I just realized that I have been numbering my posts wrong! Instead of going back and editing them, I’ll just start with the correct numbering now! Sorry about that!

This would be the day we took a boat tour of Loch Ness, the deepest lake in Scotland and the one made famous by the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie. Many believe they have seen Nessie, and at least one man left his entire family to live on the shore of the lake and dedicate his life to the search for the mythical creature. Sadly, there has been no definitive evidence she exists, but don’t try and convince a Scot of that!

Before heading to the lake we stopped at a place called Perk for some of their designer gourmet donuts that Trisha’s daughter had told her about. I opted for simple with just a cinnamon cake donut, but she got some fantastically loaded ones! So delicious!

We arrived early to the place where we would board the boat, the same place we had seen the Highland Cows the day before, so I had more time to try and coax them to the fence, and although they didn’t come to the fence, they did pose for me! We wandered around the An Talla gift shop before we boarded the Jacobite Maverick boat which would take us to Loch Ness.

We shared a table with a sweet couple from North Carolina and enjoyed chatting with them. It was rainy but I went outside to the back of the boat, and then went upstairs to the top deck. The views of the lake were amazing, and the mountains really are misty, just like you’ve read. Our guide was a Scottish gent in tartan pants named Malcolm, and he seemed to enjoy pointing out the sites along the way.

All too soon we were finished with the tour and its views of Urquhart Castle, Fraser land, and a boat going through a Caledonian lock. We got back in the car and headed through the Highlands toward Edinburgh. We did chance upon the House of Bruar, a shopping complex where we were told we could find Isle of Kintyre cheese, which we did, among other delectables! Then I drove the winding, narrow roads full of roundabouts through tiny towns until we reached Edinburgh.

Trisha wanted to stop at Rosslyn Chapel, made famous in The Da Vinci Code movie, but we arrived too late for a tour. I remained in the car while she trekked down a wooded trail to see it. You know me…I had just pulled the car into a parking lot entrance that was gated to wait for her, and soon a Scottish gentleman asked me how long I would be there because there was a bus needing to leave the carpark in a bit. I assured him I wouldn’t be long. Americans, he probably thought. But he was very polite.

We arrived at the airport after hours, but we left the rental car (good riddance–she was so annoying with all her beeps and warnings!) and hopped the tram to our hotel. I was so very happy to see my bed that night! The day was fun, but I was exhausted!

Stay tuned for more about Edinburgh, including Greyfriars Bobby, Harry Potter, the Underground Vaults, and my unfortunate mishap…at least it happened on our last day…

Haste ye back!

XOXO