way to the next town, we got to stop at the beautiful Loch Lomond, and we drove through the Trossachs again. Loch Lomond is the famous lake of the song, “The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond”, and it’s just as enchanting as you’d imagine. It’s immense, and photos couldn’t really capture the beauty of it.
After enjoying Loch Lomond, our next stop was Urquhart Castle. This was a few hours away, and situated on Loch Ness. The bus ride was perfect for getting a much needed nap, though I hate that I missed some fantastic history lessons from our tour guide, Alasdair. What’s striking about many of the most picturesque castle in Scotland is that they are situated on prominent cliffs. What seems like a fantastic security device – a great vantage point for seeing possible invaders – ends up being a prison of sorts. Many of these castles fell under siege and the families dwelling in there could be cut off from food supplies in cases of war. The ruins that remain are stunningly beautiful but also a sobering reminder of the turbulent history of the location.
No, I didn’t see the Loch Ness Monster. Maybe I’ll be lucky next time and spot Nessie!
After a full day of activity, we settled into the Glen Mhor Hotel in Inverness. Aesthetically, this was probably my favorite hotel. It’s a boutique hotel in Inverness, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. The armchairs situated in front of grand, arched windows made me swoon. Since I was under the weather, I stayed in bed while my friend explored nearby pubs. She had a marvelous time and vowed to return. Oh, how I wish I was feeling better, and that I had more days in Inverness! This town has a lot going for it, and I will absolutely return and explore on my own.
The next morning, we ate breakfast, loaded our bags and made our way to the next town, but before we checked in at our next hotel, we stopped at the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre. This was one of more somber stops of the tour: this was the site of the Battle of Culloden, which marked the end of the Jacobite uprising. The bloodbath that occurred at Culloden was chilling, with the Jacobites losing 5 times more soldiers than the British. The heartbreaking story of Culloden is one that will never leave me.
Our next stop is Dunnottar Castle, which brought us back to (you’ll never guess) . . . Stonehaven, where my Scotland vacation started! Dunnottar is another striking fortification located on a cliff, and, just like Urquhart, the safety of being mostly surrounded by water becomes dangerous when raiders cut off food supplies. Nowadays, Dunnottar Castle is a museum, and the views leading up to it are stunning. We stopped to take photos, then we resumed our ride to Montrose.
We arrived in Montrose, and settled in to the Links Hotel. This charming bed and breakfast was cute, cosy and a wonderful place to refresh ourselves before making our way to the next city. After checking in and resting for a moment, we roused ourselves to visit the statue of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose. Yes, the town of Montrose is the historical city associated with Clan Graham’s peerage connection. James Graham was not just a peer and soldier, but he was also a poet, and his words adorn the base of the statue, along with Clan Graham’s motto, Ne Oublie (variably, N’Oublie or Ne Oblie). We were treated to a highland dance performance at the site of the statue, and we enjoyed meeting the lovely young ladies who performed for us.
We returned to The Links and ate our dinner, then we settled in for the night. The next day would lead us to our final city of the tour – Edinburgh – and we needed our rest for the full and fantastic days ahead.
That’s it for this installment! The next post will detail my Edinburgh exploits (including some Fringe photos). Stay tuned for that! Thanks for reading.
Bronze Butterfly 