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.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Day 31 August 11 we visit Blair Castle.
Day 31 August 11 we visit Blair Castle.
We set of for Blair Castle in light rain; the future outlook was for the weather to clear. After entering the gates we drove through a beautiful avenue of mature trees for about ¾km before reaching the car park. We walked about 400meters through manicured gardens crossing a small footbridge over a rocky stream before reaching the castle. The castle did not have the usual stone look being painted white all over. Small artillery guns were at the ready to the right of the main entrance. The walls of the entry hall were decorated with many old style flintlock rifles, all with fixed bayonets as well as the occasional sword and deer antler; we moved on to a long hall of about 100metres (my estimate ) it was adorned with many stag antlers. All the carpets were red. In the many beautiful rooms displays told of the history of the castle, the land, the ruling monarchy and the Clan Murray family. We spent three hours of interest before we reached the huge ballroom at the end of our tour. We lunched at the castle cafe.
We next set off for a new shopping complex we should visit we had been told about; on the way we stopped to view a water wheel attached to a bakery in a stone building; the wheel turned the mill to make the flour for the bakery.
The shopping centre was built in the traditional style of the towns in the area; not the modern styles we see in New Zealand. We did not buy any goods; just window shopped.
Our next visit was to a scenic viewing point high in a beautiful forest. We overlooked a lovely lake bounded by forest and farmland with small white dots in the paddocks; these were sheep a long way down below us. In the distance could be seen the mountains around Glencoe, an area we had visited several days ago. I bought a small book of Scottish jokes at the locality shop. Rain was still falling from the skies; it did not clear ‘til we were back at our B&B around 4pm.
At 5:30pm we went for a short walk and found a restaurant; we dined well.
We set of for Blair Castle in light rain; the future outlook was for the weather to clear. After entering the gates we drove through a beautiful avenue of mature trees for about ¾km before reaching the car park. We walked about 400meters through manicured gardens crossing a small footbridge over a rocky stream before reaching the castle. The castle did not have the usual stone look being painted white all over. Small artillery guns were at the ready to the right of the main entrance. The walls of the entry hall were decorated with many old style flintlock rifles, all with fixed bayonets as well as the occasional sword and deer antler; we moved on to a long hall of about 100metres (my estimate ) it was adorned with many stag antlers. All the carpets were red. In the many beautiful rooms displays told of the history of the castle, the land, the ruling monarchy and the Clan Murray family. We spent three hours of interest before we reached the huge ballroom at the end of our tour. We lunched at the castle cafe.
We next set off for a new shopping complex we should visit we had been told about; on the way we stopped to view a water wheel attached to a bakery in a stone building; the wheel turned the mill to make the flour for the bakery.
The shopping centre was built in the traditional style of the towns in the area; not the modern styles we see in New Zealand. We did not buy any goods; just window shopped.
Our next visit was to a scenic viewing point high in a beautiful forest. We overlooked a lovely lake bounded by forest and farmland with small white dots in the paddocks; these were sheep a long way down below us. In the distance could be seen the mountains around Glencoe, an area we had visited several days ago. I bought a small book of Scottish jokes at the locality shop. Rain was still falling from the skies; it did not clear ‘til we were back at our B&B around 4pm.
At 5:30pm we went for a short walk and found a restaurant; we dined well.
Day 30 August 10th Elgin to Pitlochry
Day 30 August 10th Elgin to Pitlochry
The day dawned sunny and bright; we headed for pitlochry at 9am. An hour later after travelling through green pastures and wooded hills we arrived at the small town of Rothes in a valley of trees. A sign saying Glen Grant Distillery and Garden tours beckoned to us so we answered the call. While A and I were shown how whiskey was made our two ladies spent time in the garden. At the end of the tour of the distillery we all sampled the product.
Our next stop was at the vintage Strathspey Railway. Fay and I boarded the steam locomotive hauled train at the Broomhill Station for a £5.00 ride to Aviemore where A&H picked us up to continue our journey to Pitlochry. Aviemore was a beautiful town with flower gardens in full bloom and the main street adorned with colourful hanging baskets.
