DAY-06: St. Andrews To Inverness, The Highlands
Day – 06: Monday, August 28, 2017
Starting Location: St. Andrews, Scotland, UK
Ending Location: Inverness, Scotland, UK
We'll continue the journey north today but first a bit of breakfast looking out over the 17th fairway with golfers engaged in the sport. Actually the course has few players this morning, somewhat unexpected.
We did make a stop by the gift shop before checking out, can't leave St. Andrews without something emblazoned with the Old Course logo, here's a sample.
The route taken to Inverness would take us well into the highlands, actually into ski country.
Driving through Scotland you come across these great town names, many of which we can't pronounce, e.g. Blairgowrie, Slochnacrain, Balmoral (home of the castle), Kinveachy, etc.
Somewhere in route I had my first petrol experience and I got it right. The Volvo is diesel powered so gasoline is a no-no. Nevertheless, the petrol over here is expensive, equating to over $6+/gallon in American equivalent units.
It's pump then pay here in Scotland, with the station attendant exceedingly friendly and chatty, somewhat of a departure from what we've come to expect in the U.S.
As we ascended into the highlands we passed through millions of acres dedicated to farming and ranching, there are cattle and sheep everywhere. Scotland could give New Zealand a run for their money when it comes to sheep. BTW, the Scottish sheep don't look any smarter that the Kiwi sheep.
Here's proof that chickens cross the road. Probably a Grouse but called a Prairie Chicken in some parts.
So I mentioned a ski resort, sure enough there it was with lifts, rope tows and all. We stopped for a photo op and it just seemed colder there than where we had come from, not snow cold, but that damp misty biting cold.
Though they have a good number of ski runs one must remember the highest peak in Scotland is about 4,500 feet, 700 feet less that downtown Denver.
Then there was the heather on the heath or something like that. At certain elevations this purple stuff is everywhere.
Passing the summit and back down to sea level we again went through amazing farmland. It's the harvesting season for the grain crops, so the piles of straw, the bales of hay were visible across the region.
Along the route we came upon our first sighting of a Scottish Highland cattle ranch/farm.
By late afternoon we arrived into the Best Western Palace Hotel, just across the river from what else but a palace.
The hotel room security was interesting, they key you see is the one-and-only room lock, no dead bolts, just a simple skeleton key, not an electronic skeleton key just a traditional "Iron Age" security system.
The hotel even advertised the presence of Starbucks. Turns out they serve Starbucks products but aren't officially a Starbucks store. Sheila's Starbucks Card had no value in Inverness!
For dinner it was brews and burgers in a local pub
then back to the room, for me with a hot chocolate topped with whipped creme and marshmallows.
After some Internet activity it was lights out!
We'll continue the journey north today but first a bit of breakfast looking out over the 17th fairway with golfers engaged in the sport. Actually the course has few players this morning, somewhat unexpected.
We did make a stop by the gift shop before checking out, can't leave St. Andrews without something emblazoned with the Old Course logo, here's a sample.
Driving through Scotland you come across these great town names, many of which we can't pronounce, e.g. Blairgowrie, Slochnacrain, Balmoral (home of the castle), Kinveachy, etc.
Somewhere in route I had my first petrol experience and I got it right. The Volvo is diesel powered so gasoline is a no-no. Nevertheless, the petrol over here is expensive, equating to over $6+/gallon in American equivalent units.
It's pump then pay here in Scotland, with the station attendant exceedingly friendly and chatty, somewhat of a departure from what we've come to expect in the U.S.
As we ascended into the highlands we passed through millions of acres dedicated to farming and ranching, there are cattle and sheep everywhere. Scotland could give New Zealand a run for their money when it comes to sheep. BTW, the Scottish sheep don't look any smarter that the Kiwi sheep.
Here's proof that chickens cross the road. Probably a Grouse but called a Prairie Chicken in some parts.
So I mentioned a ski resort, sure enough there it was with lifts, rope tows and all. We stopped for a photo op and it just seemed colder there than where we had come from, not snow cold, but that damp misty biting cold.
Then there was the heather on the heath or something like that. At certain elevations this purple stuff is everywhere.
 |
| Commonly referred to as a "bunny". |
Along the route we came upon our first sighting of a Scottish Highland cattle ranch/farm.
 |
| This would be "Archie". |
 |
| Our room is secure! |
The hotel room security was interesting, they key you see is the one-and-only room lock, no dead bolts, just a simple skeleton key, not an electronic skeleton key just a traditional "Iron Age" security system.
The hotel even advertised the presence of Starbucks. Turns out they serve Starbucks products but aren't officially a Starbucks store. Sheila's Starbucks Card had no value in Inverness!
For dinner it was brews and burgers in a local pub
then back to the room, for me with a hot chocolate topped with whipped creme and marshmallows.
After some Internet activity it was lights out!
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