INVERNESS (Highlands of Scotland)

Trip Start Apr 05, 2009

Trip End Aug 12, 2009

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Where I stayed

Inverness Student Hotel

(Inverness hotels)

Flag of United Kingdom Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom
Monday, April 20, 2009

I got a bus from Edinburgh to Inverness on Saturday which was about 4 or so hours. Met a Scot on the bus who was really nice, not that I could understand much of what he was saying. He gave me some of his sandwiches his wife had made and offered for me to join him camping with a friend near a loch. Unfortunately there was not enough space in the car. Although I don't think I could keep up with them drinking a full bottle of Scotch 'neat' like it's water:) Got to my first Hostel, which is something to get used to. Nothing like a Hotel or B&B, or anything of the sort. It is definitely going to take me a bit to adjust. At first I was a bit overwhelmed and worried about been a sole traveler; but I am warming up to it slowly. The sleeping is the thing that is going to be the hardest to get used to, people coming in and out at all hours, snoring, VERY small beds and thin pillows; but I'll get there hopefully. The first night I just went down to a pub called Hootananny and has a few pints and a Thai meal and went to bed.
It is absolutely beautiful here, so far I absolutely love all of Scotland. Everyone is so friendly, well almost everyone... there are some freaks! On Sunday I spent a couple of hours walking along the River Ness which runs straight through Inverness and I walked down to the Ness Islands, which is a small group of mini islands in the middle of the river. The river is full of rocks and very shallow so the water is dead calm in some areas and turning over the rocks in others. I really enjoyed just relaxing in the sun. Sat and Sun were sunny, still coldish but the sun was out. In the afternoon I got a Jacobite boat cruise to Loch Ness along the Caledonian Canal and out into the Loch. The boat cruised for an hour and a half. I met a couple on the boat and had a few beers with them as we traveled along in the sun surrounded in green mountains and landscape. Didn't see 'Nessy' though:( We then got to Urquhart Castle, where we got to look around for about an hour and then headed home of the bus. The guys at the Hostel were holding a �3.5 Sunday Roast with an apple crumble dessert, so of course I was in on that. The average meal over here is around �7-8, so when you get lunch and dinner most days, thats around $35-40 Aussie WOW! I'm not one to cook or prepare much of any type of food, but I think I might have to. Last night I met a heap of people in the Hostel. You can't help but chat to someone wherever you go. It is a bit confronting if your not used to talking to lots of randoms all the time, and the worst thing is I am hopeless with names. People tell me their name and I forget it 10 seconds later.
Today I went to Culloden Battlefield, which was very historic and interesting, if you like reading and you're interested in history. I did enjoy it, but not really my thing to be honest.
Back at the Hostel now and planning on going down to the pool lounge with a couple of the boys, so that should be alright. I'm off to Glasgow tomorrow for a few nights. I've heard it is a bit ruff; I guess I'll find out:) Hope everyone is well and enjoy your week!