After coffee we wandered.

We checked out a graveyard (the doggie sign was actually at the churchyard as well) … I find these places rather fascinating. So many parents lost young children, so many died at younger ages. Seeing people our age is rare, it seems.

More walking, as we figured out where we’d have a bite …

Then it was pizza and beer at Black Isle … the same business we visited in Fort William. While sitting at the table another couple joined us. They are currently on a Rick Steves tour and talked about how nice it was. Sounds like something we might end up doing when I get fed up with planning … but I do like to plan, and we do prefer traveling independently for now.

We then went back to the train station, collected our luggage, and waited for the train. I really dislike not knowing what track we have until quite close to the train departure. At 2:20 our 2:50 train still wasn’t showing the track number. Control freak me doesn’t like that!

As much as our B&B owner warned us about a crowded station and train, it was close to empty! (Today is a bank holiday and he said those can cause problems.) We got in our seats quickly and easily.

This wasn’t a speed train, and it took almost three hours to reach our next destination. But such beautiful countryside! I took photos through the train window, so I’m sure they won’t be great, but I’ll post them in any case.

We arrived in our next city and it is … Stirling!

Since neither of us is in great shape at the moment we took a taxi to our hotel, the Stirling Highland Hotel. It’s an older place, and our room is huge. (Not a lot of plugs to charge things, though.) Dinner was included with our first night, and we had a bottle of wine waiting in our room. I’m not even sure we can manage to drink it while we are here!

Dinner was quite nice. It is in an upstairs room, and there were not a lot of tables so it wasn’t too noisy. It appears that the building may have been a school originally. The dining room was called the Scholars’ Restaurant and I think there was the Headmaster’s room of some sort. I really need to read up on the building! I should have thought to take a quick photo. Too late for now, but breakfast is in the same spot so maybe I’ll remember tomorrow morning.

I am finding it very strange that we have no long walks to go on, and I think I’ll miss the Great Glen Way.