The scottish highlands.

If I've learned anything this trip, it's to wary of cheap accommodation. Especially cheap accommodation that says it's near the city centre. Advertising accommodation seems awfully similar to advertising real estate. Garden view might just mean "window at back of property". 2 person room probably doesn't mean a double bed.  We arrived in Inverness in the afternoon and began our half mile journey to the guesthouse. After interpreting the directions on our booking confirmation which included vague statements and misspelled street names we eventually found where we were going. Tom, cursing generally for not relieving himself before we set out kept the walking pace at a speedy walk and eventually we found our accommodation in a suburban street in a suburban house. Which was locked. The notice suggested that we ring their very busy owner who was in the city running another hostel in the city. We rang and after negotiating Door 1 and being questioned about the supposed staff member who had in fact not answered the doorbell when we rang, we levelled up to Door 2.

"so your details and key should be there on the wall."
"what?"
"on the wall. A key with your details should be stuck to the wall"
"uh, no. There's no keys here"

After further grumbling it was determined that this staff member was not to be trusted. We were seen through Door 2 and magically a staff member appeared who gave us a key and wandered off. As the key was labelled "2" we extrapolated that this was our room number and went searching. At the top of a shabby staircase we found the room. Which had small single beds on either wall. Ooookay.
As i sat on one bed i was promptly tipped off as the ancient spring mattress buckled under my weight. Hmmm. 

Needless to say our stay with these guys was inconveniently cut short as we had to change our travel plans.  We found a much more suitable bed and breakfast near the river and spent the next three nights there instead. 

Inverness is a funny town, it's a lot like Geelong. Not very big but cosmopolitan in its own way. We mainly used Inverness as a base to travel around the highlands, including a tour up to Orkney. Orkney has nearly no trees, which is either attributed to the wind stopping the trees, or vikings, apparently. It is home to one of the oldest neolithic settlements, in which partially underground stone huts were built over water channels, giving them flushing toilets. Nothing like modern conveniences!

Inverness is home to Loch Ness of coursee, and no Loch Ness tour would be complete without the thousands of Ness myths surrounding a loch that is so big that it's only been explored fully in the last twenty to thirty years. Theere are some fascinating stroies about what monsters may or may not live there as well as the science of how the water changes and affects sonar in weird ways. 

We also travelled to the western highlands for yet another steam train, and although Tom was reluctant initially, we managed to hire a car for the day to get down there. I particularly wanted to go on this train because of one of the viaducts that it travels over. And I'm sure you can work out why. :) 

**sorry folks, blogspot is onthe blink, can't upload photos. Google "glenfinnan viaduct" to see what the fuss is**