The Scottish Highlands and Isle of Mull
Our journey from Inverness continued westward along the Great Glen, making several stops before we arrived in the Western Highlands region. Our first stop was at the Loch Ness 2000 Exhibition where we saw a full-scale replica of the loch’s legendary monster, Nessie. At the site we viewed an audio-visual exhibit detailing the sightings, history and myths surrounding the loch. I was able to get Adam the cheesy Nessie shirt he wanted in the Loch Ness gift store along with an adorable tote bag.
After a full day of driving and visiting Loch Ness, we stopped at Hotel Ballachulish for the next two nights. This was by far my favorite hotel on our trip. The views were breathtaking, food was absolutely delicious and the rooms…wow!
We awoke after our first night at the Ballachulish Hotel feeling very refreshed and ready for the day ahead of us exploring Isle of Mull. We took a bus to a charming city (pictured below) and boarded a ferry at the Oban Ferry Terminal to start our cruise to the Isle of Mull, the second largest island of the Hebrides.
We arrived at the coastal village of Craignure and set out on a guided tour of the 13th-Century Duart Castle. 
We then traveled on to Tobermory, a small fishing village known for its brightly painted buildings. We enjoyed fish and chips for lunch and had some free time to explore the shops. This was my favorite place we visited during the trip. I took home some soap and bath balls from the Isle of Mull Soap Co.; they smelled amazing! You can purchase some too without having to make the trip: Isle of Mull Sop Co.
Our bus ride around the island and the ferry ride provided the opportunity for some very scenic shots. We were so happy we had a sunny day for this excursion.
