Inverness: (10/11) “Sort it, see it, see it sorted”

This will be a short one! My one day in Inverness, the first part of my ScotRail journey across the Scottish Highland. The train rides were breathtaking, I would do this trip again in a heartbeat.

Leaving Edinburgh from Waverley, I caught the 8:38 AM train to Inverness. My plan was to take a big loop with ScotRail around the Scottish Highlands by going through Inverness – Isle of Skye – Fort William (Ben Nevis) – and ending in Glasgow. This is what I have perceived as the best plan of action after reading many Reddit threads, travel blogs, and recommendations from friends—so don’t come at me if you have any problems with this (take it up with the manager).

I was so excited about the train, looking forward to the peaceful ride and pretty views. I secured myself a four-seater with a table and a big window, with every intention to work on my blog and journal—but that simply didn’t happen. My eyes were glued to the view. My biggest dilemma? Which window should I look out of?! I felt like I was going cross-eyed, just in the opposite direction. We passed through wetlands, mountains, farms filled with sheep and cows, and rainbows (I saw at least three!). Between every stop, ScotRail would announce over the intercom that if there were any suspicious activities, we should report them, ending with the very catchy tagline now seared into my head: “Sort it, see it, see it sorted.”

I got into Inverness station around noon. It was only a 10-minute walk to the Inverness Youth Hostel (which is part of the Hostelling Scotland chain that provides a clean, comfy, and affordable stay across Scotland, now representing over 58 hostels). It wasn’t until I got to the hostel and saw the mural (shown below) that it finally clicked for me that this was where the Loch Ness Monster was from. But again, I don’t really know anything about the Loch Ness Monster other than the honorary mention in Twilight.

I couldn’t check in until 4 PM, so I stored my luggage and looked through the brochures with the plan of renting a bike (or what they call Bike Hire here). I chatted with a lovely staff member named Luna, who’s been working at this hostel for six years. They kindly offered me some recommendations, so I headed to town. I got lunch and tea at Comfort Foods (which reminded me a lot of Bell Buckle Cafe). It was early in the afternoon, so I asked the lady if it was too early for me to order a beef pie, and she said, “Never”—so that was what I got. I knew this was going to be legit because I had to really concentrate to understand everyone’s Scottish accent, and I loved it. The beef pie came with chippies and baked beans. The ‘pie’ was a fluffy puff pastry that melted perfectly with the meat sauces—safe to say, I was stuffed.

Unfortunately, it was too late to rent a bike for the day. The guy at the counter was very kind and offered me a map, then showed me some of the best walking routes around town. I walked along River Ness. Hardly anyone was out in the slight rain—but it just made everything even greener and sparkled in the sun. At the end of the route, I sat on a log and chatted with a lady who lived in the area. It wasn’t that interesting of a conversation, so I can’t recall much of it—I just remember that she was very wealthy because her parents worked in the oil industry.

I got some supplies for dinner from Morrisons (the supermarket brand) and headed back for another early night. I have to say, they call it a youth hostel—but I didn’t see much youth… The demographic of guests was mostly families and older hikers—but hey, I ain’t youth either, and plus, the bed was comfy as hell

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