A Day in the Highlands

We approached the port of Invergordon by ship, sailing up the Cromarty Firth on a cold, foggy morning.  The ship was early, and for a time the clouds of fog drifted, allowing us to glimpse a steady line of offshore oil rigs during that quiet morning. Behind them, the shore of the firth and a patchwork quilt of fields appeared.  The town was beautiful in the early morning light, but we didn’t soak in that view for too long as we were eager to start our private tour of the Scottish Highlands.

Although we disembarked far earlier than planned, our tour guide, Allan, was already waiting for us on a grassy lawn opposite the ship.  I booked a private tour for this day because we really wanted to make the most of our one day in the Highlands by seeing and learning as much as possible.  We drove off, comfortable in a warm car with a great guide, excited and filled with anticipation of what the day could bring.

Charming Invergordon, Scotland

After driving through the charming town of Invergordon, down beautiful tree-lined lanes, and past picturesque farms, we took a quick stop at Black Rock Gorge.  Led by our guide, we walked into the woods, crossed a bridge, and looked down, down, down into the depths of the gorge where the dragon scenes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire werefilmed.  The gorge and the forest surrounding it made for a beautifully natural site and a thoroughly enjoyable first stop.

Continuing our tour through Inverness, we next reached the Cumberland Stone, on which legend tells the Duke of Cumberland stood to get a better view of the Battle of Culloden in 1746.  At this stop, Allan touched upon the history of the Highlands, which we would learn much more about as our day unfolded.   

Cumberland Stone

 Our foggy weather turned into a light drizzle as we reached Clava Cairns, a Bronze Age set of stone structures, and I was filled with both anticipation and wonder.  Clava Cairns is a 4,000 year-old site comprised of four very large stone cairns, three of which are surrounded by rings of standing stones.  As we walked through the trees, marveled at the standing stones, and explored the cairns in the quiet of the early morning, we all agreed that this place felt like no other we had ever visited.

Our next stop was Cawdor Castle, a lovely 15th century structure known for both its lovely gardens and for sightings of its resident ghost.  The interior, in which the owners still reside, is the warmest and coziest of any castle I have ever visited; it is filled with family portraits, comfy furniture, and plaid rugs.  The gardens surrounding the castle were breathtaking, filled with flowers, hedges, and artistic focal points.  The sun came out just in time for our garden stroll; in typical Scotland fashion, the weather changed from cold to wet to warm and sunny and back again, all in the span of a few hours.

Gardens at Cawdor Castle

We continued on to the Culloden Battlefield, well known to both history enthusiasts and Outlander readers due to its pivotal role in the history of the region.  On this windswept moor in 1746, the Scottish Jacobite army fought the British troops in the last pitched battle on British soil.  After less than an hour, the Jacobites lost their fight, and in the years that followed the Crown introduced laws that weakened Gaelic culture and undermined the Scottish clans.  We viewed the exhibits in the visitor centre, learning not only about the battle itself, but also about the tensions and events that immediately preceded it.  Afterwards, we walked a path through the battlefield itself.  Sitting out on the field, one large stone memorial serves to commemorate the battle.  Smaller markers for individual clans who were killed dot the field alongside one marker for the English troops.  We spent time walking through the moor, taking in the somber yet powerful feeling of the area.    

Culloden Battlefield

After a quick bite to eat, we continued South until we reached the shores of Loch Ness, the deep loch known for sightings of Nessie, the Loch Ness monster.  The loch is long, narrow, and very deep, so perhaps Nessie is hiding down in its depths (although we didn’t spot her on our visit).  The weather shifted again, providing us with dramatic scenes of this beautiful region as the sun played hide and seek behind the clouds.  Next, we arrived at Urquhart Castle, a picturesque ruin of a once-mighty fortress that dates back to the 13th - 16th centuries.  The castle is perched right along the banks of Loch Ness.  We ambled about the place, climbing stone stairs that took us up into what remains of the tower and others that wound around the ruins.  

Urquhart Castle at Loch Ness

 We departed just as we spotted a large rain cloud that was hovering over Loch Ness and  quickly approaching us while we toured Urquhart Castle.  It was time to leave and we returned to our ship, where we enjoyed a lovely performance by local bagpipers and young Scottish dancers who were there to see us off.  While one day wasn’t nearly long enough to see and do everything the Highlands have to offer, we had a thoroughly wonderful visit and made the most of the time we had. Because I had long read about the beauty and history of Inverness and the Highlands, I had very high expectations for this tour, and it exceeded them all.  As befitting a day filled with joy, discovery, and the mercurial Highland weather, our last glimpse of Invergordon as the ship pulled away from the port was a rainbow seeing us off on our journey.