Mon 18 Sept 9° Tain to Inverness and end of the NC500

Lovely sunny morning, Pat came over with meeting place for tomorrow, we went our separate ways and we drove on past the Cromarty Firth, over the long bridge to Black Isle then a short bridge over Moray Firth, we drove through Inverness to Drumnadrochit and Loch Ness visitors centre. Past a potato farming machine...more mechanised than Tony had 40 odd years ago when he was potato farming in Bracknell.

Stopped at barrier arms, not at a railway crossing, but a wee cruise boat with the road 'turnaround' like end of line train turntable. Very impressive over the Caledonian Canal with 5 locks up 52 feet, designed again by Thomas Telford .

River Ness shrouded from the road by trees and bushes, and  along the Loch apart from stopping bays for photos.

The visitors centre was very tight for parking,  so stopped in a coach baywhile Tony popped in for a look, came out with a wee Nessie for our Bessie.....ahhhhhhhh  😆

Drove back to Inverness,  found out free park just out of the city, by a bus stop. While waiting for the bus a local man said we didn't a bus it wasn't far and he walked into the city with us, telling us about places while we walked.  The old church where the Jacobites chopped off the heads of traitors or shot them by the headstones in the graveyard. Also a must is a visit to Culloden Battle Field and Clava Ring of Cairn.

We went in the oldest 2nd hand bookshop in UK with its spiral staircase and walls lined top to bottom with books, the building was once a church until 1954.

Suspension bridge, very wobbly.

Oldest 2nd hand bookshop in UK

5 locks up 52' Thomas Telford designed , a prolific engineer all over UK

Faith, hope and charity

We got the hop on hop off bus £8.50 for seniors, but it is not a very big city and could possibly have walked it. The commentary and Scottish music played on the bus was well worth it.