Our destination after leaving Aberdeen was straight west into the Cairngorms National Park, past Ballater, cross the river Dee and through the gates of Balmoral Castle, the summer home of the royal family since 1852. Bought by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, the castle was completed in 1856, the working estate covering over 50,000 acres and actually belonging to the crown, unlike the Royal palaces. It is constructed of local granite, and full of gardens that were not yet in flower when we were there. It was nice to visit and see how the other half live for a month in summer, but other than the ballroom, we couldn't see much of the interior. Like most of the higher elevations in the UK I noticed a lot of trees down from Storm Arwen that passed through here in November of last year. It was a gorgeous day though and we enjoyed the walk under huge 100 year old pine trees that hadn't been toppled by Arwen, and Eunice a few months later. After leaving we stopped at the Royal Lochnagar Distillery, just a mile away for a sample and a bit of local history. On to Inverness then, through the wild but breathtaking and challenging roads of the Highlands and over the Monadhliath Mountains, till we could see the waters of the Moray Firth and the city below.
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| Balmoral castle |
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| Royal Lochnagar distillery, |
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| the Hills of Cromdale, Highlands |
Inverness is the largest city and cultural capital of the Highlands but we were here first to visit the famous Loch Ness and its castle Urquhart. Yet another beautiful day greeted us as we drove the A82 to the castle, stopping on the way to capture the fog still on the Loch but quickly dissipating in the warm sun. From its vantage point overlooking Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle dominated this region for centuries, It was probably the site of a Pictish hill-fort and may have been the scene for St Columba's encounter with a Pictish chief in the 6th century. So little is known of this place that we really had to use our imagination as we walked about the ruins. We do know that around 1230 the Durward family was granted the lordship of Urquhart and soon built the first castle and over the next three centuries remodeled to become a royal residence. Both Edward I of England and Robert the Bruce ravaged it during the Wars of Independence. The MacDonald Islemen raided here often in the 1400 and 1500s and the Jacobites laid siege during the Rising of 1689-90. The setting was perfect, the morning air crisp and clear and the views of the rugged landscape captivating. Until the tourists starting arriving in droves. Thankfully we had enjoyed our visit here and it was time to head along the Loch to the next village of Fort Augustus. This very small town lies on the 60-mile long Caledonian Canal, halfway between Inverness and Fort William. We had lunch here before going back to Inverness on the other side of the Loch, the B862 the most narrow road we have yet driven, often resembling no more than a wide sidewalk! At the village of Foyers we walked through the pine woods to see the waterfall but as it had been so dry this year it was no more than a trickle. Before shopping at the local Tesco for supper we stopped off at the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Although it is small it showcased the unique history and culture of the city and the Scottish Highlands very well and we were much impressed. We even found a Turner painting of the city so I was happy. And, after a long day in this area, thankfully no mention at all of a monster in the lake. GWS
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| Caledonian locks at Fort Augustus |
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| Fall of Foyers, Foyers, Scotland |
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view from the the B852
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| Inverness Castle |
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| Inverness and the River Ness |
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| the old pipes of Kintail, late 18th century, Inverness Museum |
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| J W Turner, Inverness from the River Ness |
