Today we woke up to a beautiful sunrise on Skye. It was perfect for our last morning. After breakfast, we hit the road. Today was my first time in the driver’s seat. I was a little nervous to be on the opposite side of the car and also the other side of the road but ready to try something new. Overall it’s very easy to get used to being on the other side of the road. The main thing is that roads here are just so narrow and there isn’t much of a side of the road so you have no room for error. I will say that the signage in the UK is extremely helpful. Any time there were curves or a dip in the road there was plenty of signage. Also speaking of signs, we have seen a wide variety of animal crossing signs. Throughout our drives we have seen the standard sheep, cow, and horse signs which are just a picture of the animal on a sign. Nothing new there. My favorite sign was one I saw today that said “Caution Feral Goats.” I had to wonder if there was an incident where they felt it necessary to mention the goats were feral and not just a regular goat sign. We also saw a sign that said “Caution Otters!” and I understand the exclamation point because I too would be excited if I saw an otter in the road.

Our first stop was a roadside attraction as we were leaving Skye. Across the road from the Isle of Skye Golf Club there is a field with some Highland Cattle or as we have been told the locals call them “hairy coos.” We were able to pull over and get to see these beauties up close. They really are as fluffy and sweet as they look in the pictures and we were very excited to see our first ones in person.

After saying goodbye, we headed back on the road. Driving through Scotland has been one of the most beautiful experiences. The scenery is just amazing and there is constantly something new and interesting to see. After driving through winding mountain roads for a while we finally caught a glimpse of Loch Ness. My mom has been dreaming of visiting Loch Ness for as long as I can remember so any visit to Scotland would not be complete without seeing this famous place and giving a cheeky wave to Nessie. We stopped at Urquhart Castle which is an ancient castle with beautiful views of the loch. It was built in about the 13th century but it was built over existing fortifications that are even older. Only ruins are left of the castle but it’s still beautiful with moss and plants growing over the stones. There are also pictures on the tour that show you what different areas of the castle would have looked like so you can let your imagination run wild.

After walking around the castle we needed some food. We headed to Ness Deli in Drumnadrochit. I got a delicious steak pie with chips and veggies. It was warm and comforting. This is the coldest day we have had yet so I needed it! After food we headed on to check in to our new home in Inverness. We enjoyed some British television before dinner. For dinner we went to Rajah to get some delicious spicy Indian food. It warms the soul after a chilly day.