I thought the flowers and hanging baskets of Aviemore were great but they were not in the same league as Pitlochry.
Our B&B is called “The Ferryman’s Cottage” which is exactly what it was way back in 1750 until 1913. It is a beautiful stone building beside the River Tummel with its own set of hanging baskets.
We are only 200 metres away from a live concert venue. As we are here for three nights we might see a show. We are only 70 metres away from a lovely restaurant as well. I reckon we will enjoy our stay in Pitlochry.
The day dawned sunny and bright; we headed for pitlochry at 9am. An hour later after travelling through green pastures and wooded hills we arrived at the small town of Rothes in a valley of trees. A sign saying Glen Grant Distillery and Garden tours beckoned to us so we answered the call. While A and I were shown how whiskey was made our two ladies spent time in the garden. At the end of the tour of the distillery we all sampled the product.
Our next stop was at the vintage Strathspey Railway. Fay and I boarded the steam locomotive hauled train at the Broomhill Station for a £5.00 ride to Aviemore where A&H picked us up to continue our journey to Pitlochry. Aviemore was a beautiful town with flower gardens in full bloom and the main street adorned with colourful hanging baskets.
I thought the flowers and hanging baskets of Aviemore were great but they were not in the same league as Pitlochry.
Our B&B is called “The Ferryman’s Cottage” which is exactly what it was way back in 1750 until 1913. It is a beautiful stone building beside the River Tummel with its own set of hanging baskets.
We are only 200 metres away from a live concert venue. As we are here for three nights we might see a show. We are only 70 metres away from a lovely restaurant as well. I reckon we will enjoy our stay in Pitlochry.
Day 29 August 9th our day in Elgin.
Day 29 August 9th our day in Elgin.
Not much happened on this morning of rain. A & H went to the seaside for a walk along the seashore near Lossiemouth while Fay and I stayed behind; Fay writing postcards and me catching up with this diary. About 1pm the weather had cleared and the sun was shining so Fay and I walked for ten minutes into town for a bite to eat and to post the postcards. Mission achieved we bought some chocolate at the supermarket and walked home. We enjoyed an evening meal at the local hotel; reasonably priced and pleasant to eat.
I could not see any high-rise buildings in Elgin. The buildings in the main street were all constructed of grey/brown stone no taller than tree stories high; the shops were on the lower levels; the centre was a pedestrian area only.
Not much happened on this morning of rain. A & H went to the seaside for a walk along the seashore near Lossiemouth while Fay and I stayed behind; Fay writing postcards and me catching up with this diary. About 1pm the weather had cleared and the sun was shining so Fay and I walked for ten minutes into town for a bite to eat and to post the postcards. Mission achieved we bought some chocolate at the supermarket and walked home. We enjoyed an evening meal at the local hotel; reasonably priced and pleasant to eat.
I could not see any high-rise buildings in Elgin. The buildings in the main street were all constructed of grey/brown stone no taller than tree stories high; the shops were on the lower levels; the centre was a pedestrian area only.
Day 28 August 8th Skye to Elgin
Day 28 August 8th Skye to Elgin
It was a with a slight sadness that we left the beautiful B&B, Cliffe House at Skye although it will be uppermost in my mind when I think of the places we have stayed at. Within five minutes we were traversing the only land link Skye has with Scotland; the Skye Bridge, then passing through Kyle before reaching open country; the highlands of Scotlands. With lakes and high green hills all around us the time passed quickly. We made frequent photo stops; the reflections in the lakes of the hills, sky and clouds being irresistible. After travelling about 53 Miles we reached Loch Ness, home of the famed monster which was nowhere to be seen. Eleven miles further we stopped at a delightful village of Drumnadrochit; the home of the Loch Ness Monster. Fay spent an hour researching the monster in the large exhibition building while I lay on a grassy slope in the warm sunshine. Then on towards Inverness to visit the Colloden Battle Field where on the 16th April 1746 the last battle to be fought on British soil took less than an hour to reach its bloody conclusion here on what is now know as Culloden Moor. It was a battle between Government and the Jacobite army which included French units and some English Jacobites. It was the last chapter in a sporadic civil war for succession to the throne that had been under way since 1688.
