Ireland-Scotland 2013 - Pitlochry   

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The hotel owner Jim suggested (during breakfast) that we take the five-mile walking trail along River Tummel and then River Garry, to Killiecrankie, since it was going to be a light rain day. The hike starts just downhill of the B&B.

Jim said to ask the tea shop person at the end of the walk to call a cab to get back, which we did.

This lovely old wood hotel, with granite exterior, has two stories with many spacious rooms, plus 3rd floor dormer or gabled rooms, where the hired help live, in this case, Polish women in their 30s, with pale skin & light blue eyes, and very polite. This is the EU and they make more $$ here than at home, supporting their families.

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

	ped bridge over River Trummel		River Tummel below Pitlochry Dam		Scotland Hydro
		pioneering fish ladders		there's a pipe connecting each section
	seasonal salmon counter				fish & eggs in the rain
		above the dam		in the woods
	River Garry		native red squirrel (web image)

Once back at Pitlochry, Paul and I drove back to Killiecrankie to tour Blair Castle, while Doris stayed in Pitlochry to do some (Christmas) shopping. 

The self-guided tour was informative, but photos were not allowed inside the Castle. There was too much old military kit, like swords and lances and early rifles and pistols, on display, overly testosterone-ified. But the architecture was enjoyable to see.

Outside afterwards, Paul and I walked up the road to see a red deer herd & visited the modest walled garden. 

	Blair Castle driveway		fantastic architecture
		harem of this red deer		walled garden
	yellow flowers on a grey day				misc.

That night we found great food in an old Pub just up the hill from the Hotel, and, a little later good music in a pub just down the hill, on the main road. Pitlochry has a pleasant small-town feel in the off-season.   

Jim

The next day we had another  great breakfast and because we were at the end of the breakfast hour, we enjoyed dining eating with the owner Jim and the Polish cooks/house-keepers.

Irishman Jim came outside of the terrific B&B-hotel to see us off, and, as we packed the car, someone he didn't know walked up and gave him a photo of his Mom he'd never seen before.  

We drove for two hours on a freeway (straight south) to Edinburgh & encountered a five-lane traffic circle, a mix of cars & tractor-trailers, and it was pretty interesting, a bit slow, but politeness is the norm here & we heard no horns blowing. 

Thankfully, it was a mid-week/mid-day drive, a low traffic volume period. 

go to day 13 & 14 - Edinburgh

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