Inverness

Being up at the tip of Scotland we are back to being fairly northerly, so the nights are quite short. It didn't get dark last night until about 11:30pm, so we enjoyed a walk after tea to see the northern coastline in the lovely sunshine.

There's nothing much to do around the hostel, so we headed off first thing to Wick, a little way down the east coast, for breakfast, then paid a visit to the 'Hill o'Many Stanes', many hundreds of rocks arranged in patterns on a hilltop centuries ago. Their exact purpose is unknown, but the best theory is that they told the seasons for planting and reaping their crops.

Down the coast past a number of 'clearance villages' where clan chiefs deported thousands of Scots from their lands after the Battle of Culloden, and on to the town of Tain for morning tea.

Arrived at Inverness and went straight out to Culloden for a walk around the battlefield (actually a marshy bog) that more than anything else has shaped the history and destiny of Scotland. It was here that the young, upstart pretender to the Scottish throne, Bonnie Prince Charlie, who was actually an Italian, assembled forces to fight the English, and got creamed. As a result, clans, kilts, bagpipes and weapons were banned, and the English took administrative control of the country. They then granted land to the clan chiefs who proceeded to deport thousands of Scottish farmers, and then denude the highlands of the ancient forests to graze sheep. Whilst the folks songs wax lyrical about him ("Over the sea to Skye"), he set back nationalism for Scotland by centuries, and caused hardship and misery for thousands upon thousands.

After checking in, and some lunch, we wandered around Inverness, a pretty town with a picturesque river. After dinner, we sat outside in the garden in the warmth taking in the views of the city and cathedrals.