Debs aunt and uncle, Margaret and David were over in the UK and stayed with us for a week. For three days, the whole family piled into Debs new wagon and went on a bit of a road trip around the western highlands to take in some of the beautiful scenery, brave the midges and quaff the odd ale here and there. It’s a bit of a job to come up with trip that only lasts 3 days, gets to the really nice stuff and doesn’t miss everything out just to drive.Anyway, Sunday the 15th of May and we headed off. We drove up through the green and pleasant Strathearn region of Perthshire where Highland Spring comes from. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely water, it really is, but let’s be honest, “Highland” is pushing it a bit, really, quite a bit. Dropping down into Comrie and hanging a left took us along Loch Earn, then hang a right over the pass at Glen Ogle and right again at Lix Toll (where I was deeply saddened to see their ancient and slightly bizarre modified landrovers no longer appeared to be on show) to Killin. This seemed the ideal place to pause, take in some scenery and have some food. [map]
Reinvigorated we hit the road once more, through Crianlarich and over the bleak but inspiring Rannoch Moor to the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe. At least we must have done because I woke up in Glencoe and there simply wasn’t enough time to have gone any other way about it.
Monday was the day for spending some quiet time taking in the scenery of teh Glenfinnan Monument then sampling the seafood of Mallaig under a pergola dripping with clematis and honeysuckle before heading out to run on the glorious white sand beaches of Arisaig. Err… Or it would’ve been if it had been a bit warmer and not actually trying to drown us in rain all day. We saw all of the above, but the Canadians didn’t even get out of the car in Arisaig. If you know maritime climates, you’ll know the score.
Oh well, back to the Clach and no option really but to warm up with an early pint then dinner then another quiet pint. Aren’t baby monitors and modern building codes great? So long as we didn’t go into the old (i.e. built of materials that will stand up to a light infestation of moths) bit of the building we could hear just fine.
Tuesday was a trot back up the road to Fort Bill, over to Spean Bridge, quick detour to see the Commando Memorial (no it’s not about not wearing pants under your kilt!) then up the glen to Laggan dam and over to the A9 at Dalwhinnie. The somewhat pointy things that inhabit the Mamores and Grey Corries are now replaced with the great whale backs of the Cairngorms. Whilst these hills can look less of an undertaking, don’t be fooled. What they lack in cragginess they more than make up for in scale, distance and high winds.
By majority vote (i.e. me, ‘cos I was driving again) we decided not to go to the distillery but instead to have a quick peak at Blair Castle in Blair Atholl and go for a picnic at the dam in Pitlochry. Thankfully the weather was a little warmer and at least it was dry. The highlight here was probably the public toilets adjacent to the car park. Not for their high standard of presentation. Nor for the modest fee charged to secure their use. Rather for the somewhat harried and over zealous attendant who lacked a certain je ne ce quois when it came to managing the public. Mind, I guess 2,000 incontinent pensioners an hour would do that to anyone…
By the way. Don’t park in the big car park if you’re going there. Head down the hill and park near the dam for free instead.