Best Cocktail When in Scotland, go for the Scotch! There are several whisky labels that never ever make it to the United States, so sip and experiment. A pleasant spot to unwind with a whisky (no “e” in Scotland) is Tuckers Inn (11 Saltburn Road 01349 852335), to the right of the pier, about 200 yards along the waterfront. Or visit one particular of the two regional distilleries (see under).
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Ideal Souvenir
A boggling quantity of bottled Scotches can be identified at SER Supplies Superstore (131-133 Higher Street), like airline-sized bottles that make it easy to sample a wide array and see what you like. Quality tartan plaid blankets and an fascinating assortment of handmade walking sticks, some with antler handles, also are amongst the well-liked products. You’ll discover Celtic jewelry aplenty at M.A. Forbes Jewelers (106 Higher Street), and the rates were comparable to what we located elsewhere in Scotland for related pieces.
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Language
English is the principal language, but you could have to listen closely due to the fact of the accent (unless you are a “Star Trek” fan, practiced at deciphering Scottie’s speeches). Gaelic is spoken by 1.two percent of the Scottish population, but most Gaelic-speakers reside on the islands.
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Currency & Ideal Way to Get Cash
The pound is Scotland’s currency, comparable to — and interchangeable with — the British pound. For currency-conversion figures, visit www.oanda.com or www.xe.com. A few shops in Invergordon will accept U.S. dollars and euros (SER Supplies, for instance), and credit cards are normally accepted, as well.
There are no ATMs at the port, but you’ll uncover a number of along High Street, including at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and the SPAR comfort shop, each on Higher Street — a 5- to 10-minute stroll when you are onshore. Bank hours are ten a.m. to four p.m. weekdays.
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Exactly where You are Docked
When you disembark, there is a pier, about 750 feet long, to stroll along to reach the shore. Any excursion buses will be parked there.
A 5-minute walk takes you a bit uphill to Higher Street, the town’s main organization street. Just maintain walking straight ahead from the pier and you are going to hit it. There are many ATMs, a pharmacy, cafes with Wi-Fi and a post workplace inside the SPAR store.
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Hanging Around
There’s no cruise terminal at the pier, but you will locate a souvenir shop with a tea area, taxis, tour business indicators with costs and phone numbers, and a large placard with a map of the town.
Tourism representatives sometimes come aboard ship to provide information and maps. There is also an data kiosk on the very first road you are going to reach if you continue straight off the pier toward Higher Street. It really is not staffed full-time but must have somebody there when you initial come ashore. Either way, there are maps, lots of brochures for attractions all over the Highlands and a signboard with thorough bus and train information.
If you stroll left when you hit shore, you are going to be headed toward an industrial region to the immediate correct is a nicer location and waterside pathway.
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Getting Around
On Foot: You can pretty significantly stroll to any location of interest in Invergordon, but to head for the Highlands, you will require to organize transport or sign up for an excursion.
By Train: It will take you about 15 minutes to stroll to the Invergordon train station. Head for Higher Street, then turn left. Toward the finish of High Street, the train station will be to your correct, down Station Road. A 50-minute journey gets you to Inverness an hour and 20 minutes will take you to Dunrobin Castle (a request quit). Service to Dunrobin is restricted, and there are no trains to that location on Sundays. ScotRail train schedules are posted in the tourism kiosk.
By Bus: Buses can also take you to Inverness, with a connection onward to Loch Ness. It takes amongst 45 minutes and 1 hour to reach Inverness (based on which route you take), and then soon after a change of bus, it really is an additional 45 minutes or so to attain Loch Ness. You can attain the charming small town of Dornoch in about 55 minutes (no Sunday service) and Tain, property to Glenmorangie distillery, in about 35 minutes. Bus schedules, by means of Stagecoach Bus, are posted in the tourism kiosk.
