Yesterday we left the beauty of Edinburgh early to head north. We were making our way up the east coast of Scotland for our evening stop at Aberdeen but had time to stop off in some fishing villages along the way. The villages were like time stood still and very quiet but had amazing charm. We passed through Crail, stopped at St Andrews for photos in the golf course, through Arbroath and all the places in between.

On arriving in Aberdeen we checked in and had a bit of a relax. Then it was time for a wander through the city centre and around the harbour. Nothing too exciting about it as not a lot to say about the city other then it is very grey due to the stone used in every building, & there was a surprisingly unpleasant stench of fish to the air.

Today began with an early McDonalds run before heading out of Aberdeen. It took a while to get away from the city limits due to traffic but we eventually started tracking west making our way into the highlands. The countryside reminded us a lot of back home but wasn't how we had imagined the highlands to be. It was however beautiful and we got to see some stunning scenery. We stopped for lunch at Nairn before pushing on to be in Inverness for early afternoon.

The city was pretty but didn't take long to have a look around so we were back in our chariot and headed south down the west side of Loch Ness. The roads were winding and the landscape more in line with the visions we had of the highlands. Our first stop was the Loch Ness Centre at Drumnadrochit about half way down the Loch. The centre put forward the facts and stories of the monster pretty much dispelling the myth that it was real. Looks like it was all make believe just like elves, fairies & Eskimos.

Our next stop was Urquhart Castle to marvel at the ruins of a once mighty structure. There was even a man in traditional dress playing the bagpipes which really set the mood. Then on to our base for the next few nights at Fort Augustus.

We checked in and went for a walk around the picturesque town. It is tiny but what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty. We watched a boat using the locks through the centre of town, got eaten by midges and in turn ate at a local inn.

We are relaxing now with a movie and good nights rest before up in the a.m for a cruise on the Ness. Ol' Nessie probably ain't real but we all need a little mystery in this world so it's off we go in search, & hopefully finish up with our own tale to tell.