Scotland: Invergordon, Loch Ness and Glenn Affric (with the AIDAaura to Greenland and Iceland 2)

On the third day, we arrived in Invergordon, Scotland in the morning. The city is rather small and unremarkable, but a good starting point for excursions.

We had booked a hiking excursion, which first took us by bus through Inverness, the 'capital of the Highlands'.

We then made a short photo stop at Scotland's most famous lake, Loch Ness.

We didn't see the monster in the lake, but we did see a plush version of it on the wall in front (placed there by our tour guide). You can buy Nessie in all kinds of variations in the souvenir shops.

The first sighting of the monster is allegedly from the year 565, when Saint Columban is said to have saved a Scot from the creature with the help of his crucifix.

Before the hike, we made a stop in Drumnadrochit, where there are souvenir shops as well as a flower model of Urquhart Castle located by Loch Ness.

We then continued to Glenn Affric, a valley through which our hike was supposed to go.

Due to the relatively cool, humid climate, the forests were home to numerous mosses, lichens, and ferns.

The day before, Scotland experienced a little heatwave: The tour guide still raved about the beach day with 25°C, which is unusually warm for this area.

So we hiked in pleasant temperatures, even though the air was a bit humid.

Along the way, we saw small white balls on many plants, which the locals call 'Cuckoo Spit'. A beetle lays its larvae in it.

The journey back to the ship took us through the Highlands and along the coast.

From there, we took a walk through Invergordon along the High Street.

Next to the church (which was closed due to renovations), there were some lovely Scottish houses to see, but not a particularly spectacular street view.

However, the numerous murals throughout the city were interesting.

They were created by various artists and artist groups.