We docked early this morning near Inverness, gateway to the Scottish Highlands, with a full day ahead exploring the Black Isle peninsula.

Our first stop was Beauly, a small town Mary, Queen of Scots is said to have named — legend has it she called it “Beau Lieu,” meaning “the beautiful place.” The name may actually predate her visit; monks were calling it much the same thing three centuries earlier. Either way, the name stuck, and Beauly has been living up to it ever since.

Beauly Priory

We started at Beauly Priory, the roofless ruin of a church founded around 1230 by Valliscaulian monks who’d traveled from Burgundy, France, at the invitation of a local landowner. It was one of only three such priories ever built in Scotland. After the Reformation swept through in 1560, the church itself fell out of use, but the graveyard within its walls became the town’s burial ground — and it still is today. Nana loved wandering among the old headstones, many belonging to the Mackenzie and Fraser clans, some dating back centuries. We came across one grave enclosed by its own iron fence, with a sign warning the relatives that they need to maintain the grave. Nana and I had a good laugh imagining how you’d feel finding that sign guarding your own relative’s resting place.

A stroll through town

From the priory we wandered Beauly’s spacious central square, laid out generations ago by the Fraser family — the same Lord Lovat line whose descendants would later ride out for Bonnie Prince Charlie and fall at Culloden. Nana ducked into a Scottish kilt shop and spent a happy while looking over children’s kilts and tartan dresses — you grandkids may have some Highland outfits in your future. Down the street we spotted a novelty barber truck, parked and open for business, and a proper butcher shop that had Nana and me joking that our son Joe ought to just move to Beauly and open up shop himself.

Glen Ord Distillery

Next we headed to Glen Ord Distillery, the only single-malt Scotch whisky distillery still operating on the Black Isle. Papa’s fifteenth Scottish distillery tour by his count — and every one of them still manages to surprise. Glen Ord was founded in 1838 by Thomas Mackenzie, whose family had held this land since the 13th century, when it was granted to the Mackenzies of Ord by King Alexander III. The distillery draws its water from two Highland lochs, Loch nam Bonnach and Loch nan Eun, and today it’s known as the home of The Singleton.

The tour walked us through the old stone buildings — mash tuns, washbacks, the malting floors — with stories of tenant farmers supplying the barley and a fair bit of bootlegging in the distillery’s early, less legal days. We finished with a tasting of the Singleton of Glen Ord 15-year-old, aged in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks. Normally I claim Nana’s dram for myself, but she caught a whiff of the bourbon barrel notes and decided to hang onto her own glass this time — and finished every drop. We left with three bottles, including a 15-year-old earmarked just for her.

Yesterday

Yesterday was the 81st anniversary of Indonesia’s independence, and the crew held a special flag-raising ceremony to celebrate. Nana and I made a point of attending to support our crew members, many of whom are Indonesian. The Indonesian’s are very proud of their country.

Back aboard

Tonight brought a real treat: a crew talent show, where our servers, bartenders, and stewards traded their uniforms for the spotlight. Turns out the people pouring our coffee and making our beds have been hiding some serious talent.

Next stop: Edinburgh!