Inverness and the Scottish Highlands

I think the beauty of the Scottish Highlands can only be properly described by poets. It's emotion-inducingly beautiful.

But first, I'll explain our interesting arrival. We didn't stay directly in Inverness but in a quaint resort town south of it called Aviemore. Doesn't just the name alone conjure the charm of the place, without knowing anything about it? Well, I thought so, and I wasn't completely wrong. We stayed in Aviemore because it was recommended by a local we talked to back in York. You could compare it to towns like Banff, but less overcrowded with people.

Except. Except for the thousands of motorcycle riders.

We arrived, once again accidentally, for Thunder in the Glens, the "biggest motorcycle gathering in Europe"according to an article I read. Yep, we did it again, we timed our arrival - this time in a small town - for one of the biggest events of the summer held in Scotland. How are we doing this? Just how? I don't even know. So we went to our hotel and parking was fun cause Harleys everywhere. We looked out our hotel window, which was facing a field, and there were tents everywhere. We walked down the street and outdoor stages were set up playing 70's and 80's rock and metal music for the huge crowds. Good times being had everywhere. I can completely understand why thousands of motorcycle riders choose to congregate yearly in this area, we were about to find out as we drove through the stunning Highlands. Anyway, we got a taste of Aviemore, bikers abounding, and it was a gorgeous and "thundering" place.

Our trusty vehicle

The copilots

Near Aviemore we drove to Inverness and two other dazzling locations:

Inverness

We did a 3km walking loop around the river and the Old Town. The weather was perfect. It was nice to just drive into the city without a concrete plan or an entry time to somewhere and just walk. We knew from reading travel blogs we could do a loop, and found a map next to the river. We took a picture of the map and off we went. We crossed over lovely foot bridges over the river, walked into the Victorian Market (again, lots of places offering vegetarian options!), saw Inverness Castle on the riverbank (it's scaffolded undergoing maintenance so no photos), and walked through cobbled streets and into an incredible used book store called Leakey's, which I believe used to be a Gaelic church. It smells wonderfully like well-read paper and old wood, and it's the type of place you go to to spend a couple of hours and just sink into browsing mode, as they have thousands of books as well as prints 100+ years old available for purchase (for super reasonable, normal-people-wage prices). Overall, a relaxed, two hour stroll of this part of Inverness was had.

Brodie Castle

We had to go to Brodie Castle just east of Inverness, in Moray. This has been the ancestral land of the Brodie Clan for over 400 years and was lived in by the head of the Brodies (called Brodie of Brodie) until 2003 when it was then handed over to the Scottish National Trust. The initial building which was a Z shaped structure (quite common apparently) was built in the 12th century and it was added to over the centuries. As such you can see the different architectural styles employed when you're within it. In oldy times, servants lived at the bottom and the Brodie family lived on top, with children at the very,very top. This is because if someone came to attack, the ground floor was initially most at risk, and servants were replaceable... Overall, Brodie Castle was magical to view both outside and inside, particularly because all the items inside are authentic to the Clan and are not staged by the Trust.

PS: we tried to lay claim to the castle and the lands, unsuccessfully. The castle tour guide actually said she'd fight us for it. I think we'd easily win, but then we'd have to take on the whole National Trust afterwards, so...

Highland Cows

Yes, they deserve this honourable mention. I have a sudden and inexplicable obsession with these cows. I even bought a Highland cow stuffy (and held back from buying the key chain, the magnet, the felted art, the calendar...), and I don't buy stuff. I love them with all my heart, shaggy head and deadly pointy horns and all. How can a cow be so PRECIOUS!?? They give me that feeling known as cute aggression (S and I were talking about that just yesterday), even though they're not tiny and could impale me.

Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle

Did you know Loch Ness is the largest lake by volume, due its tremendous depth, in the UK? Yes? Pat yourself on the back. We did not, and now we do. We went on a 2 hour boat tour along the loch and to the ruins of Urquhart Castle on its banks. It was a beautiful, cool and misty boat ride, with one hour to explore the stunning castle grounds and ruins.

The Scottish Highlands, Glencoe and Loch Lomond

These are the places where poets step in (and many have), as I don't have the words. I don't exaggerate when I say I felt emotional just looking at these vast landscapes and feeling so grateful to be able to show the kids this for the first time. Stating we saw rolling fields and forests accentuated by purple heather, and wind-blown peaks and valleys, and glass-like lakes really is an injustice. The pictures can't convey the feeling, only give a glimpse. We live in a beautiful area of Canada, and have seen some striking landscapes in our travels in places such as New Zealand, Australia and northern Vietnam, but there is nothing, nothing quite like the wild beauty of the Scottish Highlands, Glencoe and Loch Lomond. I felt sad we were driving through and didn't have the time to truly trek and immerse ourselves in these areas. Bucket list item has been added (along with driving the A500 which hugs the very northern coast of Scotland, apparently a MUST do).

Alas, farewell Scotland. I recall when I first saw Scotland when I was 20 that it left an impression on me (that's an understatement), and it has done it again. I just love this country and hope we can once again return to experience its nature and friendliness more in-depth. We are so fortunate to have been able to see these places with our kids, and I can only hope it also left an impression on them.