Today, we had a cruise on Loch Ness scheduled. The cruise dock was about 10 minutes from our hotel, and the cruise lasted for 2 hours starting at 9:45. It was easy to find the dock, and there was plenty of parking.
When we first pulled up, we were able to see one of the Highland cows. We then checked in for our cruise. When it was time to board, we headed upstairs to the upper deck and found seats next to the rail. Once the boat started moving, it was cold upstairs with the wind blowing on us. It was a nice, peaceful cruise.
We stopped at Urquhart Castle to let some of the passengers off. We had booked a round trip, so we stayed on the boat but decided to move down to the enclosed cabin for the return trip. Unfortunately, we did not see any signs of Nessie.
Jay decided he was hungry, so he found a McDonald’s back in Inverness and had us drive there, only to find out it did not have a drive-thru. So, we turned around and drove to Urquhart Castle instead.
When we arrived, there was a sign saying the parking lot was full, but I pulled up anyway. The attendant asked if we had booked tickets, and I said yes, so he let us through. We were able to find a parking space with no problem.
After parking the car, we walked toward the ticket counter. There was a long line, but when I asked the attendant if we had to stand in line, she said no because we had pre-booked our tickets. We were allowed to go directly to the ticket counter.
When you enter the visitor center, you have to walk down several flights of stairs to get to the gift shop and the entrance leading outside to the castle. The castle itself is a long walk downhill. It is now just ruins, but it sits right next to the loch. While we were down at the castle, it started raining lightly. We looked around and then began the walk back uphill. The walkway had a gentle slope, so it was not too bad.
Next, Jay wanted to visit the local soccer stadium, so he entered the directions into the GPS and off we went. The club store was closed when we arrived, but Jay still took pictures of the outside of the stadium.
Afterward, we headed back to the hotel. Jay went to the fitness center to work out while I took a nap. When he returned, it was time for dinner. We happened to be staying a couple of blocks from a nice pedestrian area with a lot of shops and restaurants. Jay picked one, and we ate dinner there.
After dinner, we walked around the area and shopped for souvenirs before heading back to the hotel.
