Monday and it's another Castle!

Up early and after breakfast a trip to Tesco to get our lunchtime sarnies

and then off to Inverness Station to catch the 08 55 Kyle Line train to Kyle of Lochalsh - a trip that should have taken around 2 and a half hours.

Just after leaving Inverness we spot the A9 road bridge over the Ness and Caledonian Canal

We trundle though the countryside which slowly gets more spectacular

We then reach Garve we are told that there is a signal problem and we need a key to be brought from Dinwell and this delays us by an hour - at least we were offer free drinks from the trolley! we had time to stroll along the platform and decide if it was safe to cross the rusty footbridge!

So on through mountainous scenery to Kyle of Lochalsh

 Spotting the bridge to Skye just before reaching our destination

of Kyle of Lochalsh station

Here we picked up our coach for a quick trip over the bridge to Skye

and then onto Eilan Donan Castle

And view up and down Lochalsh

And so back by coach along pretty empty and good roads to Inverness, dinner and getting ready to start our long journey south. Tomorrow we leave for Edinburgh where we have an afternoon free and a night at the Apex Hotel and our final farewell dinner ( whisky tasting and a piper -- might give it a miss)

Inverness and Loch Ness

A quiet day - at last - today. A late start allowed a quick walk around the area by our Hotel. Up to the Castle with great views in the clear sunshine!

 Our hotel - the Best Western Palace

Then a short Coach trip to pick up a pleasure cruiser up Loch Ness to Urquhart Castle.

Then the short Coach transfer back to our hotel to devour our Tesco sarnies before a stroll along the Ness Trail along the banks the River Ness

 Inverness Cathedral

 Modern Theatre

 One of the pedestrian bridges over the Ness

 Swimming Pool

 Botanic gardens

Back to the Hotel for - at last - a sensible for us dinner time of 6 30pm as tomorrow we are off befoe 9am to Kyle of Lochalsh on the Kyle train line.

Whilst the food at the Palace is not up to the superb food at Glenspean Lodge, overall we prefer the Palace due to its central location, great room and INTERNET!