Here are some links to external sites with more information:
Loch Ness
Spent a few days around Loch Ness.
Where to Stay:
Inverness B&B. This town has more B&B's than I have ever seen.
What to Do
Inverness offers plenty in the way of shopping and food. There is a nice theater complex called the Eden Court Theatre.
Cruise Loch Ness on a Jacobite Cruise.
Urquhart Castle,
Caledonian Canal at Fort Augustus is really picturesque.
The west side of Loch Ness also provides a much less traveled road and some very pretty country side.
Orkney Islands
The Orkney Islands are wind swept with few trees. The ride on the ferry is a great trip on a calm day.
What to Do
Dive the scuttled German ships
See Skara Brea and other neolithic structures.
Walk the tight streets of Stromness.
Lots of bird watching and getting away from it all coast line.
Visit the Highland Park Distillery.
Of Interest In Scotland
My wife is from Glasgow Scotland and we return there as often as possible. Scotland and Ohio are similar in many respects, from the outlook of the friendly natives to the terrain.
Our last trip was spent walking the hills near the Village of Straiton, Ayrshire. We stayed at Balbeg Holiday Cottages and had a great time. They were very well maintained and clean. This is the heart of "Robert Burns Country."
Planning a trip? Here are some recommendations:
The Burrell Collection - This museum houses the private collection of Sir William Burrell.
Kilmartin House - centre for archaeology and landscape interpretation
Hillwalking Scotland - Scotland's Mountains, Glens, Lochs, Valleys.
Scottish Countryside at it's best.
Charles Rennie MacIntosh creations at The Willow Tea Rooms, 217 Sauchiehall Street and the Glasgow School of Art