2005 Holiday (Orkney, Loch Ness & the Lake District):

Day One: Drove to Stirling, visited Stirling Castle. Overnight in Stirling.

Day Two: Drove to Thurso, visited John O' Groats. Overnight in Thurso.

Day Three: Ferry to Orkney Mainland, visited Skara Brae, Marwick Head and Stromness Museum. Overnight in Stromness.

Day Four: Visited Kirkwall, Roving Eye Trip seeing the Scapa Flow Centre at Lyness on Hoy, the remains of the SMS Dresden in Scapa Flow, and seals on the islands of Fara and Cava. Overnight in Stromness.

Day Five: Passenger Ferry to Westray. Saw Puffins on and around Castle O'Burrian as well as seals in the water around Rack Wick Bay and Taftend.

Day Six: Drove down to the islands of Lamb Holm, Glimps Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay. Visited the Fossil and Heritage Centre, and the Orkney Aquarium. Back on the Orkney Mainland, I went to the Standing Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar and the Broch of Gurness. Overnight in Stromness.

Day Seven: Ferry to Scottish Mainland, Drove to Loch Ness. Visited Urquhart Castle, the Loch Ness 2000 exhibition and Divach Falls. Overnight in Drumnadrochit.

Day Eight: Went for a walk in the Glen Coiltie woods, before visiting North Kessock, Chanonry Point, Cromarty, Inverness, Fort George and Culloden. Overnight in Drumnadrochit.

Day Nine: Drove to, visited, and stayed overnight in Carlisle.

Day Ten: Visited Chesters Roman Fort and Housesteads Roman Fort, before taking a walk along part of Hadrian's Wall. Overnight in Carlisle.

Day Ten: Drove to Keswick, visiting Brough Castle, Brougham Castle and Castlerigg Stone Circle en route. Overnight in Keswick.

Day Eleven: Visited the Ambleside Roman Fort, Ravenglass Roman Bath House and the Aquarium of the Lakes. Overnight in Keswick.

Day Twelve: Went for a walk up Skiddaw, just north of Keswick but an incident(!) in Dodd Wood en route, meant a quick visit to Hospital! Overnight in Keswick.

Day Thirteen: Drove Home!