By Taxi: Taxis ought to be waiting at the pier, and 4 firms provide taxi or private-car touring: Scotland Taxi Tours, Invergordon Shore Excursions, Invergordon Tours and Highland Classique Tours. All have set itineraries or will do custom tours they supply 4-seat vehicles or six- to eight-seat vehicles.
By Rental Automobile: You can rent a auto to drive oneself from Ken’s Garage (+44 01862 842266 Jane@KensGarage.co.uk). Book in advance to have a car waiting for you at the pier.
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Watch Out For
If you decide to drive, remember that the Scottish drive on the left-hand side of the road. Be specifically careful when you make a proper turn, since you have to cross oncoming visitors. Be a cautious as a pedestrian, as well, when crossing streets — though Invergordon does not have much targeted traffic to worry about.
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Never Miss
Loch Ness: You cannot check out the Highlands without trying to spot Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, proper? Loch Ness is set amid lovely scenery, and the romantic ruin of Urquhart Castle at loch’s edge tends to make a great viewpoint and photo op. The castle has 1,000 years of history, and the visitor center tells you its story and features a display of medieval artifacts. A five-story tower has the very best viewpoint more than the 23-mile extended loch. There is also a restaurant and a massive present shop — so even if you do not spot Nessie, you can nonetheless get a a lot much more adorable stuffed version. If you’re a Nessie fan, the Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition, in nearby Drumnadrochit, is worth a visit, also. Urquhart Castle is located about 17 miles south of Inverness, off of the A82 road. (+44 01456 450 551 open 9:30 a.m. to six p.m. in summer time, to five p.m. in fall and to four:40 p.m. in winter)
Cawdor Castle: Cawdor Castle is far from a ruin. In reality, the Cawdor family members nevertheless lives there, and the stately property has evolved over 600 years. You can tour rooms with lavish furnishings and see the thorn tree that legend says the castle was built about. The thane of Cawdor let a donkey roam around and located his new castle exactly where the donkey lay down for the evening, proper by the thorn tree! The castle also has a well-known connection to the Shakespeare play “Macbeth.” (Located 15 miles from Inverness and 5 miles from Nairn, off of the B9090 road +44 01667 404401 open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Might to early October)
Been There, Carried out That Dunrobin Castle: Although we weren’t overly impressed with the interior of Dunrobin Castle, the garden and the exterior are an additional story. Reminiscent of a French chateau, the castle’s turrets and stonework were made by Charles Barry, who also developed the British Parliament. Beneath the castle, formal gardens carpet the landscape, and you get a excellent bird’s-eye view from the castle terrace. If you are prepared to brave an imposing set of measures down to the garden, you can be treated to our favored part of the go to, a birds-of-prey demonstration. The fascinating resident falconer offers a wonderful commentary as hawks, falcons and owls swoop low more than the audience and pounce on lures. Shows are at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday to Saturday on the far side of the garden and last just more than half an hour. (Situated about 30 miles northeast of Invergordon, off the A9 +44 01408 633177 open ten:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and noon to four:30 p.m. on Sunday in April, Could, September and October and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in June, July and August)
Distillery Tours and Tastings: If castles aren’t your issue, how about a wee dram of Scotch whisky? You can tour and taste at the Dalmore Distillery (+44 01349 882362 open ten a.m. to five p.m. Monday to Saturday from April to September and Monday to Friday from October to March), situated in Alness, just three miles from exactly where you’re docked. Aficionados like the tiny-group tours there and praise the standard tactics. If you check out in the fall “silent season,” (check the distillery’s web site for dates) production will be halted. Reserve in advance on the internet. The Glenmorangie Distillery (+44 01862 892 477 open days and instances vary, call for hours) also provides tours and tastings. It really is located 13 miles from Invergordon and just outside of Tain.
