Day 26 Tuesday May 31 Aberdeen to Edinburgh

Some views from the train from Aberdeen to Edinburgh

The Tay railway bridge

Princes Street looking toward the National Gallery

One of the places that claims Harry Potter

Edinburgh Castle

The Castle in the background, Grassmarket in front

From the National Gallery, looking toward the Scott Monument, and the hotel where Harry Potter was also written...

Houses on the way up to the Royal Mile

Advocates Close, a narrow lane off the Royal Mile

Some modern additions to the Old Town, also off Advocates Close

Part of the John Rebus tour...

Which had to include a visit to the Oxford Bar

Day 25 Monday May 30 Aberdeen

Sandy in front of her grandmother's  house in Aberdeen

A visit to Crathes Castle outside Aberdeen 

Lunchtime entertainment

View from the top of the castle.  No photography allowed inside the castle, but very interesting interiors and displays

View in the other direction, over the gardens and croquet lawn

So many beautiful spots in the garden...

Inside the Victorian greenhouses

Herbaceous borders

Rose garden

Some of the yew hedges are over 200 yo

The fountain garden

The boys are ready 

Makes it tough for the map readers...

Our beautiful B&B, with wonderful hosts Brenda and Stuart Cheetham.

Tomorrow we're off to Edinburgh for a few days.

Day 24 Sunday May 29 Inverness to Aberdeen

 Doug and Sandy on the train to Aberdeen

Lots of agriculture and grazing along this route

On the esplanade in Aberdeen

Footdee - an old area near the harbour with fishermen's houses and sheds

Sandy, Doug and Viv

Aberdeen is full of granite buildings... very grey...

Our hotel for tonight, the Atholl House

Day 23 Saturday May 28 Inverness

Today we did a bit of looking around Inverness and took a trip to Culloden Moor  to see the site of the 1746 battle.

The interpretation centre at Culloden 

Our tour guide showing the location of some of the mass graves of the 1500 Jacobites killed during the one hour battle

Victorian recreation of an 18th century cottage on the site - it was the location of the government field hospital after the battle

Looking out over part of the battlefield, from a roof top observation area

And in the other direction

Back in Inverness and dinner at a local pub

Tomorrow we travel by train to Aberdeen for a couple of days, then on to Edinburgh

Day 22 Friday May 27 Blackfold to Inverness 12k

All ready for the last day on the Great Glen Way

A section of the conifer plantation that had been harvested recently

Along a Drovers road, dating from the 1700s and 1800s

A ruin along the Drovers road

View of the Moray Firth

Gorse and hiker

View of Inverness, with a Victorian mental hospital in the centre.  The large complex is being redeveloped

Back into the forest

Golf course on the edge of Inverness

Stopping for lunch by the Caledonian Canal

Swing bridge with a sailboat and barge

Footbridge over the River Ness

House along the River Ness 

Last hill.. Up to Inverness Castle

The official end of the hike 

Flora MacDonald looks out on the river