We booked to do a 1-day tour of Monsters, Mountains & Massacres in the Scottish Highlands.

On the Royal Mile in Edinburgh we boarded the ‘Nessie Bus’ and get mentally prepared for a day of adventure.  Driving through the Highlands was beautiful and we saw the amazing Forth Railway Bridge before stopping in the Highland town of Pitlochry where we got some coffee and morning tea from a local teahouse. The scenery as we traveled through the spectacular and unique wilderness of the Cairngorms National Park was again amazing even though the weather was grey and raining.

(This video actually includes some images from Edinbugh & Stirling as well as our highlands tour)

Finally we arrived at Loch Ness, famous all over the world for its beauty and mystery, it was the highlight of the trip.  We went ‘monster spotting’ on a boat trip out on the waters of the loch.  Unfortunately Nessie didn’t come out to play so we settled for the views of ruined castles.

On our return to Edinburgh we made a stop at Glen Coe which is broodingly beautiful and steeped in history. As we stood at the mouth of the glen, we’ll feel the past come to life as our guide tells us about the terrible massacre of the MacDonald Clan. (All those episodes of ‘Highlander’ come to mind).  The tour was quite a long day with lots of driving but I am so pleased to finally visit Loch Ness and we both discuss returning to Scotland again in the future to see more of this beautiful country.