Saturday May 4

Saturday, May 4 - a day of wandering.

Took off this morning with two objectives, sorta. One was to visit Fort George and the other to see the Culloden Battlefield.

Enroute Fort George in the town of Ardersier, we came across the nicest cheese pantry and naturally had to buy several pieces. The dairy was located @ 1/4 mile off the main highway down a pot holed road where three dogs were trying to herd dairy cows. The cows were not thrilled. All the cheeses are made onsite and we tasted several.


130 cheeses made on site




We got to Fort George around 11:00 and Lee toured the several sites within the fort while Toni 'did' the museum. The weather was very cold and windy so we did not hang around too long.

The fort was constructed starting in 1773 to ensure the safety of the Scottish Highlands after the Jacobite Revolution of 1746. It will be decommissioned in 2032.


Entry to the fort


Commanders Quarters


Enlisted Quarters

 Yes, there are the telephone boxes still around.

Still around

And modern

Lunch in Ardersier



Gun Lodge Hotel restaurant

After Fort George, we had intended to go to Culloden Battlefield but the trip was beginning to catch up. Went shopping at Tesco, a WalMart on steroids, then back to the apartment.

After a short rest, we walked into Inverness proper to scout out the area. Just across the bridge from our location was a pedestrian mall set up for tourism. More kilts and cups than you could count. We did manage to get into a highly recommended restaurant, the Mustard Seed, just by pure luck. We had called for reservations for one of several nights but there were none. We just happened to walk in to inquire and were given a table if we promised to be gone by 7:30. Marvelous place and food.


Lee's Filet of Beef

Toni's Halibut

 Back to the apartment and in bed early as tomorrow is a paid tour to the Isle of Skye.









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday May 12

Image
Sunday May 12 A good day Great night sleep, off to see the Falkirk Wheel. This engineering marvel is a mechanism to lift or drop canal barges from one canal to another that approach each other at different levels. It opened on 2002 as part of the Millenium Link project. It can raise or lower a canal barge in about 5 minutes using no more power than needed to bring 8 teapots to a boil. At the top canal entry point After the lowering, moving into the lower canal Moving.... And into the lower canal  After we left the Falkland Wheel, it was a short drive to the Kelpies. To quote the Wikipedia entry: The Kelpies represent the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges and coalships that shaped the geographical layout of the Falkirk area. We just think they are the largest equine scuptures ever done. Now off to the gardens at Drummond Castle. No tour of the castle (can't anyhow as it...
Read more

Day before Departure

Monday, April 29 - Getting ready We are going to Scotland for two weeks with 2 separate apartments from Untours.com, the first week in Inverness in the Highlands, and the second week in Sterling, Central Scotland. We are departing Orlando at 3:15 tomorrow, Tuesday the 30th and will be returning Wednesday, May 15. We are flying into and out of Edinburgh to make it easier. We have to drive 3+ hours to Inverness after we arrive (finishing a long day...) but our second week in Sterling is very close to Edinburgh. Makes it easier to get and return the car. Driving on the left side could be a thrill. The first apartment is at https://www.untours.com/scottish-highlands/Ness-Bridge-1. We will be using the apartment as 'home base' and intend to do a lot of sightseeing, Isle of Skye high on our list. The city of Inverness is described as a wonderful, flat(ish) place to wander and we intend doing a lot of that.
Read more

Friday May 3

Image
Friday, May 3 - A long day. Sleet Hail Driving rain Sunshine And all of that weather within 10 minutes. We were told 'There is no bad weather in Scotland, just not enough layers of clothing". Yep. Went north to Dornach to see the Cathedral. Write ups talked about stained glass windows from way back and the windows were truly magnificent. Seeing the windows plus Lee taking a magnificent fall in the Cathedral started the day off with a bang. Literally. Some said God was surprised seeing Lee in a church and took a bit of revenge. Dornach Cathedral From Dornach, we headed further north to Dunrobin Castle. Actually, this 'castle' is more a 'glorified hunting lodge', according to a docent we talked to. The original 'keep' or castle was built in 1275 and added to by succeeding Earls and Dukes of Suffield. For 10 pounds, we meandered all through the place and gardens. The gardens were particularly delightful as the sleet came from nowhe...
Read more