| The British Airways Club World Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 The BA Club World Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 was busy but the build your own burger station produced good results; & I remembered to ask for champagne but I wish they would return to offering bottled sparkling water. Getting it from a hydration dispenser feels far from luxurious. Toasting my Legendary Father; then Caillean's Perfect very Dry Grey Goose Martini with a Green Lime Twist & a Sublime Dinner in Beira Restaurant in the Hotel Tanja personally collected me from Inverness Airport and we were soon toasting dad with Inverness-shire's Tomatin whisky. Then Caillean made me a perfect martini and we had a memorable hotel dinner, with stunning fresh local ingredients. Visiting the Isle of Skye with Guide Andrew from Wow, Scotland! The Isle of Skye is the largest Inner Hebrides island and famous for its dramatic/ misty landscapes. Our tour took 12 hours but we saw Loch Ness on the way. Its statistics are mind-blowing, holding more fresh water than all the lakes in England & Wales We stopped to see the colourful Portree harbour and saw all the iconic landmarks (eg the Old Man of Storr; Kilt Rock & Mealt Fall; Trotternish Peninsula forged by ancient landslides & volcanic activity etc). The Fairy Pools did not live up to the unrealistic photos on Instagram but you could not helped to be moved seeing Eilean Donan Castle. An exhausting day but worth all the effort. Balmoral Castle's Stunning Gardens & Historic Ballroom Apparently there is an inscription above the door in the Jubilee Conservatory at Balmoral Castle that reads "One is nearer God's heart in a garden, than anywhere else on earth". When my mother visited Highgrove's gardens she noted lots of single seats dotted around and, at the time, imagined our future king spending lots of time in solitary reflection. The gardens at Balmoral Castle are monumental in scale and gorgeous, with meticulous attention to detail. The 7 expert gardeners must be kept busy. It was interesting to see the ballroom and its exhibition of photos and paintings. The Balmoral Castle Afternoon Tea Afternoon tea was a fun experience and they get a bonus point for not charging extra for our sparkling water. The brioche bread the smoked trout & horseradish cream was served on was too heavy but we both loved the truffle cream cheese with cucumber on light as air white bread. The sundried tomato & spring onion quiche and venison sausage roll, with venison sourced from the Balmoral Estate, were moorish. The scones with clotted cream and homemade jam, were perfect but the Victoria Sponge & Carrot Cake too dry. It was a more than two hour drive each way from Inverness but the landscapes on the way are stunning. AC Hotels by Marriott in Inverness AC Hotels in Inverness proved to be a perfect base to explore the Highlands. A great night's sleep with good linen, a comfortable bed & excellent a/c; powerful showers; satisfying breakfasts and helpful & cheerful staff. It was a '9 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) stay in the Highlands of Scotland. AC Hotels by Marriott in Inverness; Balmoral Castle & the Isle of Skye all exceeded my high expectations. I would not change anything about the trip. Tanja was the perfect friend to accompany me on our excursions. We were so lucky with the weather for my trip. Mist prevented people seeing many of the landmarks we saw on Skye in the days before my visit and I am told heavy rain has followed my visit. Hope you enjoy the more that 40 photos in the 'Read More' section. Tip: try haggis with your breakfast, even better with hot sauce. |  Tanja & I toast my legendary father with local whisky.  The freshest mussels I have eaten for years from the Isle of Lewis. Plump and tasty in a delicious creamy whisky sauce. Just would have liked some crusty bread, rather than oatcakes, to soak up the sauce properly.  13th Century Eilean Donan Castle. Despite walls that were 14 feet thick in place, it was largely destroyed in 1719 & rebuilt, using the original floor plans, in the 1930s.  Queen Mary's Garden at Balmoral Castle, with a sunken garden. First devised in the 1920s but restructured by the current King with an Alpine Terrace.  Our afternoon tea at Balmoral Castle. The fine bone china is an exact replica of the tableware used by the Royal Family inside the castle.  Tanja and I with our purchases from the shop. I even got a wooden Balmoral Castle spurtle (porridge stirrer) as a gift. |
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