Last week in – Part 2 – of this three part series on Scotland – I talked about the road trip up from Aberdeen to Scrabster, the ferry trip and what we did on the Orkney Islands.
I bailed early to read again but the girls went up to – Stromness Hotel – for drinks and a meal. The next morning we got up 04.15 to make sure we were ready to catch the 06.30 ferry back to Scotland. This time the swell was much higher and we had to hold on to walk up and down. We had a disappointing breakfast.
Killicrankie
Back at Scrabster the weather was appalling and we drove through – Wester Ross area – in a blizzard. It’s such a beautiful part of the world and it would have great to spend more time there – and have better weather. The hikers we met at the last hostel said they had seen a caravan blow over, that sleet had been falling, and some of them abandoned their walking due to the rubbish weather. The drive was scary as the car was being blown about. It was also a long, long drive and when we arrived at – Achintee Farm – at the foot of Ben Nevis we were glad the day was done. But I did manage a glass of wine at – Ben Nevis Inn.
Eilean Donan Castle
The next morning we hoped to take the cable car up Ben Nevis but the weather was still tricky and we were told that the chairlift would probably not be operating.
We were also told that the cable car was not actually on Ben Nevis but another mountain in the Nevis range and that it only went halfway up as it was meant to be for skiers in winter. An alternative was to drive to – Steall Falls and Gorge – and take a walk that cuts though the scenery surrounding Ben Nevis. Which we did. Brilliant advice and a special place.
Logieriat country market
At the last hostel in – Tyndrum – we encountered people who were walking – The West Highland Way, a few couples and a big hearty group who were most friendly. We took a walk into Tyndrum which wasn’t hard as there isn’t much to it. But worth seeing is the massive souvenir shop come cafe – The Green Welly Stop – and for a meal with an eco friendly bias visit – The Real food Cafe. Our evening meal was self catering which seems to be the norm in hostels and quite frankly I way prefer self catering to eating out.
Working mill Blair Atholl
The last day the girls wanted to see – Blair Castle – which I had already seen. Read about it in – this – blog. On the way to Blair castle near Pitlochry we discovered a country market in – Logierait. We stopped and wandered around the stalls which where mostly fresh and home-made food as well as crafts. We had a quick cup of tea and a snack before moving on.
A Highland cow
I left my friends at the castle and went to – Blair Atholl Watermill, which is a working mill that still grinds flour for their bakery. You can have a drink and a home-baked treat in their tea-room. I also visited the – Atholl Country life Museum – for £3 – afternoons only – and saw how working life in the country used to be. And I went to the Visitors Centre at – Killiecrankie – where they have exhibits and information on the Jacobites vs the Redcoats as well as information on local flora and fauna. There is also a walk to a gorge and a rock where a soldier leapt to escape his opressors.
We re-grouped and had a late lunch at – Mckays – in Pitlochry before resuming our trip back to Aberdeen. We drove through Perthshire and Royal Deeside area via the pretty towns of Dunkeld, Braemar, Banchory and Ballater where we had a final biological break at – Rocksalt and Snails.
Scottish Gaelic road signs
It was one hellava trip. The diversity allowed us a snapsot of much of what Scotland offers. From lush green forests in Perthshire and the mighty mountains of Ben Nevis to the wind swept tree-less plains of Orkney. We explored the fast growing cosmopolitan city of Aberdeen to villages where the only visitors are hikers, and time has stood still. And we saw remains of civilisations dating back 5000 years BC.
We ate rubbish food at the tourist centre in Fort William and fabulous food at the tourist centre at Skara Brae in Orkney. The weather in Aberdeen was glorius and at Wester Ross the weather was atrocious. Needless to say we all want to go back to different places some day.
Fingers crossed.
