Invergordon, Scotland

We arrived at the port of Invergordon around 7:00 AM. As soon as they allowed debarkation, we walked through the port gates and across the road to find our Kilt-clad driver/guide, Gordon. He directed us to where the bus was parked. We walked uphill to the green and purple bus. It was early on a Sunday morning and the shops were not open, but I really liked the looks of this little town and the murals on the walls.

Today would be a day to see the Scottish Highlands – maybe even catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster!

This tour was booked in advance through WOW, Scotland. Cost was 79 pounds per ticket and we added entrance to a castle with an audio guide for an additional 11.5 pounds.

Wow Scotland is aptly named. We were WOWED. Our driver, Graham was excellent, and our guide Gordon was knowledgeable about the history and the sites we were seeing, and he even threw in a few jokes along the way. I highly recommend this company.

Cawdor Castle

I copied this description from the Wow Scotland website: “Early records show that the castle dates back to at least 1454. Although there have been many fortifications and additions over the last 640 years, the building has been remarkably well-preserved, and gives a wonderful impression of how the landed gentry would have lived back in the 15th Century. To this day the castle remains in the Campbell family, with the Dowager Countess Cawdor, stepmother of the 7th Earl of Cawdor, residing there over the winter months.”

This was the first castle we toured of our British Isles trip to be furnished. Legend says that it was customary to follow a donkey and when it lies down to rest, choose that spot to build your home. The donkey stopped to rest under a tree, so the castle was built around a tree. The tree is dead now but still preserved in the castle on the ground floor. If you enjoy antique furnishings, click on individual pictures to see greater detail in the gallery below.

While I enjoyed the castle, the grounds are even more stunning. There is a “Secret Garden” maze AND a wildflower garden.

After leaving the castle, we stopped for a photo op by a stone, railroad bridge which is still in use today:

Clava Cairns – Gordon told us that the circular group of stones in the center was likely where the community cremated their dead.

Then the cairns (which would have originally been fully enclosed) would be opened at a specific time of the year to bury the remains.

There are many standing stones here, too, and he gave us some potential theories as to their purposes.

Next stop was the Culloden Battlefield. This battlefield was the site of a very bloody battle between the British and the Jacobites. It is hard to imagine this beautiful field once held such a terrible event. I’m always saddened to walk through battlefields. There are many US civil war battlefields near my home, and it is mind-numbing to think of all the horrific loss of life as people fought to preserve strongly held values on both sides.

We were greeted by a bag piper.

Gordon told us that this little stone house was the visitor’s center when he was a kid.

Our long-anticipated highlight was to see some Highland “Hairy Coos.” (Hairy Cows)

Our next stop was Loch Ness. No visit to Inverness would be complete without a stop somewhere along Loch Ness to look for the Loch Ness Monster. Our stop was on the south side of the Loch at the village of Dores.

One enterprising gentleman has a shop for handmade Loch Ness Monsters. He does quite a steady business!

This statue in the center of the round-about was the closest we came to seeing Nessie.

Our last stop was in the city of Inverness. We strolled a little among the shops; took some pictures along the way; found a hairy cow figurine for my mantle; and mailed a few postcards.