10:16 AM
From where I’m sitting, Inverness is rather bonnie! Actually, I’m on a bench on the bank of the river Ness, in a green, ‘parked’ area. ‘Downtown’ is only a few minutes away, but you’d never guess it. I can’t believe how clean the river seems. Parents allow their children to play in the water, so it can’t be that dirty. To get here, I had to cross the suspension bridge again. They’re fun!
I can’t believe the number of Australians and New-= Zealanders I’ve met! I usually have at least one in my room. Last night, we were two in the room, and she was Australian. Haven’t met many Canadians since Glasgow and Edinburgh ; there was an Albertan in Aviemore.
I can’t get over how young the Scots marry and start their families! I’ve seen couples barely out of their teens with wedding bands and the stroller. Since there are many such couples, I assume it’s the norm. Personally, I’d rather live first!
I’m going to keep exploring until about a quarter of 2. Haggis should be picking me up at 2:30. It looks like a long bus ride to Skye (arrival time estimated at 6 o’clock). No worse than yesterday, I guess!
8:46 p.m.
On the way to Kyleakin, we made an hour long stop at Eilean Donan castle! It’s very beautiful. Unfortunately, the guides are cold and unfriendly. They lack the passion required by the job. There was a cool ‘recreated’ kitchen complete with mannequins. It was creepy but well done!
Speaking of creepy, this youth hostel is almost terrifying! I’m just getting this bad vibe about this place. At first, I thought I might just be homesick and lonely, but I met up with some very nice people and the feeling didn’t go away. I’ll spend a night here and if I still feel weird in the morning I might ask for a refund and go elsewhere. There are lots of cheap places around here. What I hate is not being able to pinpoint the origin of my ‘bad feeling’. I can’t tell if it’s about things coming or things that have already happened. Anyhoo, I feel creepy.
I hiked up to the ruins of an old (13th century, destroyed late Middle Ages) Scandinavian fortress. The hike up is unbelievable, there’s no real path. You really have to play ‘mountain goat’ to get up and down. (This was when I discovered that I am essentially immune to the greatest deterrent to Scottish tourism: the midge. I’m told I could market my blood and make an easy fortune! Those bugs are worse than mosquitoes, which love my blood. I’ll never know why the midges left me alone, but bit the people with me to pieces, but I’m glad!)
I don’t know what I’m doing tomorrow. I don’t think there’s a tourist information centre here. I would like to go on a trail ride; I’ve seen several advertised, only they’re further ‘inland’, I think. I’ll see how complicated and expensive it is to get out there for day trip.
10:46
I’ve just spent the last hour at a pub with a Swedish girl I met and about 7 strangers! This was the first time I’ve been to a pub. It helps that I can actually drink now, not just a few sips but a whole beer and actually enjoy it (I had a Guinness. Boy is it good !). The only thing is I’ll stink of cigarettes tomorrow. The music was a little loud, but nothing like school dances. Considering the wallflower I am, I rather had a good time. I guess the beer helped! Now, I know what a pub’s like. Imagine going back to North America and telling everyone I never even set foot in one!?