We took the opportunity to have a sleep-in this morning, since the scheduled arrival time into Invergordon today was at 12:00 pm. Invergordon is a small port-town, nestled on the shores of Comarty Firth in the Scottish Highlands. Known for its deep-water harbour, it has a rich maritime and naval history.

On the way into Invergordon, we got a good view of the many oil rigs in the area.

Oil rigs on the way into Invergordon.
Oil rigs on the way into Invergordon.

Our main activity for today was a visit to Urquhart Castle, situated on the famous Loch Ness. We managed a quick lunch before meeting with Peter and Joy at 12:45 pm for our departure.

Lunch.
Lunch.

Urquhart Castle is about 65 kilometres south of the Invergordon port, and the trip took a little over an hour. Once there, we went inside the visitor centre and watched a short documentary on the castle, before heading outside to explore it.

Perched on the shores of Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle dates back to the 13th century. It played a key role in Scotland’s tumultuous history, including the Wars of Scottish Independence and frequent struggles between Scottish clans and the English. It was one of Scotland’s largest castles and its strategic location made it a coveted stronghold that repeatedly switched hands over centuries. It was partially destroyed during the Jacobite uprising in the late 17th century, leaving the ruins that we see today.

Urquhart Castle.
Urquhart Castle.
Keith and Andrea, at Urquhart Castle.
Keith and Andrea, at Urquhart Castle.
Peter and Joy, with Andrea and Keith, at Urquhart Castle.
Peter and Joy, with Andrea and Keith, at Urquhart Castle.
Urquhart Castle.
Urquhart Castle.
Andrea, at Urquhart Castle.
Andrea, at Urquhart Castle.
Urquhart Castle, with Loch Ness in the background.
Urquhart Castle, with Loch Ness in the background.

Urquhart Castle is set on the western shore of Loch Ness. Loch Ness is a vast, deep freshwater lake, best known for the legendary Loch Ness Monster. It’s the most voluminous lake in Great Britain, holding more water than all the other lakes in England and Wales combined, with depths reaching around 230 metres. It is a very popular destination, with plenty of interest from people who still hope to see “Nessie”, the Loch Ness monster. Perhaps not surprisingly, we did not sight Nessie during our visit today.

Looking over Loch Ness from Urquhart Castle.
Looking over Loch Ness from Urquhart Castle.

We concluded our visit to Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness, around 4:00 pm. After the bus trip back to the ship, we had a few minutes to relax before heading to the Compass Rose restaurant for a nice dinner.

Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Dinner.

While we were still enjoying dinner, the ship departed Invergordon for our overnight journey to Lerwick, the main town in the Shetland Islands. We finished dinner around 8:30 pm, before retiring for the evening.