Chapter 9 - Inverness Part I

Chapter 9 – Inverness Part I

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

We arrived in Inverness by train from Aberdeen at 2:15 pm and walked about five minutes to our Airbnb which is on King Street just across a suspension footbridge over the Ness River from city center. We caught our first glimpse of Inverness Castle as we crossed the footbridge (photo 9 – 1).

After a few minor issues, we got into our apartment and began to get settled. It is on a very quiet street and well-appointed but smaller than our apartment in Aberdeen. Our hostess, Zuzana (Suz) had stocked our kitchen with a big bowl of fruit, bread, eggs, milk, orange juice, cheeses, coffee, and other good snacks.

Until now we’ve been staying in relatively large cities. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, Edinburgh second largest, and Aberdeen the third largest. Keep in mind that all of Scotland has a population of only around five and one-half million as compared with Tennessee with slightly over seven million. We are now in the highlands, the least populated area in Scotland. Inverness is the largest city in the highlands with around forty-seven thousand. So, it really feels like a small, very walkable town. It is on the northeast coast where the River Ness meets the Moray Firth. Inverness is located close to the Culloden Moor where the British and Jacobite armies fought in 1746 – more on that when we visit Culloden next week with Andy.

We walked around a little in the city and had dinner at River House just a short distance from our apartment. Many restaurants here are tiny – about ten tables - so we were happy we had made a reservation before we came. We shared oysters on the half-shell from Cape Wrath which is the most northwesterly point in mainland Britain. We also shared a fried oyster appetizer. Bruce then had a goat cheese salad and smoked salmon on a toasted crumpet. Sarah had Cullen Skink for her entrée and a lemon tart for dessert. We are definitely coming back here.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

We slept a bit later and decided to go out for breakfast at a little place called Rendezvous Café. Sarah had porridge with fresh fruit, nuts, and currants. Bruce had smoked salmon on a bagel. We walked around a little bit stopping in at the Town House and signing the Book of Remembrance for Queen Elizabeth II (photo 9 – 2). We got a couple of pictures as we crossed back over the footbridge (Photos 9 – 3 and 9 – 4).

Sarah took a long walk to Carnac Point where the River Ness drains into the firth. It was very windy and blustery (Photo 9 – 5). She followed a path from there to the Merkinch Local Nature Reserve and then connected to the path along the Caledonian Canal and then back to the apartment. This is a view across the water to a beautiful residential area of Inverness (Photo 9 – 6).

We had reservations for an early dinner at The Mustard Seed which had been highly recommended to us as one of the best

restaurants in Inverness. We shared a seafood grazing platter as an appetizer. Bruce had grilled salmon with vegetables. Sarah had aubergine and courgette curry (eggplant and zucchini). We shared an apple crumble with custard and ice cream for dessert – yummy!

Thursday, September 15, 2022

We cooked breakfast at home in the “tiny” kitchen – makes me thankful for my larger kitchen at home - then headed out to explore a bit. Bruce wanted to add some international calling minutes to his UK sim card so we stopped at the Vodaphone store in Eastgate, a shopping center in Inverness. We are surprised by how inexpensive phone and data service

is here in the UK.

We then decided to walk over to the bus station and book our tickets to Fort William for September 27. Bruce wanted to visit a small village outside of Inverness called Tornagrain. It is a planned sustainable community designed by the same people who designed Rosemary Beach. We took bus 27 out into the countryside. While only about seven miles outside of Inverness it was about a 45-minute bus ride. We went by Culloden Battlefield and the University of the Islands and Highlands, Inverness Campus.

Tornagrain currently has about 250 homes out of a planned 5000. It has a café, a store, and a pharmacy. It also has tennis courts, a playground, and a community room. We stopped first into the pharmacy and had a nice chat with two young pharmacists. We walked around a bit, had lunch at the Hilldale Café, and checked out the general store.

