Where We Be
Loch Ness & Inverness, Scotland
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We drove a surprisingly curvy road along Loch
Ness, keeping an eye out for Nessie, but never
saw a thing. The 23-mile-long loch is said to
contain more fresh water than all the lakes in
England and Wales combined. It's extremely
deep, never freezes, and is notoriously murky --
underwater visibility is just 4 inches!
Inverness, "capital of the Scottish Highlands,"
has a walkable city center and boasts plenty of
Highland culture -- from pubs with live Celtic
music to gift shops selling Nessie novelties,
"hairy coos" art, and plenty of tweeds, tartans,
and kilts. We recommend a nature walk along
the River Ness -- including Ness Islands, which
are connected by footbridges. From there it's a
short walk to lovely Inverness Botanic Gardens.
Culloden Battlefield is only twenty minutes away
by car. It's the site of the last pitched battle ever
fought on British soil (1746). The battle lasted
less than an hour but reshaped the future of
Scotland and the UK. We thought the guided
tour really brought the battle to life. If you visit
Culloden, you should also visit nearby Clava
Cairns. It's a remarkably well-preserved 4,000-
year-old burial site with impressive ring cairns,
stone circles, and standing stones.
Inverness Castle is a prominent city landmark.
Overlooking the River Ness, it offers commanding views.
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We knew nothing about Clava Cairns before arriving in Inverness.
Only five minutes away from Culloden, it's quite the bonus sight.
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You're allowed to wander freely through the 4,000-year-old burial site
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It feels like you're stepping back into the prehistoric past here
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Clava Cairns is widely considered the primary inspiration for
Diana Gabaldon’s "Craigh na Dun" stone circle in the "Outlander" series
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This fascinating ring cairn has no entrance -- it probably
served as a sacred ceremonial enclosure rather than a tomb
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Another bonus sight! Culloden Viaduct (aka Nairn Viaduct),
visible from an overlook a minute's drive from Clava Cairns.
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One last sight. We drove half an hour outside Inverness, to the far
side of Beauly Firth, to see the ruins of the Redcastle at Muir of Ord.
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This castle was owned by Clan McKenzie for some 300 years
(1492 to 1790), which made it a must-see for Robin
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We highly recommend the guided tour at Culloden Battlefield, which helps bring the battle to life
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Blue and red flags mark the Jacobite and Government front lines, respectively
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Grave markers for fallen clan members were erected in 1881, long after the battle
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Don't miss the the “immersive battlefield theater” inside the visitor
center, which drops you right in the middle of the Highland charge
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Culloden's award-winning visitor center is definitely worth a visit
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From the terrace above the visitor center you get a good overview
of the battle site. The entrance to the visitor center is visible to the left.
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We stood where the Highland charge took place, saw the
mass burial sites, and saw the thatched Leanach Cottage
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Leanach Cottage served as an impromptu field hospital
and is the "sole survivor" of the Culloden battlefield
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The gardens were bursting with blooms in May
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All this access to nature may help explain why Inverness
consistently ranks among the happiest places in the UK
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Eventually we crossed the river and walked to Inverness Botanic Gardens
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We passed these elegant buildings daily walking to and from High Street
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View of Inverness City Center from the vantage point of Inverness Castle
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A "hairy coo" is the affectionate Scottish nickname for the Highland cow
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Our room at Cullis House featured the image of Heather McCoo
above, as well as these two amusing images in the bathroom
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The River Ness is a wide, fast-moving river that drains Loch Ness
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It was on one of these islands that we met "Jaunty Nessie"
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The Ness Islands are connected by charming footbridges and offer a delightful place to stroll
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As close as we came to seeing Nessie!
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And here's lovely Inverness Castle as seen from a bridge crossing the River Ness
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High Street, the city's main pedestrianized shopping thoroughfare,
is filled with restaurants, pubs, music venues, and gift shops
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Castle Urquhart is the main sight along the way. We saw the ruins
from a distance but didn't stop at the castle itself (parking lot was full).
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Numerous pulloffs provide excellent views of Loch Ness -- and who knows, maybe Nessie!
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River Ness & Botanic Gardens
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Clava Cairns & Culloden Viaduct
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Lovely Culliss House was a ten-minute walk from downtown but offered free parking
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Jacobite Memorial Cairn also commemorates the battle
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The Great Pipes of Baleshare -- said to
have been played at the Battle of Culloden
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A quaint caretaker's cottage
sits just before the castle
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