Hiley Website

We're off to Scotland. This time last year we didn't plan to go but Loes received a birthday present

of a five night Air B&B visit based around a "Golden Retriever Gathering" in Glen Affric.

This time last year Loes hardly appreciated dogs . . . this year her daughter is sending her to a dog show !!



Welcome to Scotland . . . but we took the smaller roads through Gretna.	. . . past the famous Blacksmith's house where marriages are offered.

Slightly more impressive however was the Toll Bar Cafe . . . the First House (we passed) in Scotland !

We were heading off-piste to Kinkell Bridge over the River Earn, between Crieff and Perth, for our first overnight stay.

The beautiful Bed and Breakfast at The Barn - Air B&B nea Kinkell Bridge.

The accommodation was beautiful but little did Danny know,

she had booked us in to a place which was literally five minutes "across the fields" from Loweswater friends of ours, Martin and Shelagh.

Consequently that evening we were out for dinner so hardly used the grand lounge here at The Barn.

	- - - o o o - - - Upstairs was equally nice with a bedroom built into the upper floor of the old building. Breakfast matched the quality of the rooms and we both commented that it was a shame we were only staying one night. - - - o o o - - -

I had heard so much about the town of Crieff that we made a point of diverting through it when we started our journey next day.

Crieff was a famous spa town where one came "to take the waters". The big hotel was suitably named the Crieff Hydro.

Our diversion took us through the delightful agricultural valley of the River Almond,

where we took the minor roads past Stanley and across to Murthly Village in the beautiful Valley of the Tay.

Here we were able to call on other friends of Loes for a quick coffee and a chat. She hadn't seen Margaret and Ron for over four years,

- - - o o o - - - As we drove up alongside the Tay to Dunkeld we were wondering where to stop to walk the dogs only to find the first turn off the A9 was to the visitor attraction of "The Hermitage". That will do nicely. - - - o o o - - -



We parked in the visitor car park and walked through the "tree garden" . . .	. . . alongside "waterfalls, rapids and swirling pools".



No visitor signboards can really convey the beauty . . .	. . . which included this bridge overlooking the Black Linn Falls.

There you will find the "folly" that is Ossian’s Hall . . . The Hermitage.

From its approach it looks quite small and unassuming, but inside it is larger than expected, with glass murals on either wall.

	- - - o o o - - - It was built in 1757 as the focal point in the extensive landscape of the valley. Decorated with mirrors, sliding panels and paintings, it has been refurbished to re-create the illusions of shock, surprise and amazement that were the aims of the folly’s original design. It makes a fine spot to contemplate the roaring, tumbling falls. We stopped a while to do just that ! Info courtesy of the National Trust for Scotland web page. - - - o o o - - -

For those with a strong constitution only . . .

the near vertical view down to the peaty-brown, swollen River Braan, seemingly in flood today.



From just a little further upstream the folly looks more like the photos.	This close to the river the roar was almost deafening.

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Dogs (and people) now suitably walked we headed on, north up the A9.

We drove close to the Dalwhinnie Distillery, the highest working distillery in Scotland.

Some of the lower hills of Cairngorm can be seen behind the distillery.

We were aiming for Drumnadrochit on the western side of Loch Ness, so needed a slight diversion from the main road north.

This is the road to Lagan with the high tops of the Monadhliath Mountains ahead.

The road took us almost to Fort William in the Great Glen before we were able to turn north once again.

That junction of course is at Spean Bridge, so we stopped off to see the Commando Memorial.



It commemorates the members of the Commando Forces	The Memorial looks out on the landscape
who lost their lives in support of their country.	where much of their wartime training was done.

We properly into the "Great Glen" now

and after passing Lock Lochy and Loch Oich we crossed over one of the river sections and the canal at the Bridge of Oich.

Before long we were driving above Loch Ness itself.

The loch is the second larges expanse of inland water in Scotland and extends some 23 miles north towards Inverness.

Just over half way up is the famous Urquhart Castle sitting on the headland below the road.

Around the next bend we would enter the village of Drumnadrochit . . . and we were nearly at our second night's destination.

We turned towards Glen Affric and then turned onto a side road, climbed the hillside, turned onto a gravel road, over the cattle grid,

turned again up another steep climb in order to emerge at Creag Mhor our 'Bed and Breakfast' and home for the next three nights.

After our delightful drive north we looked out over Loch Meiklie . . . and thought about where to have supper later this evening !

- - - o o o - - -