Home -> Europe -> Scotland -> Travelogue 2004 -> Thursday 25 March

Through the Grampian Mountains

We can choose from two itineraries today: our final destination is Kinloch Rannoch and we have to get across the mountains for that. When there are more snow showers we can better take a detour to the south and avoid the paddes at higher altitude. But the weather seems quite fair with a higher temperature than two days ago, so we take our chance. This route (via Braemar and Pitlochry) is much shorter and also more interessesting than the other way via Dundee.

Of course we come across some castles, like the ruins of Glenbuchat Castle on the picture to the left, and we also see a lot of sheep who must have a great life here. They seem to own the country, except for some roads that lead through their territory.

Now and then it drizzles and we see a lot of rainbows very close to us, but we couldn't get a nice picture. Once we even see a short, but total rainbow over a river with both ends on the shores. But no place to park the car and take a picture. But they are incredible here, the rainbows: every day we see a few and bigger and much briighter than we have ever seen in Holland.

Near Braemar we explore the road going into Glen Lui, another road we haven't been before. Like many other roads it is a dead end and we have to drive back the whole way. But it is often worthwhile, like now when we discover this beautiful gorge with a waterfall.

Driving up into the Glen Shee ski area it is still dry and we don't have to fear for slippery roads. The mountains are still covered with snow and clouds hang on the white mountain tops.

Eventually we arrive west of the mountains at Pitlochry, a nice town where we take a break. We take a cup of soup which doesn't please us much after a while and for € 4 per cup. Next time we just take a sandwich.

We are not far from Kinloch Rannoch now, but it is still very early in the afternoon, so we decide to search for a village that we have often seen from the highway and that looked very nice. We have never stopped there and we forget every time the location, just that it lies next to the A9. From Pitlochry we drive north and since we are in the neighbourhood we take a quick look at our castle, the gate lodge where we spend a few days last year. On the picture the road to Loch Laggan, where the gate lodge is situated.

We don't find the village we are looking for, though; probably it lies south of Pitlochry. So we now go to hotel Dunalastair in Kinloch Rannoch. We spend our last night of the previous trip to Scotland there. The owner had invited us and gave us the idea to start a website in Dutch for people who want to arrange their trip to Scotland (www.reizennaarscotland.nl). On the way we see a few nice and hidden castles, but we like the gate lodges even better. Last year one of them was empty and we feel a bit disappointed when we see smoke coming from the chimney. It was a vague, unrealistic dream, but we like to dream about owning such a small castle for ourselves.

Our friend Paul isn't at the hotel when we check in, but we get a nice room, with a four-poster as you can see. We will have no trouble entertaining ourselves in this area for a few days!

Travel through Europe and Africa

with Elisabeth and Teije