We continued on to Loch Ness and yes, I did see Nessie AND got a picture of her with her baby - she was much smaller then I had expected and a little on the thin side. ;^)
Did you know there are Locks on the Lochs? They are for small boats and its all manual - six boats tie-up in the first area - three on each side, then the operator goes to a control panel and shuts the gates behind them, then they slowly release the water and the boat people slowly loosen the rope to allow the boat to lower with the water level. Once that area is equal with the area below, the lower gate is opened and the boat people walk along the edge, down a slope (seen behind Nessie) pulling their boats along with them. Then they start all over, tieing up in the next area - I think there were 5 or 6 total and it took over an hour to get down this small section between two Lochs. Then they do the opposite - transferring 6 boats back up the Loch, and so it continues all day long.
But Nessie wasn't my aim for coming on this tour - I had always wanted to see Eilean Donan Castle. Years ago I had seen a photo of it and just loved it. I'm not sure what is so special about it but I must not be the only one because it is one of the most photographed castles in the world and its fairly remote - not in a big city like Stirling or Edinburgh. I was so happy to be there - not because it was the most super doper castle in the world or even that it was some great achievement, just that it was the culmination of my dream, to come to Scotland. It is still privately owned and maintained and actually is a really neat castle with a fantastic view. It sits where 3 Lochs join and you can see out into the Sea and the Isle of Skye.
But alas, we had to return the Edinburgh. I had a few hours to walk around and got the visit the Monument to my kin (or at least a fellow Clan Scott member), Sir Walter Scott. Before catching the night train back to London to meet Ian and Sean when they came in on my Day 11.
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