Vacation in Scotland

[neloon]

Get well soon, Jock

Alan

[Jock Scot]

Thank you for your kind thoughts, Alan.

[ThistleDown]

That's terrible, Jock! You will be missed. Listen to advice and get well soon.

[ThistleDown]

Not to hijack the thread, but as I'll be in the Inverness/Black Isle area for several days next month, I would love any and all recommendations you have to offer.

On the Black Isle, I suggest the ruins of Fortrose Cathedral, the Clootie Well near Munlochy, the organic Black Isle Brewery, Groam House Museum at Rosemarkie, Hugh Miller Museum at Cromarty, the recently restored medieval Kirkmichael Church near Cromarty, the last surviving whisky distillery on the Black Isle (Glen Ord). In Inverness itself, the Botanic Garden, Abertarff House now owned by NTS is the oldest house in Inverness; east of Inverness and additional to the ones recommended earlier in this thread, Cawdor Castle. South of Inverness on the A9 is Tomatin Distillery.

[ThistleDown]

And some more! If you like gardens, as I do, the one (called Glenkyllachy) on the old Mackintosh estate at Kyllachy, near Tomatin, is worth a visit, as is Abriachan above Loch Ness on the A82 and -- with some hesitancy -- Oldtown of Leys. I would (personally!) give a pass to Drumnadrochit -- awfully jammed with tourists, I'm afraid, and the Drum seems in the last few years to be given over to children and others in love with cryptids. But if you are visiting outwith 'the season', Urquhart Castle is worth a visit. Just not when there are hoardes of folk about. The give-away is occupancy in the car park.

[RGRatSea]

[give a pass to Drumnadrochit -- awfully jammed with tourists,

I am sorry to hear that it has become less than desirable these days. It is good to gather local knowledge wherever you travel. Thanks for that.

[ThistleDown]

[give a pass to Drumnadrochit -- awfully jammed with tourists,

I am sorry to hear that it has become less than desirable these days. It is good to gather local knowledge wherever you travel. Thanks for that.

You are welcome, and I hope you recognise that opinions are opinions and today's perspectives are relative. I recall when Urquhart Castle was a wonderful wander-about and one just stopped along the road and walked down. Graffiti scratched into ancient harling fifteen feet up, rubble under foot. And no entry charge. There were still stories to be heard about the times when the Macleans were governors.

But west from Drum to Loch Urquhart and on to Cannich is so very beautiful. A side trip to to the Corrimony Cairns, a Clava-type burial probably of about 2,000bce should be visited by those seeking connections with the distant past. At Cannich the superbly beautiful Glen Affric is accessible to the left. A single-track road through the glen can be a challenge for the driver, but an absolute delight for the passengers.

From Cannich to the right, Strathglass and roads through Beauly and back to Inverness.

[Ivor]

So sorry to hear of your accident while fishing, Jock. Hope it was while you were playing the “ fish of a lifetime” and you will soon be back on the riverbank.

[Jock Scot]

Ivor.

Thank you for your good wishes, sadly there was no fish on the end of the line. I am not too sure how long I am going to be out of action, but I have been advised to think in months rather than weeks.

[RichardtheLarge]

Thank you all for the thoughtful responses—I am actually here now and ended up staying in a rented cottage outside of Boat of Garten. Somehow I stopped receiving notifications for this thread and didn’t see how many replies I had received until just this moment.

So far we’ve visited Loch Ness, done a boat tour from Fort Augustus, and seen Glenlivet, Glenfarclas, and Ballindalloch castle. We’ve also done several short hikes. We plan to drive to Skye tomorrow (starting early!) to see the island and visit Talisker (a must see for one of my friends here with me).

We will try to make a point to get up to Fort George and see the Highlanders’ Museum.

Jock—very sorry to hear about your tumble and wishing you a swift recovery!