Ben Nevis Inn
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
They have an annual theatre festival in the village of Pitlochry in Perthshire, Scotland. My husband and I decided to take a long weekend, see a few shows and explore Perthshire. The Scottish countryside is renowned for it’s beauty. It’s a combination of mountains and forests with streams and rivers that feed into their salmon filled lochs. The natural environment is a big part of the attraction to Scotland, but that’s not all. There are castles aplenty, scenic drives, walks, museums, views, craft shops, whisky and beer tastings and stone circles to see and do. But just hanging around a pretty town like Pitlochry, enjoying local produce and listening Scottish accents was also on our agenda. Apparently Scottish and Irish accents are the ones we most love to listen to.
Old Mill Inn Pitlochry
The – Pitlochry Festival Theatre – began in 1951 and the show was initially housed in a tent. Today they have a proper theatre which is located right next to the Tummel River. It has large windows with views of the river and you can relax in their cafe with a glass of wine and a snack, or have a three course meal before a show.
Try to avoid visiting July and August when the Scottish schools are on holiday and the town is heaving with humans. The theatre has a group of actors who mix and match roles in their various productions. We chose to see – 39 Steps – and – Communicating Doors. My husband booked our tickets on-line. Tickets were £28 each.
Queens View – Loch Tummel and Glencoe Mountains
We had lots of time to get from Aberdeen to Pitlochry as we weren’t traveling far, so we set our Tom Tom to shortest route as opposed to fastest route. That way we could take in a few little villages en route. Visit Scotland – have brown road signs that clearly show the local – scenic drives, which is handy if you want to see more than a highway. The trip from Aberdeen to Pitlochry took around 2 and 1/2 hours. We booked a Chevy Spark on-line with – Enterprise Rent a Car. The car cost £55 incl VAT for 3 days. On this occasion my husband skipped the £10 per day insurance. We travelled about 250 – 300 miles and petrol bill for the weekend was £30. The Tom Tom was our own.
Hydro Electric scheme at Loch Faskally
We checked into – Dundarach Hotel – in Pitlochry just after lunch. There was time in hand to go walkabout and collect our tickets before we got ready for the theatre. The Dundarach Hotel cost £100 per night for two of us. We normally would go for cheaper accommodation but there wasn’t much available. This is a popular event and advance booking to get bargains is a prerequisite. You can try – Late Rooms, Booking.com, Farm Stay UK, Scottish Independant Hostels, Hostelling Scotland – for links to accommodation.
Pitlochry Fish Ladder
At the Pitlochry Theatre Festival ticket office we discovered that, not one, but two cast members had been hospitalised. Gasp. They cancelled one of our evening shows but juggled a matinee performance of – Little Shop of Horrors – for us instead. We thought we would book a meal at the in-house restaurant but also discovered the restaurant was booked up a year in advance, so that took care of that idea.
What to do and see in Pitlochry? It’s very, very touristy. Lots of tour buses pass through and hoardes of people with back packs, bum bags and cameras roam the streets. Pitlochry is free of mega development and retains a quaint old village charm. Lovely old granite stone cottages line the streets and it’s all postcard pretty. Walking around the village and then relaxing with a cup of tea with a slice of local cake is a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. Try – Hetties Tearoom.
Inside Pitlochry theatre
Dundarach Hotel
The canny Scots use their natural geology to their advantage and have created hydro electric schemes all over the country. There is one such scheme at Loch Faskally. And that’s not all, to preserve their salmon numbers, they have incorporated a ‘fish ladder‘ so salmon can swim upstream to spawn. We visited Loch Faskally and saw the hydro electric scheme. The mechanics are interesting and the loch has not been spoiled with an ugly industrial building but rather a subtle arrangement in keeping with the local area. The fish ladder is more a sort of tunnel beneath some steps that the fish can swim through. They have a viewing area where you can watch and count the salmon as they swim past but they were shy when we tried to see them.
You can take in a – whiskey tasting – and tour at the home of Bells at – Blair Atholl Distillery. A basic tour costs around £6. Moulin Inn have a brewerey where you can see a local micro brewer make – Braveheart Ale. The tour is free and I am told you get a complimentary bottle of ale after the tour.
Next week in – Part 2 – I deal with Blair Castle, Loch Tay, Loch Tummel and the towns of Kenmore and Portingall.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
