Bleak and windy early, but clearing skies over the ocean to N.E.

We followed the coast south, up and down, over the peninsulas and around the bays. Very pretty with many sightings of sandy beaches and castle ruins here and there but seemingly inaccessible over farmed fields. No obvious tracks or welcoming signs.

It was a well formed two-lane road but some very steep sections... one in particular with many warning signs 'stay in low gear'!

At Dunrobin Castle we took photos of an ornate spire in the beautiful gardens.

Several high stone walls along this section... just too high to see over. Very reminiscent of Ireland (except that the road was actually wide enough for 2 cars).

The rural scenery with sheep, cattle, crops and green pastures was luxuriant. As we move south the villages got bigger.

Along the length of Cromarty Firth (Ross Shire) there were a number of steel platforms, which we guessed to be oil or gas drilling platforms. We later found out this is a major repair/ rebuilding centre for the north-sea oil fields.

Dingwall (Ross Shire) looked interesting in the tourist brochures so we decided to stop in there for morning tea and look around. We should have realised when the car park was almost empty... the whole town closes on Sundays! Nothing open and just a few tourists like us, aimlessly wandering the pedestrian mall.

We pushed on the extra 20 miles to Inverness and just before the city crossed the very beautiful Inverness Bridge with many gleaming thick cables sweeping above the deck. The A9 highway bypasses the town centre so we swung off and found ourselves in the city with not one sign to indicate where the tourist info might be. As we drove, we spotted 2 backpackers and called to them for help. One of them handed us a map she had got from the railway station. Armed with that we eventually found the tourist info in the centre of the city, adjacent to Inverness castle. No parking spots within cooee!

We eventually parked at a supermarket and walked several blocks back. We found the castle pretty disappointing. Rather 'new' looking and housing the courts and other public utilities.

We found a photo developing place and pub grub.. the cheapest soup so far in our trip. From the tourist info we had details of 3 emails centres. The first was shut, the second booked out for an hour and the third was a pub bar which was available and happy for us to use our floppy disc. At last we could send our travelogue instalment that we had written at the Old Manse on Friday night! Having done that we walked out of the pub and realised we were directly opposite our car.

On then to a B&B at Drumnadrochit, Allanmore Farm. This proved to be a 500 year old farm house at the end of a lane, about 5 mile out of town.

No en-suits here! We had to go downstairs and out the back of the house to the bathroom. Our hostess recommended a pub/restaurant at Cannich (Inverness Shire), 10miles down the road. A very unimposing building well off the road, and when we arrived, no other customers. The food and prices were good, service friendly and the place filling up when we left.