Day 32 August 12th in Pitlochry.

Day 32 August 12th in Pitlochry.
Today was a day for catchup; Fay wanted a hairdo, but all the hairdressers were fully booked, I found a drycleaner and was happy, A&H did some shopping and the rest of the day was spent just walking and wandering around. After lunch I walked up one side of the Tummel River to the Hydro-electric dam, across the top examined the fish ladder and then back to the B&B. On the way I spent some time looking at a marvellous household flower and vegetable garden. We all visited Heather Gems, a small factory shop that makes jewellery and other ornaments from the small branches of the heather shrub. Workers go in to the hills and pick the heather bushes, bring them back to the factory where they remove the bark in a small kiln. Then the white wood twig like branches are dried before being cut into 300mm lengths after which they are dyed with various colours. Then the twigs of a mixture of colours are put into a press with a clear resin and compressed into small blocks about 200mm square. After a day or two these blocks are the further dried and cut into layers which are then shaped into what look like gemstones. They are finished off by polishing and coated with three coats of lacquer before being mounted.
Tomorrow we are off to Edinburgh and the Military Tattoo in the evening.
WE have had an enjoyable stay at the Ferryman’s Cottage in Pitlochry.