June 15, 2012  Invergordon, Scotland

After a lazy day at sea, we arrived in Invergordon, Scotland. Our weather continues to be cloudy with peeks of sun and temperatures in the upper 50s. So far, the showers do not fall until we are on the bus headed back to the ship.

The scenery today is as lovely as yesterday and we took an excursion to Cawdor Castle, the ruins of Urquhart Castle and the legendary Loch Ness.

The Cawdor Castle is the seat of the Earls of Cawdor and the home of the Countess Cawdor. We saw a documentary about this castle on the Travel channel prior to this trip. It is in marvelous condition, not only as a residence, but as a fortress. We had a nice lunch in a hotel in Inverness and then went on to Urquhart  Castle. This castle was plundered by the MacDonald Clan and later destroyed  during the Jacobite Rebellion. There is a legend that a cave below the ruins is the home of Nessie" :)

Did we see Nessie? Of course!! :)

The ride back to the ship was uncomfortable because the driver put a fan blowing warm air on when the passengers requested air. When we arrived at the pier, there was a long line waiting to go through security. The winds were in excess of 35mph and it was no more than 50 degrees. The crew only had one entrance open for boarding in this weather. On other days there are always 2. 

                                                                                 Cawdor Castle

Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness