Day 3 Edinburgh to Inverness
Today I boarded the Megabus from Edinburgh to Inverness for the next leg of my trip! I was pleasantly surprised to see a double decker bus with free WiFi and wireless charging for my devices; I settled in for an estimated four hour drive. To pass the time I listened to a new audiobook: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera. It was recommeded on Goodreads by Talia Hibbert, an author from the U.K, who wrote the Brown Sisters series.
I arrived right on time at 12pm in Inverness and immediately went to the Citybus stop to catch the #2 bus to Culloden Battlefield. The museum, exhibits and guided tour of the area was incredible. I learned a lot about the history, they even had flags (red for the British and blue for the Jacobites) posted so we could see where the armies actually faced off. Of course I visited the grave marker for Clan Fraser while I was there!
From the battlefield it was about a 1.6 mile walk to Clava Cairns. These cairns and standing stones were the inspiration for the stone circle in the Outlander book and TV series. It was quite a walk since I still had my backpack with me, but it was beautiful. I was well prepared with a mediocre latte from the cafe and my trail mix that I had brought with me! You can see my route on Strava. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the walk to Clava Cairns:
I was in Outlander heaven when I arrived!
Here are some pictures from Clava Cairns itself:
I walked back to Culloden Battlefield to catch the bus back to my B&B in Inverness. I had a little bit of time to rest and enjoy the sunshine (and quite a bit of wind!) While I waited!
My B&B is located right off of the River Ness and is steps away from everything in town. Here are a few photos from around the city:
Initially my plan was to walk the castle grounds; however, much of that was closed off due to refurbishment. On the bright side, while I was circling the castle I found a pub, The Castle Tavern, that had live music and quite the crowd for a Scotland vs. Ireland sporting event. I was able to squeeze into the bar enjoy a local cider, it was a great atmosphere! Then, I headed across the street to a Spanish tapas restaurant called La Tortilla. Again, I was able to squeeze in at the bar since all of the tables were reserved. I had a delightful time and ended up chatting with a mother-daughter duo from Pittsburgh who were at the end of a month long vacation of France and the U.K. We shared some paella, sangria, and travel recommendations and stories. The food was excellent and I especially enjoyed the churros con chocolate!
Calling it an early evening here as I have a big tour coming up tomorrow that will be a 12 hour trip to Isle of Skye. Looking forward to the next adventure!
