July 9-11, 2016

We made arrangements with a car rental agency to be picked up from our B&B in Glasgow. By noon we were off in a nice Mazda 6 attempting to navigate the UK roads from the opposite side. Thankfully this car had GPS. Michael was the primary driver and it took us a while to figure out all of the roundabouts and one way streets. Eventually we sorted it all out and we managed to get out of the city and onto the highway.

Inverness was about a three and half hour drive from Glasgow. We stopped for lunch along the way at some overpriced restaurant on the side of the highway. It seemed quite popular with travelers with its country-style souvenir shop and general store attached.

There was a bit of rain as we entered Inverness. Our new B&B was easy to find since it was centrally located in town, just over the main bridge. Parking was a bit of a problem. We ended up paying to park overnight in a nearby church lot.

Our hostess Eleanor was absolutely lovely. She helped us with our luggage and introduced us to her little dog Mia. Of course, Maeve and Liam loved the new canine companionship. We were thrilled with our family room and overall accommodations. Eleanor had rehabbed this property over the past few years and she did a wonderful job. The B&B is called 'A Castle View' as there are unobstructed views of the Inverness Castle from our breakfast room.

Once we were unpacked and settled, we went out to explore and search for a dinner spot. SInce it was Sunday, our options were more limited and some of the recommendations from Eleanor were closed or full. Liam absolutely HATES wandering around looking for places to eat and this just rehashed those emotions of similar experiences during our year abroad. Eventually we settled on a Caribbean place and ordered burgers and pasta. Sigh.

I loved the streets throughout Inverness.There were no shortage of quaint pubs or specialty shops. Some of the main drag had quite a few lager-louts as Michael called them. This term generally refers to folks who have been over served no matter what time of day.

After dinner the kids wanted to relax in the room so Michael and I went for a walk (and a pint). The rain had stopped and the sky and temps were perfect.

Beautiful city views on a gorgeous night

The next morning we enjoyed a traditional Scottish breakfast and so much more at Eleanor's place. We were definitely spoiled there with a variety of gorgeous fruits, yogurts and cheeses. Eleanor provided a few suggestions on where to walk and explore. We found ourselves ambling along the River Ness toward some canals.

We discovered some tiny islands on our walk. These were connected by little bridges. The area seemed popular with locals for walking and biking. The kids found a large park and channeled their inner 6 year olds.

Or enjoying a moment alone (not knowing Mom is behind her capturing the moment)

The walk probably lasted a little longer than the kids desired. After some complaints, we headed back toward the B&B and had lunch in town. Michael and the kids went back to our room to relax and I walked around the other part of town with pedestrian walkways and shops.

We had learned our lesson the night before and made reservations for dinner at one of the restaurants Eleanor recommended. The place was packed which may have impacted our service. While the food was good, we felt pretty ignored.

Michael and I dropped the kids off at our room and enjoyed an after-dinner drink and another evening walk around town.

The main bridge and our B&B at first left.

Closer view of our B&B second building in.

Inverness was lovely. It was larger than I thought. I'd definitely recommend Eleanor's B&B. It was perfect.