After an exciting morning of making our way through the canal lochs at Fort Augustus, we triumphantly ventured into the beautiful, panoramic surrounds of Loch Ness. As we cruised along, Carol gave a fascinating talk on the Jacobite rebellion and explained how this eventually led to the dark period of Scottish history, the Highland Clearances. About halfway down Loch Ness, we encountered the ruins of Urquhart Castle, a historically strategic military fortification, set on a promontory which extends into the loch. While we enjoyed the castle and sunshine, we also scanned the loch for freshwater species and took in the rich landscapes.
After lunch we made it to our final destination in the Muirtown Basin, Inverness. Upon arrival, we journeyed by coach through Inverness to the historic site of the Battle of Culloden, where we explored the museum and grounds. Afterwards, we traveled back in time to the Iron Ages, with a visit to the site of the Clava Cairns—three large and impressive, ancient burial chambers. The setting sun painted the cairns in beautiful colors and a few of us enjoyed a moment of meditation.
Upon arrival back at the boat, we enjoyed the fruits of our photographic labors with a wonderful slideshow compiled by Brenda, before crew and guests made their 'thank yous' and farewells before dinner. Dinner saw a wonderful rendition of Robert Burns's "Address to a Haggis," as given by hotel manager, Brian. We finished off the day with some wonderful dancing from a local highland dance group.
