HIGHLAND HOLIDAY - DAY TWO - URQUHART CASTLE

Despite the long journey we had experienced the day before, we all woke feeling refreshed and ready to start our holiday. We drove to the village shop in Invermoriston for some milk. Seven miles for a pint of milk, is enough to make you realize that you are far enough removed from civilization. There was also an amazing traditional craft shop there, selling things like wooden clogs, deer pelts, Sgian-dubhs, and the more usual things like Celtic jewelry and leather goods.

After lunch we drove to Urquart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness. And also the place that Claire, our heroine in the Outlander books, visits with her first husband. It is a ruined castle in a spectacular location. 

Grant Tower - Urquhart Castle

We were informed on our arrival that there was going to be a performance a little later in the afternoon. We spent some time looking around before we heard the announcement, and made our way to an open area of the castle, where we encountered a shabby oddly dressed man who called himself The Time Travelling Story Teller. He was part of a theatre company, which encourages audience participation. We were told to touch the castle walls, so that the castle could tell its story. Various members of the audience, myself included, were given slips of paper to read from. My story was about a Jacobite warrior who was trying to blow up the castle. Most appropriate, as I instantly thought about Jamie, our hero in the books. Another performer then joined us. She played Lady Deirdre who wanted to marry her warrior lover. The actress had long curly hair, and dressed in a long robe, also made me think of Claire. 

Lady Deirdre 

At the end of the performance we were ‘brought forward’ back into the 21^st century. For an Outlander fan like myself, the experience couldn’t have been more appropriate, or fun!

Amazingly there was also a boat, taking people on cruises along the loch, called the Jacobite Warrior!

Jacobite Warrior Cruise Boat

Later, we drove on to Fort Augustus to see the locks of the Caledonian canal. These are a series of massive locks that are operated at set times to allow the optimum amount of boating traffic through. Unfortunately at the time we were there, there was no activity, and instead we walked along the canal to see the wonderful views from the edge of the loch. Getting back in the car we drove up one of General Wade's military roads, built to suppress any further risings among the Highlanders and to allow easier access for Government troops. We stopped at a place called the Suidhe viewpoint.

General Wade's Military Road and Suidhe Viewpoint

As we got out of the car, we were met with not only the most spectacular view of mountains, lochs and the Great Glen, but also the sound of rutting deer filled the air. As we got into the car to drive back it was starting to get dark, but we were able to see the deer chasing and rutting along a river that runs through Gleann nan Eun. Later that evening we could hear them again, from the track near our holiday cottage.

'Grant Tower - Urquhart Castle' and 'General Wade's Military Road and Suidhe Viewpoint' photos courtesy of Sean D. Hattersley Photography. Please like his page by following the link for more excellent photos of Scotland and other places.