Nessie

At breakfast today, we decided to eat even more of the huge Scottish breakfast and both thoroughly enjoyed the haggis pudding. It was not our first try of haggis on this trip, but I think it was our best. I'm not positive why it was called "pudding" although it was much less "patty-shaped."

We walked back into the little town of Fort William with a pedestrian High Street to put a little money back into the local community. We've really done well so far despite our many visits. Knowing that whatever we buy must be carried with us for another month has helped to curb our shopping desires!

We drove a little northeast and stopped in the small bustling town of Fort Augustus. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day, especially after what we experienced yesterday. There were blue skies, warm sunshine and temperatures in the mid-70s. What a perfect day for a boat ride! We looked at a couple different options and decided to go with the fast boat. This small, 12-15 passenger boat was practically just a large inflatible boat with a big motor. Our captain said it was the first day all year he was able to wear a t-shirt out on the water. Perfect timing for us!

The captain obviously enjoyed his job, and the sunshine as he sped up to cliff sides, circled large boats just to jump over their wakes and enjoyed showing off the speed of the boat. 

The first mate on the boat told us a bit about the Loch Ness and the surrounding area as we rode along. I was particularly fascinated by some of the facts of the vastness of this lake and all the unknowns it still holds. The lake is quite long, but it's the depth that is even more impressive. The lake is so deep in fact that more people have been to the moon than have been to the bottom of the lake. The lake holds more fresh water than all the fresh water in England and Wales combined. The world's population, three times over, could be submerged in the lake. Particles of pete cloud the water so much that a few yards down, even powerful flashlights can't help you see all too far ahead of you. Even though the lake is a good supplier of fish, no one even knew of one type of fish in the lake until the 1980s, despite the fact that people had called this lake home for centuries upon centuries. No wonder there are legends of a great creature living in its depths. Our guide on the boat said most locals believe there are very large fish that can grow as large as the boat we were riding in. Amazingly enough though, after a few rounds in the boat, we spotted Nessie:

Also on our journey, we spotted some mountain goats just relaxing by the shore. Apparently they come down from the mountain side in the spring to have and raise their young. Know why? Sure, to escape from predators, but this country is greatly lacking in predators, so, do you know who they're hiding from? Eagles. Picture how big those birds must be to be able to carry off young goats! Wow!

Our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and the land, so I continued probing him about the wildlife. As it turns out, there are talks of reintroducing wolves to the area because the deer population has grown so heavily. It is apparently well documented that the last wolf in this area was killed in the 1700s and there were even bears, but those were hunted off the land centuries before.

On the way back to the dock, the captain once again tested the speed of the boat, but this time let us sit in the tubing on the side of the boat, while of course holding firmly to the inside. What fun to enjoy the warm sunshine, a boat ride, and the wind in my hair (despite the later knots), almost like being home, just here with no desire to get in the frigid water.

Back in the small town, like many around, we decided to take advantage of the water. We got sandwiches and sat on the grass by the system of locks. Before we left, we watched the complicated system hard at work. Levels of complicated locks help to raise and lower boats from the level of the lake to the level of the river.

We continued on our journey, thankfully spotting a few more of the lovely hairy cows we had long sought out. They must think their best side is their backside as that was often the side they tended to show us.

The Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition was our next stop. This museum, although the idea may seem funny or even ironic to have such a museum about a monster, it is really quite fascinating. The museum is full of scientific information that supports the fact that the lake still holds secrets due to its depth and lack of clarity, so who knows what may actually be there.

Our home tonight is in Inverness, a fast growing city on the northeast end of Loch Ness. The city is actually not that old, so it does not hold as many historical sites as so many of its Scottish neighbors, but that does not mean it doesn't hold beauty of its own. On our way to dinner tonight, walking past the pedestrian High Street, we suddenly heard a beautiful sound, common only I'm afraid to Scotland. We were surrounded by a band of bagpipes parading toward us. Oh, how I love this country!

After dinner, we walked down to the river to watch the sunset (yes, after dinner, because remember sunset is not until after ten). The views of the beautiful sky were perfect over the river and this beautiful city. We went for one more drink at a local spot well-known for its music: Hootenanny, where we got to hear another local band before heading back to our hostel. Tomorrow, another city and another adventure.