A snowy excursion to Loch Ness

Loch Ness

Quick Tips:

The rail route to Kyle of Lochalsh/Isle of Skye on the west coast is quite scenic (perhaps not as scenic as the Rockies or the Alps, but it's quite nice). An easy one-day excursion-- I'd suggest taking the ride while the line still has passenger service (the route is a regular candidate for suspension of service).

Best Way To Get Around:

Inverness is a compact city and getting around by foot is easy.

A classic Scottish railway station hotel. It was quite nice to be able to walk out of the station on a cold, snowy day and only have a few footsteps to the lobby of our hotel. The lobby is quite grand with a sweeping staircase. Our room had recently been renovated (and other wings were under renovation while we were there). The room was quite nice, spacious and well furnished. The bathroom had towel warmers, which was a very much appreciated touch, as this was one of the coldest hotel stays I've ever had! I have to admit, however, that this was my first stay in northern Scotland, and cold hotel rooms could be the norm. I'd still happily stay here again, however. Addendum: When I stayed here in March, 2000 it was called the Station Hotel. I just visited their website to verify some of the details, and I see that is now called the Royal Highland Hotel. The prices seem to have climbed, befitting the 'Royal' moniker. At the time of my visit the rates were only about US$75-100 per night.

Riva could be one of Inverness' best restaurants. An Italian bistro-type of place, it serves fresh, imaginatively prepared entrees in very stylish surroundings. The restaurant closes at 10 PM, but the second floor pizzaria stays open later. The gouremt pizzas are crisp and baked in a wood-fired oven.

The restaurant overlooks the River Ness and also has views of the castle across the river.

The Station Hotel has a beautiful dining room, which had just been restored in March, 2000. You'll enjoy the 'grand hotel' experience with chandeliers, starched nappery and heavy cutlery, even though the Station Hotel is a relatively modest hotel.

Dishes such as salmon and lamb, prepared in traditional Scottish fashion. The salmon was some of the best I've ever had.

Be sure to save room for desert. The Sticky Toffee Pudding with Treacle Sauce was out of this world.

The rolling hills outside of Inverness make for a pleasant ride to Loch Ness. There are also several marked dedicated bicycle paths. The ride entirely around the loch would result in a ride of about 75 miles. However, for a shorter ride you can ride from Inverness to the closest tip of the loch and back again (which would be about 30 miles).

The day we rode in early April, however, started out with flurries and ended up with snow falling so hard we couldn't see the roadway. Fortunately we had folding bikes (Bromptons) and were able to stop at a pub and hail a taxi for the ride back to Inverness.

I rate the ride Intermediate primarily because the route out of Inverness seemed to be quite busy, and does not have much of a shoulder. (If the road hadn't been covered in snow I might have felt differently about this.)

This rail route is considered to be one of the most scenic in Scotland. It certainly is a beautiful trip across the highlands of Scotland... perhaps not up to the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies by rail, but enchanting none-the-less.

The return trip can be done in one day, if travelling on a weekday. There's a train which departs Inverness at 8:55 AM, arriving at Kyle of Lochalsh at 11:17 AM. You'll have about 1/2 hour to walk around Kyle, which will be more than adequate as there's not much 'there' there. It's primarily the hopping-off spot for the Isle of Skye.

You'll depart Kyle at 11:52 for your return, arriving Inverness at 2:20 PM. So, even when the days are short your entire trip will in daylight.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery. Just be sure to take along a picnic lunch, as there's no food service on the train.