Wendy and Jim's Travel Blog
London and Scotland Day 9
Problematic travel, Inverness, schedule changes
After an early start, we got to the Waverly train station in Edinburgh to find out that our train to Inverness was cancelled! We took another local one towards Glasgow, switched at Stirling and got to Inverness around 2:30, about 1 1/2 hours later than planned. 
How lucky that our hotel, The Royal Highland is literally 25 steps from the train station. It was opened in 1856, has all the old staircases, elevators, and bathroom fittings, and lots of character, including old keys to the door. 
Our tour of the city was led by Dan in full Scottish dress. He was a nice person, but very long winded. We were tired, but tried to learn about falcons and unicorns, (the unicorn is the symbol of Scotland and is usually next to the lion) and why they are
together?- the unicorn is the only animal that can defeat the lion, a sly reference to Scotland and England. The town hall was recently renovated and is the THIRD spot where they announced Charles the new King of England. 
We walked across to the River Ness, a waterway connecting Loch Ness with the Moray Firth which then leads to the North Sea. 
Saw a old cemetery from the High Street Church, no longer in use, but we did see some local teens getting “ high” there!! 
Our next three days are all mixed up and somewhat changed from the original itinerary. Tomorrow, Monday, September 19 is the funeral and burial of QEII, and as such, almost everything is closed. Many tour groups are either traveling or took the day off. Steve and Linda have been working all week to find creative ways to stick to the plan, although there are many changes. For example, we were supposed to take a very scenic train to The isle of Skye in
the Hebrides in a few days. Instead, we are traveling there tomorrow by bus.
Wearily, we ended the day at a local American- like restaurant called Scotch and Rye where we had burgers. Our room is lovely, very old. Wendy took a long soaking bath in the long tub! 
#published #evernote
On Saturdays, there is a small market that pops up across the street from our hotel next to all the restaurants we’ve been eating at. We had fun meeting some locals, trying some great food, and doing a bit of shopping! 
Today was our 
Quite beautiful, and truly awe inspiring, especially the nave, we admired the artwork, organ, small side chapels and the beautiful interior. The tours
were all booked up, and we left after about ½ hour, after admiring the Thistle Chapel, the main alter where the Queens casket was positioned just a few days ago, and the statue of John Knox, leader of the first Protestant uprising. 
Took the 
We walked over to New Town for our afternoon experience- a whisky tasting at Johnny Walker’s showroom and tasting center. We booked a Whisky Explorer experience featuring a tasting of five whiskies from different regions of Scotland. 
To be classified as Scotch, a whisky must consist of three ingredients: water, barley, and yeast; it must be aged at least three years in aged oak barrels (most typically old bourbon barrels from America are used); it must be made in Scotland. 
We sampled three single malts: Caol Ila 12 from Islay, Clynelish 14 from the Highlands, and Cardhu 12 from Speyside. We then tried an unusual 
The flavor profiles were very different among the samples. The Caol ILa (on of Jim’s favorites) had the smoky (peaty) taste typical of Islay scotches, the Cardhu (Wendy’s favorite) was very smooth. We both chose the blended 
On the way home, we enjoyed an impromptu rock concert on the Grassmarket Square. Many students, and young and old alike were dancing, singing and just enjoying a wonderful Saturday night. Home to pack, we leave tomorrow for Inverness on the train. Good night and goodbye Edinburgh. What a wonderful town! 
