Scotland - Day 6

[kmusser]

In Newtownmore is the Highland Folk Museum, which we want to go to (something about support freaks in period costume) but have some time before they open so head out to visit the Dalwhinnie distillery, the highest in Scotland. I have a new favorite whiskey :-) Also a bonus that they do tastings without making you go on the tour so we have more time to go back to the museum. The museum is very neat – they have a re-created highland village based on a nearby archeological site and the rennies staff are very knowledgeable and tell us all about life in the highlands – both before and after the clearances.

From there we head south to our next stop at Blair Castle. We have lunch just outside at the Bothy Arms Hotel, which is quite good including some tasty local brews. The castle itself is very impressive. I think just walking into the foyer left us stunned for about 10 minutes – there is by far the largest concentration of antique weaponry I’ve ever seen in one place – swords of all types, muskets, pikes, crossbows, you name it, covering every bit of wall space arranged in artistic geometric patterns. The rest of the castle is neat too, with more excessive amounts of weaponry and beautiful furnishings, much of it from the Jacobite era. The dukes of Atholl that still own the castle put other packrats to shame – they still have receipts for furniture bought in the 16th and 17th centuries. Also outside is a deer park were we get to see some red deer (we never did see any in the wild) and the stag kindly poses for us. They have a small forest grove dedicated to Diana that we check out as well.

We round out the day with a little more scenery – stopping in Killiecrankie, a river gorge that’s also the site of a Jacobite victory – one of the losing soldiers jumped the gorge to escape – after seeing it not something I’d want to attempt. We also stop at the Queen’s View over Loch Tummel, which is indeed very lovely. We do a drive-through of Pitlochry and continue on past Perth to camp at Auchterarder.

Comments

[rainmerlot.livejournal.com]

I am so envious! It sounds like you had an amazing time!