Day 18 – Inverness

Rising from my bed I look out of the window to see the river Ness flowing fast, that the clouds have closed in over the mountains and the rain is softly falling, the weather forecast has predicted that this afternoon the rain might break so this calls for some indoor activities. Sounds like a road trip coming up.

So after a hearty breakfast I head north to visit the men of Tain i.e. Glenmorangie Distillery. Driving along the motor way I turn a corner and am met by a sting of oil rigs sitting in the middle of the firth, it is a shame to spoil such a lovely view but the search for north sea oil goes on.

Arriving at Tain it is only just out of town that the Glenmorangie Distillery is situated on the banks of the Dornoch Firth. the tour costs 2.50 but a tasting is had at the end. The tour is very interesting, the distillery, along with its sister distillery Ardbeg, are now owned by the French and an upgrading is going on to increase the production of whiskey from 4000 litres to 6000 litres per year. The distillery is currently using 300 tons of malted barley a week.

Arriving back in Inverness, the weather has improved so it is out for a walk around town, up to the castle to have a look and take some photos. Inverness in its self is a quiet place with most people using it as a base for touring the surrounding area. Conveniently located across from the castle is the castle hotel, this is an excellent place for an ale or as I found out they have a whiskey menu with 26 different drams on offer, needless to say it turned into a long night.