Invergordon, Scotland, UK... Part 2 of 2

This morning I was out very early for sail in and the weather was much better than expected…  We sailed passed the offshore oil drilling rigs and the Cromarty Lighthouse. Soon after our arrival into Invergordon we got off the ship and met our guide, Johnnie McCormick. We toured with Johnnie back in 2019 on a previous trip to this area. We did a quick tour of the High Street to reacquaint ourselves for our return to Invergorden later in the afternoon. After leaving Invergorden, we passed Alness and Dingwall, Maryburgh and the Conan Bridge. We had a quick stop at the Robertson Farm to see the long-haired highland cows, alpacas and goats. Next, we drove to Beauly to see the Beauly Priory, the priory's name comes from its picturesque riverside setting. Beau lieu means 'beautiful place' in French. We continued our drive through the beautiful Scottish Highlands to the splendid Loch Ness...Britain's deepest freshwater lake, whose murky depths inspire tales of the Loch Ness Monster or Nessie. We stopped and toured the 14th century Urquhart Castle ruins, situated on the shores of Loch Ness, one of the most picturesque areas in Scotland. Onto Inverness for an old town walking tour gave us a glance at some of the historic sites, such as the Inverness Castle, the Gothic style Town Hall, Inverness Cathedral, St Mary’s Church, and Tollbooth Steeple, as well as the pretty tree-lined River Ness. The Inverness castle dominates the city from its cliff top position, overlooking the River Ness. Next, we arrived at Cawdor Castle...a beautiful, traditional medieval castle and residence with lovely gardens as well as interesting ties to Shakespeare's Macbeth. The castle, dating back to 1372, is still in the hands of the Cawdor family after six centuries. We cannot say enough about the Scottish Highlands scenery, it is beautiful and well worth a repeat visit. The weather was much better than forecasted, another sunny day in Scotland and a great tour thanks to Johnny McCormack. Johnny dropped us on the high street and we made our way back to the ship. While in town, we walked around to see a bit of the town, the murals and returned to the ship. Another great day in Scotland!!!