Benleva Hotel Drumnadrochit

... up was the stunning autumn colours abundant in the trees all the way up the Highlands, beautiful...<br><br> <br><br>When I got to Inverness there was still a good hour and a bit of daylight left - and the sun even made a brief appearance, so I thought what-the-hey ...

... each year. The person who runs up it, back down and to the bar in the pub is the winner. Apparently it has been done in 45 minutes before! It harks back to the war, when a Scottish soldier was fighing with a man of Nepalese descent. The Scot told the Nepalese man if they got out of the war, they would go to Scotland and live in peace. So the war ended and they went back to the highlands. One day they were sitting at the pub, 5 drinks into a session when the Scot said 'so what do you ...

... is sadly known for being voted the city with the ugliest people in Scotland! Not the best of awards to win. Had a quick look around and Josh even managed to squeeze in a quick haircut! <br><br>Then to the local distillery, a quick tour and some samples - i had a quick taste, but i'm truly not a whiskey person - josh said the Penderyn one in Wales was better. <br><br>Onwards to Loch Ness which is the best known of the 4 Lochs in the Scottish Highlands ...

... now. Apparently in teh 90s they did a sonar search of the lake and apparently there are 18 creatures in the Loch but living way, way, way down in the Loch. Ross did seem quite straight faced when he siad this but I'm not too sure!!<br><br>According to legend St Columbo banished the creature to the Loch because he hassled his comrades during his time he spent in Scotland converting the locals. The first ...

Finally back at home. It's been 15 weeks and 12 countries (14 technically, but a stopover in Sydney and stepping on Zimbabwean soil whilst Bungy jumping don't count). There's been highs and low's throughout, but on the whole, the experience has been fantastic and completely and ...

... and they were involved in a number of uprisings aimed at restoring the Stuart line. The last was in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie ( Charles Edward Stuart- the son of the Old Pretender). <br><br>Charles returned to Scotland in 1745 promising French support and to abolish the Union Act of 1707 that united Scotland and England under one parliament. He was very charismatic and convinced many clan leaders to suppport him. He quickly ...

What an amazing time up in Scotland. Juliana and Vince were the perfect hosts, as always. What a lovely place to stay, overlooking the loch. We had a wonderful time at Findhorn Beach, followed by a lovely meal at the pub. The biggest piece of fish you will ever see!<br><br ...

... that was just a bit too hot. I quickly crossed to the other end, where, much to my delight, I found the buffet car, and immediately bought another two pints of lager that I didn&#8217;t really need. It&#8217;s a reflex action, I guess.<br><br>After making my way back to my cabin, and drinking and reading some more, I finally turned in for the evening. My bed was not huge, but perfectly comfortable for my large 6&#8217; 2&#8221; frame, and I was soon asleep.<br><br>Next &#8211;Inverness to Tain&#8230;

... a mammoth's tooth! Well after this amazing tour of this castle we headed East to quickly stop off at Arberlour Distillery to pick up a special birthday gift for a good friend of ours. At this distillery you can pour, bottle and label your own whiskey straight from the cask, guaranteed to put hairs on ya chest. So after doing this is was back west, through Inverness and down to the side of Loch Ness. On the way to Urquhart Castle we stopped so Dave could dip his ...

... s a good thing I decided to base Niall's castle on it, rather than try to be completely factual. It's far too ruined for my purposes, and even though Shawn can easily get onto the grounds (in fact, he'd probably make Amy go over the fence and not tell her there's an easier way in, knowing him), he can't get up into the tower, because that is locked, and climbing the walls is impossible. (No, I didn't try.) Also, Niall would ...