Day 13, 7/10/26, Exploring Loch Ness countryside.

 Now we couldn't stay in Inverness and not drive around Loch Ness.  That presumed sighting of a monster all those years ago is a boon for the Scottish tourist trade, as there is so much retail trade related to it. Wasn't here for that, but to see the Loch and countryside. Another brisk day, temps around Max of 10, we enjoyed the drive, viewpoints, waterfall and seeing the Loch in action at Port Augustus. 

Road closed, and loch bridge about to swing.

Boats come in.
Loch gates theb shut, then this Loch let's wayer in from one above, before it opens once wayer level up.


 Seeing the changeable Scottish weather in action too. I'm sure the shop keepers like it, because a brief heavy shower drives all the visitors inside their shops for sanctuary. 


Visited Falls of Foyers, which as a local told us, is so called because the water going over sent ip so much spray that it looked like smoke from a fires, and how he said Scots pronounce it, it sounded more like foyer, and the name stuck.


Nice tea, scones, coffee for Tony and a raspberry slice for Naarah. 

Found a nice little farm shop for morning tea, where we fed the deer more grass, and bought some wild venison burgers for dinner. 

Continuing on around the Loch,  we couldn't go past another castle. This time it was Urquhart Castle. Great little video to start, so then the castle ruins make more sense. This castle though fell into ruins after, rather then being vanquished by the invading Jacobites, the Grant clan in residence, with the government forces, blew it up, burning all timber structures and left! No doubt retreating to a safer place to live.



They had good views out their windows, I suppose as long as they couldn't see another army approaching. 


Time to go home, but not before a traffic delay. So did as everyone else, a u turn on the narrow road, to take a detour, at least there was one, to get back to Inverness. All we'd seen earlier was plumes of dark smoke, commenting that it looked like smoke from tyres burning. Which it was, and we're glad we turned around as road was shut for 5 hours.

Scored a rainbow on our detour.


Home for our afternoon team nice local cheeses and crackers. Then Naarah and I walked down to River Ness. Found the little Infirmary Bridge to walk across, then meandered back, getting in just as another shower came across.

Very nice river indeed.
Inverness castle.
Like the hydrangeas here, different colours to Brisbane,  soil pH, or variety??
We've one of the townhouses.


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