The towns that we visited there were just as we expected.
Well kept, sturdy, and very picturesque.
Lots of flowers along the streets
As we drove along we saw the watchtower of a castle.
And more picturesque buildings
And fields of grain.
Some of which will find their way to ...
Where the long practiced skills of alcohol production grew from stills like this
To ones like these
The process starts with Mashing where malted grain is added to warm water to make mash
Then into fermentation tanks where yeast converts the sugars in the mash into alcohol then it goes into the copper stills (shown above).
The next step, the alcohol is put into barrels to be aged before it is bottled.
Tools used by the cooper (barrel maker).
Out in the countryside again we saw these cattle and a little admirer.
Next stop the Priory Church
Approaching the church and view inside.
The floor of the church had stone slabs covering the crypt's of former patrons or other people important to that church.
Another view, this one from the outside.
On to Loch Ness.
We boarded a boat on a canal that lead to the lake.
The lock controlling water entering the Loch
Underway through a narrow southern part of the Loch
Impressive homes along the waterway
It is starting to widen.
And finally we were in the wide part.
Navigating to Urquhart Castle.
The castle in view.
The oldest structures here were built during the 500's with major development of the fortress from 1220 on.
Much of it was destroyed in a war lasting for 150 years that began in the 1400's
Approaching the landing we could see the tower ruin.
A dry moat to defend against attackers with a bridge for access for friendly folks.
Views around the grounds.
Just consider the effort that it took to build and rebuild this castle.
This tunnel was defensible.
A trebuchet of modern construction to show the weaponry that would have been used by the attackers.
There are three round projectiles in the foreground of the first picture.
Here is the Inverness castle in much better condition.
It is near the river that leads from the north end of Loch Ness
Free North Church and St. Columba High Church along bank street in Inverness
Old High St Stephen's Church, a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Inverness,
These folks supply the malted grain to distillers in the region.
