A Day Around Inverness

First, a correction from yesterday. The Loch Ness is not 22 miles long but 24. And it is one mile wide and 800 feet deep. All this from our on- board, pre-recorded audio tour guide that couldn't quite keep up with changes when the tour bus sped up or slowed down. But, I still claim it looks pretty much like all the other lakes I have seen here.

The tour was okay but much of what we saw I will show pictures of later when we were on foot and closer up. Here is a sculpture in the parking lot down where we turned around after folks got off to go take the ferry.

When we first arrived at our bus we got into conversations with others, mostly about the weather and how us folks from the US found it quite chilly. It quickly became clear that we were heading somewhere even colder in a few days and I began to question my wardrobe choices. I had purchased 7 really great dresses for this trip. They had pockets, rolled up nicely and dried in a few hours. But, even with layers, two pairs of socks and wellies I was chilled the whole time. Scotland has a breeze that would rival that in Chicago when in blows in over that cold lake.

So when we got off the bus we went straight to TK Max. That's right, TK.  I got a pair of really warm pants and a couple of long sleeve shirts that I may end up wearing the next three weeks.

Please note (Janie) that the pants perfectly match my coat, wellies...and luggage not pictured.

This shot was taken at the aforementioned Cool Runnings Jamaican restaurant. This was a great meal with Jerk Chicken, sweet potato fries and cole slaw so good Mike ordered an extra bowl. The music was fun - "You Are My Special Angel" in regae was heard. The guy running the place was a hoot and he declared there was no hope for me after he hand poured, at the table in front of me, two very generous shots of special rum from a silver jigger cup only to be reminded I wanted it mixed with coke.

Our son wanted a picture of the meal.  I had already dessimated my food when request was made. Will try to do better 

Now it was time to walk it off.

Inverness is a beautiful old City but it seems to mainly be driven by tourism. Every other shop has Kilts, tartan plaids, clan name key-rings and Coos, the cute little long haired cows of the Highlands.

Pedestrian traffic is not accommodated as in Glasgow as there just isn't room. Most of the streets are very narrow and one-way to make room for parking. There was one pedestrian mall near the hotel with an interesting sculpture that mimicks the geology of the hills.

The kids love climbing on it.

But no birds. There are signs against feeding pigeons with a number to call for "incidents" and  by the river there we saw this.

But it doesn't stop them from lining up on the pedestrian bridge to beg (tiny, right there in the middle.)

The architecture could keep you filming for days. 

Note the elephant and camel in the middle. Not sure what it signifies.

Church noted as only one around with no spires.

Old clock tower.

Inverness Castle was close by but under renovation (note red wall at tree line.) The tour guide was unclear about touring and, since it had only one way past barriers, no one around to ask and was WAY up a hill we decided that, with our last two hillside adventures being what they were, we would take a picture of it from across the River Ness and mark it off our list.

Noted along the river walk:

Fences covered in padlocks. From what we could tell they were there for everything from mourning a death to celebrating a new baby.

Some bark on a really old tree.

A statue of Faith, Hope and Charity commissioned to top the first YMCA in Scotland that was preserved when the original building was torn down.

Cavell Gardens with statue for fallen WW1 and 2 vets 

and memorial to Nurse Cavell who was executed after trying to save Belgian soldiers (read stone.) it was not unusual to see gravestones made of black granite with gold letters.

Here is one last shot of a simple street along the river. Most are homes but one was a small cafe.

Tomorrow we will take a bus over to spend the day at Culloden Battleground. I bet I get caught up on my book.😄