Invergordon Golf Club: For golfers, there’s a course a 5-minute drive from the dock. Invergordon Golf Club gives a reasonable package that involves pickup from the quayside, club rental and cart, a round of golf, and even a dram of whisky ahead of you are returned to your ship. (King George Street +44 01349 852715 invergordongolf@tiscali.co.uk to book in advance)
Highland Trike Tours: If you are up for an adventure, try touring with Highland Trike Tours on a chauffeur-driven three-seated “chopper” with 3 wheels. Various tours visit all the location highlights. (+44 07760 483 846 or enquiries@highlandtriketours.com)
Remain in Town: Want to stick close to the ship? Grab a map of Invergordon and attempt to track down all 11 of the mural-bedecked buildings around town. Every single painting was led by a different neighborhood group that worked with the artist on the subject matter. There is a pipe and drum corps, a landscape with ocean critters, a burning building being extinguished by the fire brigade, traditional Scottish sports and significantly much more.
Invergordon Naval Museum and Heritage Centre: There, displays highlight Invergordon’s history and 3 nearby castles oil-rig models a rescue lifeboat and info about Polish soldiers who escaped the Germans and helped protect the region during WWII. (High Street to the proper of the pier +44 01349-852707 open ten a.m. to four p.m. when cruise ships are in port)
Invergordon Church of Scotland: You will notice the steeple of the Invergordon Church of Scotland as you sail up the firth. The gray stone church has ministered to residents for far more than 150 years and provides free of charge tea and shortbread to cruise guests.
Purchasing: You may possibly get pleasure from browsing the mom and pop shops along High Street. We believed there were some actual finds in the Caring & Sharing (96 Higher Street hours differ) charity thrift shop, such as elegant silver-plated candlesticks, antique jewelry, hand-built sailing ship models and a big bucket of utilised golf balls.
Lunching Traditional Scottish dishes contain the renowned haggis — sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, minced with onion, oatmeal and spices, cooked in a sheep’s stomach and traditionally served with a shot of whisky (for courage, we suspect) tatties and neeps (mashed potatoes and turnips), black pudding (blood sausage with oatmeal) and a significantly less-scary assortment of baked goods, including scones, shortbread and oat cakes.
Invergordon is surrounded by rolling farmland and, though they are modest establishments, even the High Street cafes proudly list the sourcing for a lot of ingredients.
The Purple Turtle: This location serves breakfast and lunch, like a traditional cooked breakfast of bacon, sausage, haggis, beans, tomato, scone, egg, black pudding and toast. Yes, that is just 1 meal! You also can get breakfast sandwiches and lunch sandwiches of all kinds, like burgers, toasted cheese and paninis — even a haggis-and-mozzarella version, even though you’ll also find 1 with ham and Orkney cheddar or mozzarella, tomato and pesto. Attempt the house-baked scones and other pastries for dessert. And if you require a coffee repair, it offers espresso drinks. Wi-Fi is cost-free with buy. (86 High Street +44 01349 852203 opening occasions vary dollars and euros accepted in modest denominations)
The Crazy Horse: This coffee shop provides a similar menu, with a few much more hot items, like the complete-on haggis with tatties and neeps (but no whisky). There are also baked potatoes with a variety of toppings and bangers and mash (sausages with mashed potatoes). The menu characteristics sandwiches, paninis, house-made pastries and espresso drinks, also. (74 High Street +44 01349 852030 open 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday — and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday when a ship is in port dollars and euros accepted in modest denominations)
The Birch Tree: This is 1 of Invergordon’s greatest restaurants, but to attain it, you are going to need a cab to travel three miles north of town. This bistro serves fresh seasonal food that’s stylishly plated. You might start with a Kintyre applewood-smoked cheese souffle, followed by a shoulder of neighborhood shire lamb with morels, and end up with an elderflower gratin or cheeses from Tain, which is situated just nine miles away. At Sunday lunch, there is a fixed-priced “Sunday roast” menu. (Off the A9 road +44 01349 853549 open noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday for lunch reservations needed)
Staying in Touch Most cafes supply totally free Wi-Fi with purchase, and you can also connect for free of charge in the lobby of RBS bank. If you don’t have a device, verify out these laptop spots:
Invergordon Library has 5 World wide web-connected computer systems you can use for free of charge, but it offers no Wi-Fi. (Higher Street near College Lane +44 01349 852698 open 9:30 a.m. to12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to five p.m. Monday to Thursday and to eight p.m. Friday)
SER Supplies Superstore has two computer systems and charges 1 pound for 15 minutes. It also delivers Wi-Fi for2.50 pounds for the whole day and involves all the coffee or tea you can drink. This is your closest World wide web alternative to the port. (131-133 High Street +44 01349 854050 open eight a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday and eight a.m. to four p.m. Friday)
Shore Excursions Pick your castle! Most shore excursions check out 1 or much more of the area’s 3 renowned castles: Urquhart, Cawdor and Dunrobin. It all depends on which interests you much more — and specialty tours are accessible.
