Tag: Scotland
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The Glenlivet
The Glenlivet Whisky Distillery is about 1.5 hours north-west of Aberdeen in a beautiful, rural pocket of the Cairngorms. It’s surrounded by forests, rivers, hills, and farmland. The buildings are black in this next photo because the whisky production process attracts microorganisms causing it to go black. A fungus – Baudoinia compniacensis – feeds on…
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Smacking is a euphemism for assault
Smacking is to be banned in Scotland, hopefully from next year, and I’m very happy about this. But apparently only 30% of Scots support the new legislation. I find this surprising. Hitting a child is assault. It’s always done in anger and it can cause long-term psychological harm. Once upon a time it was legal…
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Gathering llamas with the Queen
We had a fantastic weekend away at Glenshee Ecocamp and the Braemar Gathering. We stayed in a vintage train wagon which has been converted into off-grid accommodation. It was wonderful! Very quiet and peaceful (except for our noisy kids!) and lots of stunning scenery including a starlit sky at night. The kids were not bothered…
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Bike paths for all demonstration on 9th September in Aberdeen
The new bypass for motor vehicles – the AWPR – is set to open soon and I posted recently about the attempts to make up for the absence of cycling provision in the new road by organising a cycling event where you cannot take a bike. After a lot of bad publicity the event was…
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The Bridge House Stables
We’re just back from a fantastic weekend away staying at the Bridge House Stables in Perthshire. It’s an old bridge built in 1881 over the River Ardle and now let as two holiday homes. The interior has been tastefully renovated and in keeping with the age of the bridge. Straddling the river means you can…
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Old things
I love old things. We’re doing some exploring this weekend in a beautiful part of Scotland. I love the landscapes in Scotland: the hills, lochs, rivers, and sea. But I also love the history and the architecture. Modern stuff doesn’t really excite me but old stuff inspires and uplifts me. Old things are unique and…
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The Thistle
Have you ever wondered why the national flower of Scotland is a prickly weed? I find it amusing and endearing that the Scots chose the thistle for their national flower but this week I discovered there’s a story behind it and it’s a good one. Apparently during the 13th century Norway was fighting Scotland for…
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Balmoral Castle
I have had the best four days. I can’t even begin to describe how fantastic it has been. Friday was Dunnottar Castle, Saturday was a cycle ride to Newton Dee & Shakespeare at Drum Castle in the evening, Sunday we went to the Moscow State Circus, and today we visited Balmoral Castle. My sister has…
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Shakespeare at Drum Castle
We saw the Merchant of Venice at Drum Castle last night by Illyria. It was brilliant and the acting was superb. The cast of just five meant they all played several roles and the changing of costumes and accents was flawless. We saw them once before with A Midsummer Night’s Dream and as then, we…
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A medieval castle
My sister is visiting us which gave me an excuse to go to Dunnottar Castle. I never tire of the dramatic coastline around the castle with its precipitous cliffs and rocky islands in the sea. The castle itself is a medieval ruined fortress with some exciting history. The Scottish crown jewels were hidden there in…
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A bit of wind at Loch Muick
My father is visiting and as a day trip today we decided to check out Loch Muick. It’s a large fresh water loch bordering the Balmoral estate, just south of Ballater. We have never been there before despite making countless trips to Ballater. The loch is surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs with lots…
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Pedal on Parliament 2018
It’s just over two weeks until Pedal on Parliament in Aberdeen. If you want a more cycle-friendly Scotland then join us as we cycle, walk, scooter, and march to The Town House on Broad St. Starting from Rubislaw Terrace Gardens on Albyn Place at 11am or Hazelhead Park at 10:45am. Come in fancy dress, decorate…
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My son told me off for being sexist
My 11-year-old son told me off for being sexist this week. We were watching TV and one of the characters threw something poorly and I said, “That’s a girly throw”. I know, I know, I’m ashamed to admit I said that but at the same time I’m proud to say my son told me off…
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Kishorn and Courthill House
All good holidays must come to an end and that end, for us, is today. Yesterday we spent a quiet day pottering around Kishorn and sitting in front of the fire. I even did some crochet. Here’s a photo I took of Loch Kishorn a couple of days ago when I got up early and…
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Diabaig, Scotland
I must be a sucker for punishment because we went for another scary drive today. This time we took the road from Torridon to Lower Diabaig. Like the Bealach na Bà it’s also steep, narrow, and with hair-pin bends but marginally less scary and without the snow. It starts off with a drive around the…
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The Applecross Pensinsula
Yesterday we drove over The Bealach na Bà which was terrifying. It’s like driving into the jaws of a giant mythical creature. The towering cliffs that rise on either side and seem to engulf you as you get higher are the beast’s teeth. I’ve taken a screenshot of the route on Google Maps. It’s only 11…
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The Bealach na Bà
I summoned the courage to drive the Bealach na Bà today and it was a hair-raising and buttock-clenching experience. The road rises to 626m in just 5 miles with an almost 20% gradient in parts and is the steepest ascent of any road in the UK. It’s a two-way, single-track road with several hair-pin bends. If…
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Lochcarron Weavers and Strome Castle
Yesterday was rainy and so we had a lazy day and pottered around Loch Carron. We spent an hour in the Lochcarron Weavers Shop. They have over 500 tartans and lots of knitted garments. This is my kind of shop! Daniel spoke to one of the shop assistants at length about Martin tartan. They don’t…
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Torridon, Scotland
I didn’t think we could top our day yesterday, in terms of scenery and entertainment but we did. This time we went north to Torridon, a remote village in the Western Highlands. Much of the road there was single track and we saw very few other vehicles. It’s hard to believe we are on the…
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The Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye
We visited the The Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye today, as well as a couple of other places. I’ll let my photos tell the story. Loch Carron: Balmacara, heading towards Kyle of Lochalsh and the bridge to the Isle of Skye. The last time I visited the Isle of Skye was a little…
