Five Days, Five Castles and Some Dolphins.... Great Fun ....
From Edinburgh (don't say Edin-burg to a Scotsman -- it's Edin-Burrrr-oh,
ye wee an' silly lad) to Loch Ness near Inverness, the scenery is spectacular.
Highlight of the tour, the last day .... Dolphin Ecosse in Cromarty....a small
boat crusin' the Cromarty and Moray Firth (or was it the Firth of Forth ?
.... no, that was Edinburgh, right ??)
Did we say the scenery was good ? We were travelling northwest in Northumberland (England) .... our son says "Are we in Scotland yet ?".... (Are we there yet, are we there yet) .... From the map, darned if we knew. So, we take a vote (3-1 for yes, with him the only one "against"). Yes, we must be -- we've come a long way -- we took the scenic route into Edinburgh from the southeast -- we surely must be in Scotland -- beautiful, mountainous -- hills, blind curves -- please, oh please let this be Scotland. A few minutes later, we come to the crest, and see a sign .... "Scotland, 1 mile" .... we haven't heard the end of that one yet.
The Castles |
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Glamis Castle -- an old and haunted place, a few miles N of Dundee -- birthplace and childhood home of the Queen Mum. Original castle dates from 9th century, with much building done during the 17th c. -- admission includes guided tour (and ghosts) -- takes 3-4 hrs to see, including grounds. | |
| Edinburgh Castle -- situated on a volcanic outcrop, in the heart of Edinburgh -- now this is one formidable Scottish battle castle -- original castle circa 600 A.D. |  |
Ticket includes audio tour and museum -- takes 3-4 hrs -- grrrounds -- "laddie boy, we hav' no ne' o' grrrounds" -- nice park down below though. |
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Cawdor Castle -- a "fairytale" castle, 12 miles E of Inverness -- founded in 1179. This early Scottish tower house is today a modernised family home, complete with a recently discovered "dungeon" (for the children), a stream out back, and beautiful gardens. Ticket includes a self-guided tour -- 2-3 hrs to see. | |
| The Urquhart Castle ruins sit on the shores of Loch Ness, near Drumnadrochit (huh?). Original castle rebuilt about 1275, only to be blown up in 1692, during the first Jacobite rebellion. Views from the top of the 5 storey tower, and down the hill approaching the castle are breath-taking. Takes 1-2 hrs to see. |  |
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| Inverness Castle at City Centre -- today, the county courthouse. The 1/2 hr tour includes an "induction" into the Castle Garrison .... |  |
that assists the Highland Regiment during the Jacobite uprising of '45 (1745) .... a good history lesson and weapons display. |
Other Fun Things and a Good Inverness Link |
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| Dolpin
Ecosse
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Dolphins
at two o'clock !! This tour was great -- best investment of the trip. These folks make two trips a day to try to find dolphins in the Firth. During the 2 hr tour, we saw about a dozen dolphins in three separate pods, along with oil rigs that had been transported to the Firth for repair. The shoreline scenery from the boat was gorgeous. If you get within 100 miles of the Black Isle, go there. RESERVATIONS A MUST ... only 12 to a boat. |
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| Highland Wildlife Park -- near Kincraig, 40 miles S of Inverness on the A9 -- the self-drive trail ride (w/cassette) is "way cool". | European bison at 24 inches !! |  |
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| Jacobite Cruises | Tour Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal or buy a combined ticket for a stop at Urquhart Castle and the Nessie Exhibition, which is multimedia, scientifically done and let's you draw your own conclusion. | ||
| Puffin Express Bus Tours | Day long bus tours from Inverness -- tours vary depending on day of the week, so this takes some planning. | ||
| Inverness Area -- from Scotland-Info | Very good page -- comprehensive info -- but hard to navigate -- We think it "goes in circles" -- huge amount of good stuff though | ||
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[Hits Since 09/09/00 17:30 GMT -- {or, English Style, 09/09/00 ??}]
