10:54 (Albyn Apartments)
Got up really late this morning. I did get a nice sleep- the bed is really comfortable! I've had a pretty good breakfast of two pieces of bread and raspberry preserves and an apple. We are about to head out to Loch Ness! Let's hope for some sightings. 😉

1:03 (Loch Ness Café)
We are just having a late lunch. We drove out to the Loch Ness Visitors Center...

...where there is a cool video walk-through. You go to different stations and watch videos about scientific research done on the loch to look for Nessie. In one of the rooms was a large replica of a boat used to scan the depths of Loch Ness.

At the end, you could listen to some people's possible sightings of Nessie. Some sounded pretty mysterious! One reported a large skinny shape (an eel?) with two humps on its back moving through the water, then turn swiftly about and sit there. Could it be? O.o

The tour opened up into a gift shop, so I did get a few things: a purple knit cap that says "Scotland," (I'll want that when we do a Loch Ness boat cruise!) and Nessie Keychain that spins around in the middle.

I'm actually writing this section and I will take the picture in the future. The last little white bow-tie-like thing is called a white cookie. It's a symbol of the Jacobites, who were a group of... well, I'll try to explain it to you in a little bit. It's complicated!

Well, I think we will be heading off to Urquhart Castle next! It's a ruin of a castle that was partly destroyed. Well, I know we will be going to Urquhart Castle, I'm writing this in the future. I'm thinking about all the things we did there like- *covers mouth quickly* Whoops never mind you'll just have to wait. *winks*

10:09 (Albyn Apartments)
Ok, hello again, everybody. After Loch Ness we did drive over to Urquhart and got some great pictures! This is Loch Ness, taken on the drive up.

You enter through a ticket building going underground. Walking through the gift shop, it opens up at double doors with a view of the castle directly ahead. To the slight left is something that looks slightly like a catapult. I don't know what's it's called, but you attach a large stone ball to it, cut a rope, and it flings the ball at the target like slingshot. There was a video of it working in the museum.

The castle itself is pretty ruined. Here's a picture from the entrance pathway.

Sorry it's kind of dark, but you get the idea. As you walk under the gateway, a small doorway leads to the gatekeepers... home? He also watched prisoners. The prison was really small! In that room is a spiral staircase leading up to a now open area. I have no idea what it was supposed to be beforehand. This is a view of the near by tower from where I just mentioned.

Looking in the opposite direction is the Important-figure-who-I-can't-remember's room. This is a random window.

I also spotted Nessie! Doesn't it look possible? It's actually a boat. :3

If you remember the tower I showed you before, this is a storage room under it.

This is also Loch Ness.

This is a view of the rest of the castle from the main keep (the tower). Between the small hill and the large one with the flag is the main entrance.

This is a window along the staircase leading up the keep.

At 2 pm, a man gave a little talk about culture and the different weapons. He actually made me go up as a volunteer and used me as an example of how to wear a kilt. XD My mom got a video of it, but it's too long to send over email and I would have to put it on YouTube to get it on here (unless there is a way to get a video on here without it being on YouTube. Anybody figure it out?), so I can't put it up. I'm also feeling lazy. :P After I was done he gave me the white cookie you saw earlier. It's a symbol of the Jacobites, who was a group that followed the Stuart King James II. They opposed England who trying to take over Scotland and it gets really confusing but it's something like that!

Well, that's all I have! Afterwards we came back to town and went to a place called the Caledonian. My dad didn't really like the food, but mine was fine. We also saw some bagpipe players when we walked around. Now we are back at home and just watched an episode of Once Upon A Time. Anybody else watch it? We are on season 3, nearing the end, because we watch it on Netflix. Will be going to bed pretty soon. I think I'll leave now. Good night!