Tours with Simon

Inverness might just be my favourite town in Scotland. It's as busy as most places and yet the people are always happy to see you, whoever you are.

My Outlander group was treated to a location I'd never been to before today. These gardens are supposed to be around Versailles Palace in season 2. Louis IV recognises Jamie and says something like "ah, Mr Porridge" before Captain Randall shows up and is forced to grovel to the king. Stunning place and the perfect day for it!

My wee bus on another Skye adventure

Anyone who's been on tour with me has probably heard me talk about the kind of marketing that's prevalent throughout the whisky industry. "This is made from the river that Rabbie Burns used to love his lassies on the banks of..." "Bonnie Prince Charlie gave us this recipe when he'd no money to pay for his hotel while on the run..." etc.
Well I'm afraid to say the marketing gurus definitely outwitted me today. Something about this bottle with the name 'Winters Gold' with the story on the box meant I just had to have it. Even the colour of the box with little snowflakes on it seemed to remind me of how it felt at Christmas as a wee boy, putting me in mind of 'The Snowman' or something.
I actually first saw the product a few weeks ago and ever since I've been thinking about those barrels of whisky sitting up there on the moor covered in snow and surviving through storms and blizzards. Consequently, when I just happened to drop by the distillery today, my defences were obsolete. I simply can't wait to try this on a cold winter's night by the fire.
I just hope the actual whisky is as nice as their standard 15 year old.

I experienced my first taste of bus envy today.

Thou shall not pass...

It was a stormy day in the highlands today. Does anyone recognise where we are in this photo?

I finally made it to Craigh na Dun! There aren't as many trees as you might expect. The fallen tree leaves a bit of a gap (is at a 45 degree angle in the classic shot at the end of the opening credits). It's still a very nice spot though. I will definitely return.

Beside the door of the Old High Church of Inverness there are bullet holes from 1746 when Jacobites were executed by firing squad in the days after the Battle of Culloden.

I met this little guy just chillin by the river in Glencoe today.

A couple of old rotten boats on the shore in Fort William.

Loch Ness looking rather nice this morning. Proof that our skies aren't grey all of the time. (Just most of it).

What an amazing afternoon at Outlander Day organised by at the magnificent

I feel like 90% of my posts are from Skye these days but who could blame me? Neist Point at sunset isn't really possible just now but even at lunchtime it's looking great. I even walked down the million or so steps this time.

The drive to Skye was rather nice today. Two of my group had watched Highlander just before coming to Scotland and recognised the castle straight away. Skye has a bit of a temperature inversion going on.

I should be fed up with this road but it only takes an interesting cloud (or the fact that it's closed further south and almost empty) to feel the magic. On evenings like this it's impossible not to be late back, and worry about closed roads when the time comes.

We moved under one giant ubiquitous low dark cloud today.

Highland cows are high on the list of many visitors to Scotland, but when you're on an Outlander tour and you hear there's a cow called Jamie Fraser, there's going to be a mutiny if you don't go there immediately. The cows were a bit boring, but the Alpacas stole the show.

Stunning day on Skye today

Today was special. When arriving back in Edinburgh I'd have gladly turned around and done the whole three days again. The surroundings were great but the group was even better.

This stag looked at me as if to say "go near my hinds and you'll have my antlers through your face pal". That's what such a look means in Glasgow anyway!

As Mr Stewart once said, "we are sailing..."

Nice trees in Glen Affric. Apparently Prince Charlie once had a p**s on one of these after running from Culloden just as the battle began. I guess that's what happens when you have a bonnie prince rather than a brave one...