The Scottish Highlands, a destination that had been on my bucket list for ages. Finally, I had the chance to visit it due to the fact I was already in London and it was a short flight away.
The flight came into Inverness, the only airport in the area. Some people choose to drive, but I took an all day bus tour due to the fact that I had only one day. I used the company Rabbies.
The driver was a Scottish lad and quite funny. He was proud of being Scottish and had did not hide his disdain for the British empire. Like all bus tours, the idea was to hit some photogenic spots and take pictures.
The first stop was to see some sheep.
Then it was a body of water (not the Loch Ness).
The first major stop of the day was Eilean Donan Castle. Picturesque indeed.
Nearby the castle was a waterfall.
We took another stop to admire a body of water and a bridge. The important part of this is we were now crossing into the Isle of Skye.
Then we stopped to look at an ancient bridge.
We made a pit stop for lunch in the village of Portree. I took my time to look at places, which was a huge mistake! The restaurants filled up within seconds, so I had to just grab something to go and eat on a bench.
After lunch, it was time to explore Skye. We went to some magnificent cliffs. They are beautiful, but in a way after Iceland it was hard for me to fully appreciate them. One note the driver mentioned is that the terrain is quite similar in Ireland, so there is no need to go there if the goal is to see a rugged coastline.
Now it was the long road back to Inverness. The driver did make one stop at a pub. This was the view from the patio.
Finally, we returned to Inverness. One note: make a dinner reservation in Inverness! Almost every restaurant was fully reserved, so I ended up eating a a mediocre pasta restaurant.
Before leaving, I took one snap of a kilt.
That was it for my day in the Scottish Highlands. I would like to see Edinburgh in the future if the opportunity presents itself.
The next trip was domestic: Wisconsin.