Northern Delights

What better way to complete our Scottish tour than to head up to John O' Groats.

The drive out of Skye had been suitably postcard-perfect which we took as a good omen for the rest of our time in the Highlands. Clearly all this nonsense about Scottish weather being poor has been manufactured to keep people away and thus discourage overcrowding.

The hype is clearly working because even the famous 'must see' attractions were empty as we arrived.

And guess whose idea it was to stop for a quick look in one such attraction?

Unfortunately, once we got to John o' Groats, Scotland must have realised we were nearing the end of our Highland Tour so the weather started to mourn our impending departure. Thankfully it managed to maintain a meteorological 'stiff upper lip' and did not cry on us as we wandered around the top of the UK allowing us to record the event for posterity, but the clouds were definitely gathering....

And the wind started to rise a wee bit...

Didn't seem to deter the local wildlife much. 

Never mind, the good weather couldn't last forever, so our spirits remained high. 

After a short, brisk walk along the coastline, we resumed our drive and headed slightly west to Thurso, our stop for the night. Luckily, nobody had told the Thurso weather that we were leaving soon so our evening views were maintained to  the high standard we'd come to expect.

The main reason for going to Thurso was actually to vist the Wolfburn distillery, as I was keen to see where Mark Hatt-Cook had bought his whisky barrel, of which we had very fond memories when with Susi and Mark in Broad Chalke. 

Because this was my idea rather than Mary's it should not have been a surprise when we learned it was not open on the specific day we planned to visit...

So, it was goodbye to the far north and time to head home.

Mary was keen to pass through Inverness and visit Loch Ness. Mary also thought it would be a good idea to drop in to the Tomatin Distillery to round out our tour. 

Because it was her idea, it was open.

Naturally.

First, the legendary Loch

Inverness was duly sampled, and then off to follow the scenic lochside road. 

We scrambled down a steep bank for a closer look and evidentiary photo... 

... but alas, no sign of Nessie. This was the closest we go to seeing the famous resident. 

Next stop, Tomatin Distillery. Who initially refused to serve me! 

Allegedly, this was because of the Scottish drink drive laws. That was nonsensical as the tasting measures are so small that someone my size could easily taste 4 and still be legal to drive. That point was not lost on every other Distillery we had visited, and all they do is warn people to be careful. 

Tomatin would not budge, so Mary stepped up to be the designated driver.

The whisky was duly tasted, product and souvenirs purchased, and then off we went back to the carpark. By that time Mary figured I had sobered up enough to resume driving duties...

Next significant area was the Cairngorm National Park, and we were greeted with fine weather again. 

Alas, it was not to last, and by the time we got south of the border it was pretty much rain all the way back to Shropshire. 

In summary, a great trip to the Highlands, where we we had an awesome time and look forward to coming back to experience the bits we couldn't get to this time round. 

We now need to endure a week of forecasted poor weather before heading off to Germany and our next series of adventures.