Onward to Elgin; we had left the highlands some miles before and were now travelling through open rolling fields of green and various shades ranging from brown to golden; a patchwork of green grass fields, brown tilled soils and ripening golden grain fields. Just before Elgin we refuelled the vehicle; diesel was £1.289 per litre. ($NZ2.65) We arrived at “The Pines” our place of rest for the next two nights at 5pm.
We had travelled about 120miles.
It was a with a slight sadness that we left the beautiful B&B, Cliffe House at Skye although it will be uppermost in my mind when I think of the places we have stayed at. Within five minutes we were traversing the only land link Skye has with Scotland; the Skye Bridge, then passing through Kyle before reaching open country; the highlands of Scotlands. With lakes and high green hills all around us the time passed quickly. We made frequent photo stops; the reflections in the lakes of the hills, sky and clouds being irresistible. After travelling about 53 Miles we reached Loch Ness, home of the famed monster which was nowhere to be seen. Eleven miles further we stopped at a delightful village of Drumnadrochit; the home of the Loch Ness Monster. Fay spent an hour researching the monster in the large exhibition building while I lay on a grassy slope in the warm sunshine. Then on towards Inverness to visit the Colloden Battle Field where on the 16th April 1746 the last battle to be fought on British soil took less than an hour to reach its bloody conclusion here on what is now know as Culloden Moor. It was a battle between Government and the Jacobite army which included French units and some English Jacobites. It was the last chapter in a sporadic civil war for succession to the throne that had been under way since 1688.
Onward to Elgin; we had left the highlands some miles before and were now travelling through open rolling fields of green and various shades ranging from brown to golden; a patchwork of green grass fields, brown tilled soils and ripening golden grain fields. Just before Elgin we refuelled the vehicle; diesel was £1.289 per litre. ($NZ2.65) We arrived at “The Pines” our place of rest for the next two nights at 5pm.
We had travelled about 120miles.
Day 27 August 7th we visit the Isle of Skye.
Day 27 August 7th we visit the Isle of Skye.
We were up early for and early start as A had booked the ferry at Mallaig for 9:30am. We need 1½ hours for the 58 mile drive. We arrived on time for the ferry and it was not long before we drove off at Armadale. We then had a half hour drive to Broadford where there was and information centre. Fay and A&H went into a snake house where Fay touched a snake. We then drove toward Portree in the north a quaint little seaside village where we stopped for lunch. We then drove North up the spectacular west coast with huge bald mountains on our left and every now and then steep cliffs into the sea on our right. We stopped at the top of one such cliff and looked over the side. To my surprise there was a large flat paddock some two hundred metres (my estimate) below us with cows grazing on lush pasture between our cliff and a seaward cliff.
Further on we stopped at a display of ancient crofters cottages. One had a peat fire burning inside it which filled the clean air with its distinctive aroma. Having reached the northern tip we completed the circle drive back to Portree, bought some ice-cream and sought out our B&B for the night.
Our B&B was a lovely surprise. It was beside the estuary that divides the isle Skye from mainland Scotland. We had arrived early and after settling in I was able to sit in the lounge at a desk overlooking the water and the large bridge that links the Isle to the mainland. As I typed I could see the occasional seal and fish break through the surface of the water.
This was the best B&B yet. I could have spent the rest of my holiday here.
We were up early for and early start as A had booked the ferry at Mallaig for 9:30am. We need 1½ hours for the 58 mile drive. We arrived on time for the ferry and it was not long before we drove off at Armadale. We then had a half hour drive to Broadford where there was and information centre. Fay and A&H went into a snake house where Fay touched a snake. We then drove toward Portree in the north a quaint little seaside village where we stopped for lunch. We then drove North up the spectacular west coast with huge bald mountains on our left and every now and then steep cliffs into the sea on our right. We stopped at the top of one such cliff and looked over the side. To my surprise there was a large flat paddock some two hundred metres (my estimate) below us with cows grazing on lush pasture between our cliff and a seaward cliff.
