Ireland-Scotland day 11 & 12 - Pitlochry   

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The hotel owner Jim suggested during breakfast that we take the walk along the River Trummel and then River Garry, to Killiecrankie, about five-miles west, since it was going to be a light rain day. 

He said to ask the tea shop person at the end of the walking trail to call us a cab to get back, which we did. 

note - you can enlarge any part of a picture by left-clicking in and then out again.

	ped bridge over River Trummel		River Trummel		fall color		Scotland Hydro
		pioneering fish ladders		there's a big pipe connecting each section		seasonal salmon counter
	fish & eggs in the rain				fireweed is everywhere
				in the woods		native red squirrel (web photo)
	a leisurely two hour walk		bridge at a waterfall				a curious trail walker
		clever erosion control		River Garry		rainy day walk
	Scottish National Railway
		Soldier's Leap overlook & end of the trail		Killiecrankie

Once back at Pitlochry, Paul and I returned by car to Killiecrankie to visit Blair Castle, while Doris stayed in Pitlochry to do some shopping. 

The self-guided tour was very informative, but photos were not allowed inside the Castle. 

A lot of old military kit (like swords and lances and early rifles and pistols) was on display inside. 

Outside afterwards, Paul and I checked out the walled garden. 

	Blair Castle driveway		splendid architecture				portrait of legendary Scottish fiddler Neil Gow
		fall color on overcast & rainy day		the royal harem of a red deer
			walled garden
		yellow flowers on a grey day				a sense of history
	espalier fruit tree method		pears		photos of past garden keepers
		formal gardens require generations of gardeners		photography goes back to the mid 1800s		a royal view

That night we found great food in an old Pub just up the hill, and, a little later we found good music in a pub just down the hill, on the main road. 

Pitlochry has a pleasant small-town feel.   

We enjoyed our few chats with Jim, the B&B owner, shown below, during our stay. Both mornings we slept in a little and had breakfast near the end of the serving time, which meant we dined with the husband & wife owners & their small staff, who were all pleasant Polish women, with blond hair & pale blue eyes. They work in the service sector here, sending money back home to support their families.  

They reside in third floor dormer rooms, in this attractive stone building. The owners, guests, and workers thus create a small upstairs-downstairs community, making this an interesting place to stay.   

Because we took his advice to go on yesterday's walk, Jim was friendly on the second morning and he complimented the three of us for being "relaxed Americans", taking it as it comes, compared to so many younger Americans he sees who try to maximize the # of things seen every day, often driving way too much.

In the second photo he's holding a photo of his grandmother which has just been given to him by a town resident who knew her.  It was completely unexpected, he said, that someone you barely knew would just walk up and hand you this.  

Before we left Pitlochry, we stopped at the old railway station. 

	Jim				railway station
		Paul		older station		newer one

Then it was two hours on the freeway to Edinburgh, and we had our first ever freeway traffic circle experience, a mix of cars & tractor-trailers, and it was pretty interesting, politeness being the norm here. 

Fortunately we were there mid-day during a low traffic period.  

go to day 13 & 14 - Edinburgh

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