Made it! I made it to Ullapool. However, it was a short stay. Getting there was all about the 2-hour ferry crossing to Stornoway on the Isles of Lewis and Harris! This was my ultimate destination for this adventure.
On this visit, there appeared to be a lot of road repairs. Regardless, I could still see the “bones” of the village.
I loved the view of the water with the hills as its backdrop.
It perhaps was not the best of days to travel on a ferry to the Western Isles but when you live in Scotland you do not let a “ little thing like the weather” deter you from doing so.
So for our wee group, a ferry ride to Stornoway was definitely on, despite the grey clouds and threat of a little storm 😂
The ferry ride was calming but that could also be something to do with the glass of wine I was sipping. It was a wonderful trip just getting to Ullapool. I had stopped at the following:
Roadtrip! Last month I hopped onto a bus and decided to make the trip to Inverness. It had been far too long since I last visited the Highlands. It was wet, grey skies and perhaps terrible weather to go exploring. I did not care, I was fixated on heading north and just like that my mini adventure started.
In between the rain showers and my periodic squinting, I savoured the scenery.
The ride through Perthshire,
Perthshire, the gateway to the Highlands. There is something about seeing that unspoiled and majestic mountain range. The clouds made it even more dramatic. Really? Who can tire of such views? Not I.
I must plan to stay sometime. I will add a visit to my 2023 goals!
Green Park Hotel overlooking Loch Faskally
As we crossed the River Tummel there was a great view of the Green Park hotel.
Ruthven Barracks
As we continued the drive to Inverness, I had not noticed the ruins near Kingussie before.
I have since learned that the ruins were Ruthven Barracks.
Ruthven Barracks were built by George II’s government in the early 1700s after the failed Jacobite uprising of 1715. The troops stationed there were to maintain law and order. The location was clearly strategic.
Sheep grazing on the mountainside
The scene of sheep grazing on the hillside increased as we got closer to Inverness. I have also since learned that this is commonplace in the Highlands and Western Isles.
After a 3-hour ride, I finally arrived at the Highlands capital city. Such a pretty city.
A visit to the centre led me to the castle. The castle always looks great -even with all the maintenance work currently being carried out.
Inverness Castle
And of course, a trip to Inverness would not be complete without checking out the town hall. The jewel of the city centre.
Inverness Townhall
Although I had planned to continue my journey further north to Ullapool, I took the opportunity to explore both the centre and the canal.
Caledonian Canal in Inverness Walking the city centreAye, The Local Monster and Celebrity
I even had the time to walk to the Ness Islands where I met the local celebrity! What a great start to my Northern adventure.