It’s an attractive village with plenty of green space and room to expand. We tried to look at one of the homes, but the salesperson was not available. So, we headed to the bus stop to await the next bus. We had been told bus 27 come at five minutes before the hour every hour. It was about 2:40 pm. We waited, and we waited, and we waited. A 27 bus came by but changed its number as it turned around and sped by us. A number 11 bus stopped but they were just heading to the airport and wouldn’t be back to go to Inverness for another hour.

We began to get nervous as we had been told bus service stopped at 6:00 pm so we started to check out taxi services. Unfortunately, nobody answered the phone. Then, another 27-bus appeared BUT it was being used as a school bus and couldn’t let anyone else on the bus. Bruce went over to the pharmacy and our new friends began trying to find us a taxi service. Still no answers.

A short time later (now about 4:30 pm) another 27-bus came and we were able to board for the journey back to Inverness. We had a nice chat with a driving instructor, originally from Poland, who was on the bus. He told us the times were not always reliable due to staffing shortages. This bus stopped by the Culloden Battlefield on the return journey where about twelve people who had also been waiting on a bus boarded. We also stopped at the University where probably twenty-five students were waiting. Amazingly they all boarded (standing room only) and we headed for Inverness.

We arrived back in Inverness about 5:00 pm. Our plan had been to take the bus out, walk around an hour or so, and catch the bus back. It turned into an all-afternoon event. And, after all that, we realized we didn’t even get a picture of Tornagrain!

I think we’ve mastered traveling by train, but bus travel still eludes us! We picked up Chinese take-out for dinner.

Friday, September 16, 2022

We went back to the Rendezvous for breakfast. On the way back to our apartment, we stopped at Tesco for a few groceries. Sarah started laundry then headed back into town. She went to Leakey Bookstore, a huge used bookstore in an old church (Photo 9 – 7) and walked through the Victorian Market. The Victorian Market is a covered market that was originally build in 1870 (150 years ago). Unfortunately, the original building was destroyed by a fire in 1889 but was rebuilt and reopened in 1891. It now houses contemporary shops and cafes.

We spent a quiet afternoon working on the blog and reading. We had dinner at Café One. We shared two appetizers - tempura battered zucchini flower filled with ricotta and lightly battered calamari. We both had fish and chips for dinner. Bruce had Neapolitan ice cream for dessert. Sarah had “drop scones” with berries and whipped cream. Another delicious dinner.

Saturday, September 17, 2022

We cooked breakfast in the apartment then walked through town. We stopped at Café Nero for coffee and people watching and then went to the Inverness Museum. Bruce then headed back to the apartment, and Sarah walked the Ness Trail which followed the river upstream away from town. It was a beautiful, wooded trail in and around the river (Photo 9 -8). There is evidence now of fall with some leaves having a golden hue. Despite the chilly day, two men were standing in the middle of the river fishing.

We went back to the River House Restaurant for dinner. Bruce had salad and octopus and hake for dinner. Sarah had

fried oysters as an appetizer and Pasta alla Norma for her entrée.

Sunday, September 18, 2022

We walked to a new breakfast place, Wild Pancakes. Sarah had pancakes with peanut butter and strawberry jam. Bruce had a savory crepe of cheese and onions, then sampled the lemon crepe. We walked back to the apartment in a light rain and caught up with our blog.

The rain cleared and Sarah walked the Ness Trail again (photo 9 – 9). Bruce took a nap. We went to The Waterfront for dinner. Bruce had the Sunday roast – beef with barbeque

gravy, roasted potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding. Sarah had the steak and ale pie topped with puff pastry. We made it an early night since we start our next three days with Andy tomorrow.

We’ll end this chapter with a few pictures of Inverness. First, the Old High St. Stephen’s Church by the River Ness (Photo 9 – 10). This is the oldest church in Inverness dating from 1770 although tradition says that St. Columba preached from the hill where the church sits in AD 565. After the Battle of Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland and the government troops took over Inverness and executed Jacobite prisoners in the churchyard.

Inverness has several churches so you see beautiful spires everywhere. This next picture is a view across the river towards two churches (Photo 9 – 11). The last picture is of boats on the Caledonian Canal (Photo 9 – 12).