6 August 2017 - 8th tour day Off to See a Monster

  We'd have loved to have spent more time in the town of Strathpeffer, but it was off we went to view more of Scotland's spectacular scenery - Dornoch Firth see; the Kyle of Sutherland see; the Mountains of Assynt see and Knockan Crag see.

ONE LAST SHOT OF THE VIEW FROM OUR ROOM

AND A FEW FROM INSIDE THE HOTEL LOUNGE

HOW SPECTACULAR TO MEET THE HEART'S BEST FRIEND...FROM SO FAR AWAY!

KYLE OF SUTHERLAND FISHERY - SALMON RUN

   We had visited this site some years back when were in Scotland on our own.  At that time the salmon were running and while my pictures weren't very good, we did see some.

MOUNTAINS OF ASSYNT

BY NOW, THE FOUR CONSTANT COMPANIONS.  WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS FRIENDSHIP, TRAVELLING WITH THEM ENRICHED THE EXPERIENCE AND GAVE US SUCH GREAT MEMORIES!

MORE TOUR MATES, INCLUDING KAREN AND DAZ

ABOARD SHIP LOOKIING FOR NESSIE

LARRY KEEPING A SHARP EYE OUT FOR THE BIG GREEN GUY

SPECIAL, UNUSUAL COWS, WEARING WHITE BELTS! BELTED GALLOWAYS.

As we ended the day's tour, our guide announced that we were going to have a special, added stop at the end of day.  One of our bus-mates had brought her mother's ashes to be cast at a designated location very dear to her mother.  We were so immensely touched that both our guide and our wonderful driver had agreed on this plan.  I think that supporting Maxine in this endeavor made our little bus family even closer.

CASTLE WYND

THE FAMOUS FLORA MACDONALD

PICTURE OF GLENN, TAKING PICTURE.

MAXINE SCATTERING HER MOTHER'S ASHES

Tour day 7 - 5 August 2017 Leave Edinburg for Strathpeffer

  Up at 6, bags out and breakfast at 7:30 and onto bus at 8:30...we love those later days!  

This was a beautiful sight-seeing day.

Crossing the Firth of Tay

ST ANDREW'S CATHEDRAL

St. Andrew's - the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (with a royal and ancient husband!)

WE MADE SURE WE PICKED UP SMALL MOMENTOES FOR OUR TWO GOLFERS, RICHARD AND DAN

All worn out...catching some zzzzs.  And on to Pitlochry.

Shop in which Larry was able to purchase a very nice, water resistant golf cap.

Across the battlefield of Culloden Moor.  Said to be the saddest place anywhere.  

The battlefield is now regarded as a war grave, a place where more than 1,300 men lost their lives and where many of them are buried.

More on Culloden

Thorough Inverness to our Highland destination, a lovely old inn, Ben Wyvis in Strathpeffer.
Read about this spa town

VIEW FROM OUR ROOM

ANOTHER VIEW FROM OUR ROOM

Ben Wyvis ghost

Here she is, our inn for the night...a throw back to a long, long time ago.  This inn has the most beautiful appointments, left over from that far back time.  AND I for one know she has at least one ghost!
We had all filed in to the dining room to our assigned tables for dinner.  Larry and I were seated on the wall side of the table, with a fairly slim distance between our chairs and the walls by which others might pass.  Jude was seated across from me and Glenn across from Larry.  At one point I felt someone place their hand, a bit heavily, upon my shoulder.  I awaited someone then to ask me to pull my chair in more, or some other request or suggestion but none was forthcoming.  I waited a bit more, smiling over at Jude as she appeared to be seeing the unknown person standing behind me.  Finally, I turned quizzically, about to ask the person holding my shoulder what I could do for them, and felt the hand slide off my shoulder, across my back and away.  I looked over both shoulders, finding no one there.  I then asked Larry if he had had his hand on my shoulder.  He hadn't.  Jude had watched this all transpire, knowing that something was afoot, but not what exactly.  She assured me that there had been no one there.  To this day I am able to "feel" the pressure on my shoulder and I know that someone had been letting me know of their presence.

Next day, coming up Loch Ness!