Further on we stopped at a display of ancient crofters cottages. One had a peat fire burning inside it which filled the clean air with its distinctive aroma. Having reached the northern tip we completed the circle drive back to Portree, bought some ice-cream and sought out our B&B for the night.
Our B&B was a lovely surprise. It was beside the estuary that divides the isle Skye from mainland Scotland. We had arrived early and after settling in I was able to sit in the lounge at a desk overlooking the water and the large bridge that links the Isle to the mainland. As I typed I could see the occasional seal and fish break through the surface of the water.
This was the best B&B yet. I could have spent the rest of my holiday here.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Day 26 August 6th we visit the Isle of Mull.
Day 26 August 6th we visit the Isle of Mull.
The day dawned with rain; we did not get our tour of the garden so we opted for a drive to visit the Isle of Mull. We set off just after nine for Lochaline where we hitched a ride on the local ferry; the road was only wide enough for one car; fortunately there were lots of small passing bays; the trick was look ahead for oncoming cars and decide who would get to the passing bay first and drive accordingly. Although the weather was still overcast and very cold with rain and a stiff breeze we passed many yachts as we sailed to Fishnish on the Isle of Mull. On leaving the ferry we turned left and soon we found what looked like a nice castle and gardens to visit. It was very comfortable inside the castle with fresh flowers in almost every room; the owners still lived there. Beautiful views could be seen through large windows. We enjoyed lunch at the cafe downstairs before venturing out into the cold and wet weather again. We then drove north to the other end of the isle and found a nice little seaside village / fishing port called Tobermory. On the waterfront there was a fish and chip caravan exuding enticing smells; even though we had lunch back at the castle we could not resist and shared a large helping of really nice fish and chips before returning to the ferry and the mainland. About half way back to our B&B A turned off onto a back road, an almost unbelievably narrow road; you would have to experience it to believe. To me it seemed to have been formed without the aid of a bulldozer; it was as if the surface of the land had been smoothed with hand tools. The surface was smooth and tar sealed but undulating; the seal had been laid directly on the undulating soil surface; I dubbed it the rolly polly road. Fortunately we did not meet any oncoming vehicles. Eventually we arrived at the “boatshed”, an upmarket restaurant in a restored boat shed. After our evening meal we continued slowly along the rest of the rolly polly road carefully dodging all the sheep and eventually found the main road close to our B&B.
The day dawned with rain; we did not get our tour of the garden so we opted for a drive to visit the Isle of Mull. We set off just after nine for Lochaline where we hitched a ride on the local ferry; the road was only wide enough for one car; fortunately there were lots of small passing bays; the trick was look ahead for oncoming cars and decide who would get to the passing bay first and drive accordingly. Although the weather was still overcast and very cold with rain and a stiff breeze we passed many yachts as we sailed to Fishnish on the Isle of Mull. On leaving the ferry we turned left and soon we found what looked like a nice castle and gardens to visit. It was very comfortable inside the castle with fresh flowers in almost every room; the owners still lived there. Beautiful views could be seen through large windows. We enjoyed lunch at the cafe downstairs before venturing out into the cold and wet weather again. We then drove north to the other end of the isle and found a nice little seaside village / fishing port called Tobermory. On the waterfront there was a fish and chip caravan exuding enticing smells; even though we had lunch back at the castle we could not resist and shared a large helping of really nice fish and chips before returning to the ferry and the mainland. About half way back to our B&B A turned off onto a back road, an almost unbelievably narrow road; you would have to experience it to believe. To me it seemed to have been formed without the aid of a bulldozer; it was as if the surface of the land had been smoothed with hand tools. The surface was smooth and tar sealed but undulating; the seal had been laid directly on the undulating soil surface; I dubbed it the rolly polly road. Fortunately we did not meet any oncoming vehicles. Eventually we arrived at the “boatshed”, an upmarket restaurant in a restored boat shed. After our evening meal we continued slowly along the rest of the rolly polly road carefully dodging all the sheep and eventually found the main road close to our B&B.
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