Scotland - day 2

Loch Ness today. We drove round to The Clansman and booked a boat trip. I love that boat trip, it's always pretty bracing half way out, I'm sure the Loch has two different weather systems. This time it was the coldest I have ever felt in all my life. I couldn't stop my jaw from clenching with the biting chill and my legs were cramping in places I was previously unaware of.

We passed Urquhart Castle and turned back towards Clansman. It was even colder going against the wind. I was sure my innards were starting to ice over.

When we got off we both decided never again ...

We drove round to the other side of the Loch past our favourite lookout point (main photo). It's always stunning here regardless of the season but this was the first time I had seen it covered in snow. I loved it more. And then I fell over. My shoes were ruined and my jeans were soaked from the snow. Soon dried out with the heating on in the car.

We stopped at the small graveyard on the quiet side of the Loch next to Boleskine House. This is where Alistair Crowley held his black magic shenanigans and Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin continued the weirdness. There were stories of hauntings, the devil and several strange deaths and a tunnel under the road to link the house to this little graveyard. Could it be any more creepy.

We stopped to have a look around and met a couple who had actually stayed at Boleskine when it became a hotel more recently. The wife did now know of the dark history of the place, the husband admitted he did at the time. Sod staying there. No way.

I'll admit that house has put a dampener on my love of Loch Ness. I'll be back of course, but not to stay.