On the bus driving through the highlands to Inverness, I don’t know the best way to describe what I saw. A basic description would list there was snow covered hills and shrubbery. The white stuff, covering pines and tree skeletons. Black tar with a single white line dividing it in half. The northern sun beaming in the northern blue sky; one or two clouds floating adrift. It’s what the skiing community refers to as a bluebird. Looking at all this brings a tear to my eye. I’m unsure why but I think it’s an emotion a mother or father feels when they are so proud of their child. It truly is breath taking. Reminds me of all the national and international snow trips I’ve been on in my life. This backdrop is reliving memories, simultaneously creating new ones. I’m in love.
This is definitely a bias description I must add. I have always been a sucker for snow and will always bask in its glory. Maybe ridiculously but I believe it runs through my veins stronger than blood. It is my blood and it is what keeps my heart pumping passion.
After becoming lost trying to find the Student Hostel overlooking the River Ness, I threw my stuff in my room and tried to make the last minutes of the falling sun. It was only about 3pm but before I knew it, the sun had set. Made my way back down the river towards the town and my hostel and bought some dinner to cook. By 6pm it felt about midnight and I was ready for bed.
Was down by the river at 1015am the next morning waiting for a bus. It was a tour I had booked the previous day to search for the Loch Ness monster. On the way to the half hour cruise, the tour lady informed me of a few facts.
1) ‘Loch’ is the Scottish word for ‘lake’.
2) There are over 31000 lochs in Scotland.
3) The volume of the Loch Ness is so large that it could fit the whole worlds population in it three times over and then some.
4) Only about an hour and a half down the highway, at a place called Glencoe, is where they filmed some of the scenes from James Bond ‘Skyfall’.
5) There are many seals that swim around in the River Ness and also the Loch Ness.
6) The first recorded sighting of Nessie was in 556AD.
On the boat I had my eye out for dear Nessie but couldn’t spot her. Half an hour I was searching. I certainly had my doubts and in all honesty, I felt the same feeling I can only imagine I would feel if I was on the hunt for a unicorn, climbing a rainbow. My theory is that people who ‘see’ Nessie are either souped up on drugs and tripping or are seeing another object they recognise as being Nessie. For example, a seal. Seals have a very similar shape to what Nessie is supposedly recorded to have. This was later confirmed after a visit to the Loch Ness monster museum and a boring old visit to another castle that looks exactly the same as the other hundred and twenty I’ve seen in the past five and a bit months.
Although I think the Loch Ness monster is one of those ‘believe’ or ‘don’t believe’ things, I respect the fact that the Inverness community plays the mystery. Without it the town wouldn’t be what it is. The only reason I came to Inverness is because I wanted to see the Loch Ness. If I hadn’t done that I would not have discovered such a spectacular place. Sure, small town so pretty boring, but without tourists like myself spending money to try and ‘find’ Nessie, the town wouldn’t get nearly the amount of economic activity it does.
As the sun took an early mark once again, I looked up into the sky. I have never seen a sky so clear and fresh. The few thin clouds made this sort of wavy pattern. It reminded me of the ceiling of an old Roman museum or art gallery; the sky painted perfectly to detail. I saw a plane flying at what was most likely full altitude. Excuse my ignorance but you don’t tend to see that at home.
On the bus on a snowless frosty morning, this Battler heads down to Edinburgh. The last destination until he catches up with one of his best mates, Mark, who he’ll meet in Newcastle this Wednesday. Although not over, it is definitely nearing the end of this backpacking adventure for this Backpacking Battler