Urquhart Castle

Shoreline Firth of Moray

We had a lovely if not brief stay in Nairn.  The weather has cooperated and we have had sunshine and mild temperatures.  Hubby enjoyed his game of golf at The Nairn Golf Club and we explored the Moray Firth.  http://www.nairngolfclub.co.uk/

Teeing off at The Nairn Golf Club

"sea bacon" Moray Firth

We pack up the car and head toward Inverness on A9.  It is sizing up to be a "crackin" day.  The heather is beginning to bloom and the sheep in the fields sport their summer haircuts.  For whatever reason I get the feeling we are headed up to the lid of the world as everything feels spread out and flatter even with the mountains in the distance.  My hubby negotiates the roundabouts and I have become expert at navigating him through them saying "1/3, 1/2 or 3/4" the way around to indicate where we need to exit.  We have several roundabouts in Inverness to negotiate on our way to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle. We head into a mountainous area on the other side of Inverness as we approach Loch Ness.  Mountain meadows, cottages, fresh air, hikers, bikers, sunshine what more could anyone want on a day like this. 

Urquhart castle was an enormous castle ruin, much larger than what I had expected.  The visitors center had a comfortable café and shop with an interpretive center and a short film reviewing the Castle's history.  We avail ourselves of all three before going down to explore the ruins. 
http://www.urquhart-castle.co.uk/

Urquhart Castle

Loch Ness

We meet a young man dressed in a kilt at the base of the castle who works for the park service dressed in a weathered Buchanan kilt.  He tells us his mother's surname is Buchanan and then explains to us that there is a Buchanan castle near Loch Lomond, it is a ruin with no roof or windows.  Apparently, those were removed in the 1950s to avoid paying property taxes.    No, roof, no windows = no taxes hence many grand structures have been reduced to a pile of rubble due to this unfortunate tax edict.  Strangely, no Buchanan's ever lived there.  The Duke of Montrose built the castle in 1954 where the family lived until the early 1900s when it was sold to the Graham family.  It then served as a hotel and as a hospital during the war before it reach it's current state. 

I make quick mental notes to do more research on this as we head back to the car.