Our "Loch Ness Hunter" day tour started on the Royal Mile of Edinburgh at 8:00am. It finished at 7:30pm... in between was eight hours of driving, a few short toilet stops, and one hour and twenty mins spent at the actual destination - Fort Augustus on the Loch Ness. Kind of disappointing to be honest, but the tour guide told us lots of fascinating stories along the way.
Scotland has an incredibly gruesome history! I don't remember dates and stuff, but let's just say it all happened yonks ago...
One of the stories he told as we passed through Glen Coe was about the MacDonald and the Campbell clans. See, there were lots of "clans" living in the highlands yonkers ago, and for the most part they pretty much hated each other, and would often try to kill each other - and often suceed. This one time, however, the MacDonalds welcomed the Campbells into their clan - fed them and let them stay for the night. For reasons unknown, (or maybe the stupid Indians behind us who kept talking talking during the guide's stories made me miss the reason...), the Campbells took opportunity in the dead of the night to massacre the MacDonalds! They came into their tents and slit the throats of men, women and children.
This was a horrific betrayal, and to this day in the local hotel they have a sign that reads: NO CAMPBELLS. They actually have the legal right to refuse service or lodging to anyone with the surname Campbell. A few years back, an American (of course) Campbell was thrown out of the pub, so he tried to sue. He lost his case.
The guide also described in gruesome detail, the execution of William Wallace. It is not as it was portrayed in the film, which was horrific enough... He was whipped, drawn (stretched), given drugs to keep him alive and conscious while his intestines were taken out of him, and boiled before his eyes, while still attached to his body, then his manhood was cut off and stuffed in his mouth before his he was quartered - literally cut into four peices.
I am sorry I had to share that with you, but I couldn't keep this to myself!! I know... I could have gone the rest of my life without hearing this, too...
Anyway, the scenery was nice from the bus, but I can't say I would do it again. If you want to see the highlands of Scotland, hire a car and stay along the way for a night or two. That is my two cents for what it is worth.
That night we went to this FABULOUS Indian restaurant for dinner, and had the first of what would be many meals that Jessica would claim tasted like "canned spaghetti". Personally, I thougt the Butter Chicken she was referring to tasted great.
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