The drive from Portree to Inverness was about 3 hours to go 106 miles. The last miles were on single track roads along the east side of Loch Ness. Those single track roads are OK until a bus comes from the opposite direction. All you can do is squeeze as far left as you possibly can, and pray as the bus comes within inches of your car. The added bonus is that the speed limit is 60 mph, and the locals do drive that speed.
Beastie Boats are speed boats that hold 10-12 passengers. It turns out that we were the only people on this excursion. Our driver, Kate, fitted us with life vests, and we came prepared with parkas and rain jackets. Good thing we did. It was cold and the boat went fast. We motored across the Lake to Urquhart Castle, ruins near Inverness. Kate explained a few points about the castle, and on a previous stop, told us more about Loch Ness. It's 22.5 miles long, 1.7 miles wide, the average depth is 433 feet, it's maximum depth is 754 feet. It's very cold. Kate told us that winter is cold and gray and the days short, which can be a depressing time. She was shocked when we told her that you won't find peas on an American restaurant menu. They're everywhere here. Apparently, it's a vegetable that grows well in Scotland and they're inexpensive. She explained that there are few, if any, houses around the Loch. The land is government owned. It was wonderful having our own private guide, so we had nice conversations when the boat wasn't speeding along at 30 mph.
It did sprinkle a bit on our trip, but it was mostly cloudy with some sun. It was unusual that we could actually see from one end to the other. Usually clouds and mist obscure the view.
Inverness was our next stop. We walked the city a bit, and stopped to have a cup of tea to warm us up. We were still cold from our speedboat encounter! Finally we checked into our room, a bit on the cold side. It didn't look like the heater was working. So we mentioned it at the front desk, and they brought up a portable heater.
Out of desperation to have a meal that didn't include french fries (chips) or PEAS, we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner.
Photos here
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