Greatest for Initial-Timers: Loch Ness and Nessie the monster are globe-renowned, making this the have to-visit spot on your 1st trip to the Highlands. The half-day “Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle” tour takes you to the lovely countryside, with great view over the loch. Spend your time trying to spot Nessie, or discover the castle ruins and visitor center, where you can see exhibits and a video, as nicely as shop for gifts. Some lines also offer a full-day tour (lunch incorporated) that adds Cawdor Castle, which has an impressive garden and an interior filled with rich tapestries and antique furniture. If you consider you can deal with a two-castle day, go for it!
Very best for Military Buffs: Culloden Moor is the site of the final battle fought on British soil, the bloody Battle of Culloden, which took place in 1746 in between Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Duke of Cumberland. It really is a spot of desolate beauty and maybe a few ghosts. The “Cawdor Castle and Culloden Battlefield” tour requires you there, as nicely as to the stately Cawdor Castle — very a study in contrasts. The loved ones nonetheless lives in Cawdor Castle, and the furnishings are remarkable. This is a half-day tour, despite the fact that some lines include the battlefield in other full-day tours. The castle has lots of stairs, including spiral staircases.
Very best for Wildlife Fans: The very best birds-of-prey show we’ve ever noticed was at Dunrobin Castle. The resident falconer had the audience fascinated as he demonstrated the training, hunting and flying abilities of his birds. His commentary was genuinely impressive. The half-day “Dunrobin Castle and Lovely Dornoch” tour will get you there, and we suggest you build your castle visit about the show, which requires location in the gardens at 11:30 a.m. and two p.m., Sundays excepted. The castle interior is much less impressive than the exterior and the gardens. The town of Dornoch has one of Britain’s smallest cathedrals, with 13th century roots — although three of the stained glass windows had been donated far more lately by Andrew Carnegie. Across from the cathedral, in a former jail, is a massive shop with higher-quality Scottish crafts
Very best for Shutter Bugs: If you happen to be hankering to photograph the sweeping landscapes of the Northern Highlands, this half-day trip is for you. The “Photographic Expedition in the Scottish Highlands” is developed for the expert photographer or significant amateur. It is led by a specialist photographer, who takes you to remote locations that are just right to capture particular shots and offers instruction to assist you get the ideal out of your camera. This trip would be especially good in the fall, when the heather is in bloom on the hillsides.
Greatest for Whisky Connoisseurs: Learn the history and process for creating that Scotch you like to sip on the half-day “Glenmorangie Distillery” tour. You are going to see the distillery with a guide, then take portion in a tutored tasting of two drams, a 10-year-old and a private edition on our tour. There is also a shop exactly where you can acquire a bottle to take home. The tour also tends to make cease in Dornach (see above).
Note: Kids younger than 18 can not participate in the tasting there is no wheelchair accessibility, and you’ll have to climb about 30 methods.
For Much more Details On the Web: 1. Cityscape view – visitinvergordon.com
two. Ruins of Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness – Circumnavigation/Shutterstock
three. Cawdor Castle – johnbraid/Shutterstock
four. Dunrobin Castle – Sorin Colac/Shutterstock
five. Glenmorangie Distillery – EIDH/TripAdvisor
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