Day 10 - Loch Ness & Urquhart Castle

I set my alarm so that I wouldn't miss breakfast the next morning. We all decided that sleeping in would be nice so I was downstairs later than usual. Darcy was already at the table and eating. It was a buffet with the usual cold and hot items although they did have small pancakes. I got one, but it was cold. Darcy and I texted Grandma and when she didn't answer Darcy went back upstairs to knock on her door. She was up, but had overslept. She joined us about fifteen minutes before the breakfast was over. Tom and Maddy never made it down.

We were to be in this location for three nights. I had located a laundry mat via my Iphone and Tom had gone out the night before to find it. It was around the corner from us in walking distance, but it was packed when he arrived. He didn't hold out much hope that we would get our clothes washed, but I wasn't particularly worried. I have used laundry facilities and know the routine. Tom, Darcy, and I gathered everyone's laundry and hiked to the place around the corner. It was mostly empty and we filled four washing machines. I stayed with the laundry. Tom, Madison, and Darcy found a restaurant and the two who hadn't met us for breakfast ate. Grandma texted me offering to come and sit with me, but I reminded her that this was my job as a SAHM and that I was okay.

With the laundry folded and back into our suitcases we set off for a new adventure. We decided that a cruise down the Loch Ness would be enjoyable as the day was a sunny, warm one. I had found some information in the tour book regarding the best tours and after conferring with the girl at the front desk we hiked over the bridge and into town to visit the tourist center.

We got helpful information and tickets and hiked back to our car doing our best to keep Grandma out of stores. The drive to the cruise was about twenty minutes and was stationed at a hotel. We passed the hotel because as usual we had some arguments as to whether that was the correct location or not. Eventually we turned back and I hopped out to discuss it with a man in a kilt who was manning the parking lot. He told me this was the correct place and to park the car in the hotel lot and take the tunnel under the street to the Loch.

Tom backed the car into a space close to the tourist shopping building and we all followed the directions to the Loch. We spent some time taking pictures by the water while we waited for the boat to dock and unload.

As we loaded I handed the captain the receipt we have received at the tourist center. He asked if we had our red tickets to board again after touring the castle that the boat took us to. I told him I hadn't received red tickets and he told me to see him at the bar inside. I told him I would have no problem meeting him there and he said in his thick Scottish brogue, "Any excuse, eh?"

The boat was a double deck boat with upstairs seating. Grandma and Tom stayed below and inside, but the rest of us found seat upstairs. The view was incredible, but it was also windy and a bit chilly so eventually Darcy and I joined the other two. They were at a table near the bar. Grandma suggested we have a beer and we all agreed this was a good idea after we read that alcohol increased our chances of spotting the Loch Ness monster.

We sampled two of the loch beers and some snacks while we motored out to the Urquhart castle on the banks of the loch. It was once a huge castle built in the 13th century. It was also the site of some of the bloodiest battles in Scotland's history. It was one of those castles where raids occurred frequently and the first one was in 1296 when the castle was taken by King Edward I. This was the beginning of the Scottish Wars of Independence that went on until 1357.

The Scots took back the castle in 1298 and then the English regained it 1303. This went on back and forth until the Scots finally controlled it with Robert the Bruce taking charge. Then over the next two hundred years it was attacked by the MacDonald Lord of the Isles, rulers of a kingdom in west Scotland who did considerable damage and stole tons of cattle and belongings. I lost track of all of the bloody battles and their names as we walked around what was left of the castle.

At one time it was the only castle in Scotland that held out successfully against the English. In the 16th century it was blown up and the ruins are what remain today. Several artifacts were discovered years later and are housed at the castle and its tourist center. It took all of the hour to explore the entire place. There were stairs going up and stairs going down. The views from the top were stunning.

At one point while I was standing at the top of one of the areas I peered over the side and my reading glasses tumbled off of my head and over the side of the castle. It all happened in slow motion with me feeling them sliding, and my hand making a sad attempt at catching them, before they dropped to the stone below and then past that and into some brush. 

There was nothing to be done about that so I kept on hiking through the castle and kept a tight grip on my phone while taking pictures. I did make the long hike to the visitor center where I walked through a very crowded shop to view the exhibits. 

I got back right before the boat arrived and found that Darcy had decided to test the temperature of the loch. She and Tom were down at the water's edge taking pictures. Madison soon joined them while the boat was making its way into the dock.

I made them get back up and into line where we discovered that Grandma and Madison had lost their red tickets to get back on board. A man came up and handed Madison her ticket so that left Grandma searching through her black purse. Since I still had the receipt we weren't too concerned, but as soon as the captain, the same one who had told me I needed the red tickets, heard our sad story he shook his head. "I suppose you want me to just let you on then?" he asked. I shrugged and told him he could keep Grandma if he wanted that I had my ticket. He shook his head at Grandma and told her she owed him one from the bar and let her board.

We went back the same way and docked back where we had started. We did not see Nessie or any kind of monster. The girls played some again in the loch while Grandma and I went back through the tunnel to the gift shop. Eventually the girls and Tom joined us and we all spent some money buying tourist stuff for family and friends.

We closed the shop down and headed out toward our car. As I approached it I noticed that the passenger side of the car didn't look right. At first I thought it was the angle of the sun hitting it, but as I got closer and closer I realized that someone had hit us while backing in or out to the spot next to us. We spent considerable time investigating this problem which included standing around looking at the dents and visible scratch marks. I was annoyed at the parking attendant who had to have seen it or at least heard it as our car was right by the front entrance to the hotel. Of course, he was no where to be found. I did, however, spot a camera above the door and Tom went inside to inquire about that. Of course, the manager was the only one who could allow that and he was gone for the day. We took down the information of the hotel and left.

It left a sour taste in our mouths as we drove off, but Tom reminded everyone that he had purchased the extra insurance this time and that we were fully covered. We decided that we weren't going to worry about it and we headed to the Caledonian Canal.

The Great Glen divides the Highlands of Scotland with its series of lochs and was considered an ideal site for a canal and it was constructed between 1803 and 1822. The canal is 96.5 km in length with 29 locks and 10 swing bridges along the waterway. The quickest passage from sea to sea takes 14 hours over two days. An average lock holds over 500,000 litres of water and each locking uses approximately 150,000 litres. We explored the area, but no boats traveled through to give us a demonstration.

We returned to our hotel where Mary Anne and I had tea and coffee in the sitting area. Tom and the girls went into the city to shop and explore. Later that evening we strolled down the street to an Italian place where we had dinner and discussed our plans for the next day. (I don't recommend Scottish Italian food) There was no music that night for Mary Anne and me as the Canadians had left on their tour bus so Mary Anne headed to her room to read and I went to bed.