Inverness

The weather was clear for the first time as we left Skye, casting a completely different light on the scenery, with the grass and heather gleaming with dew in the early morning sun.

Not to worry, though, it soon got grey and windy, although the rain stayed away for our drive to Inverness.

And what a drive! We decided to go the long way, via Applecross and Torridon, part of the heavily promoted North Coast 500 drive around the north of the country.

Soon after we turned off the main road we encountered Bealach na Ba - the Pass of the Cattle - and, according to the sign, not recommended for learner drivers, trucks, caravans or slightly nervous people.

The pass took the Skye concept of the single-lane road to a new level, with even narrower roads, steep climbs, hairpins and quite a few unfenced vertical drops. It was an astounding piece of road.

Arriving in Inverness, along what was, by comparison, an airport runway, we took ourselves for a walk through the islands on the River Ness, the body of water through which Loch Ness drains into Moray Firth.

Then, in the morning, we went monster hunting. Well, not exactly. We drove down to Drumnadrochit, where the Loch Ness Centre is located, in the former hotel where Mrs Aldie Mackay , the manager, reported seeing the monster when driving back from Inverness with her husband.

The Loch Ness Centre is obviously keen to perpetuate the mystery of the monster, but does present some factual debunking as well, all done in quite an entertaining way.

Then we took a cruise on Loch Ness, which is a quite amazing body of water with or without its rumoured giant, slimy inhabitant. We didn’t see a monster, but we did enjoy an hour or so cruising on the lake, down past the picturesque ruins of Urquhart Castle.

Inverness itself is a very attractive town, and was buzzing on the Saturday night we were there, so much so that we had trouble finding somewhere to eat. It all worked out, though, but no one thought we would end up doing shots with four rather drunk thirty-something women. All part of the fun of travel, I guess.Read more