Lochearnhead

12th September, 1992
13th September, 1992
14th September, 1992
15th September, 1992
16th September, 1992
17th September, 1992
18th September, 1992



Saturday, 12th September 1992

Glencoe photograph

Glencoe, Scotland


Drop Cap arewell to Skye. It was fine when we woke, raining to breakfast, fine again later, all day. At least we could see the Coolins today as we drove to Armadale for the ferry. After a long drive which took us through Glencoe, "The Glen of Weeping", luckily in sunshine because it is some of the most spectacularly beautiful scenery I have ever seen, we arrived at Lochearnhead.

Glencoe photograph

Glencoe, Scotland


Kintyre photograph

Kintyre Cottage, Lochearnhead, Scotland


Drop Cap ur cottage is charming, very spacious for two which is all it sleeps, it has a lovely view over Loch Earn, a really well-equipped kitchen, (I could give a dinner party) and a little woodburning stove which keeps the main room warm as toast. There is a coin operated heating system to supplement this but tonight the fire seems enough. There were fresh flowers in the living and bedrooms, and pictures, lamps, candlesticks and ornaments, so it is very homey.

Loch Earn photograph

View from our cottage Loch Earn, Scotland


Drop Cap ac has pulled a muscle in his back somehow and is very uncomfortable but I hope Aspirin and sleep will help. There is a folder of what to do in the area things so I will look at what they recommend and see how it fits my plans.


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Sunday, 13th September, 1992

Stirling photograph

Mac at Stirling Castle, Scotland


Drop Cap oday was FINE for the most part! We had our first picnic out of the car since London. We drove to Stirling, an interesting town in the geographical centre of Scotland. High on a rock is built Stirling Castle, a fortress with some fascinating aspects. We spent a couple of hours up and down stairs and cells and battlements and guns. There was an interesting audio-visual and the museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

Wallace Monument photograph

Distant View of the Wallace Monument
from Stirling, Scotland




Drop Cap e had lunch in a riverside park and went on, intending to see the Wallace Monument, but it was closed for refurbishment. So we drove to Perth, and visited Scone Palace, the place where Scottish kings are crowned. This is a lovely stately home, with some marvellous furnishings and fittings, mostly acquired as gifts for the family member presently in the Diplomatic Service. Lots of Ambassadors to interesting places.

Scone photograph

Mausoleum and Crowning Mound, Scone Palace, Scotland


Drop Cap he place oozed with peacocks and other fowl and the staff were very forthcoming. One of them, noticing my Australian badge, told me specially about the marvellous gold dinner service, designed and made by Stewart Devlin, an Australian silversmith of international repute. He designed most of our coinage.


Drop Cap ome through country lanes, dodging what Mac calls "peasants and phartridges" on the roadside.
Lovely day.

Monday 14th September, 1992

Steamship photograph

SS Sir Walter Scott on Loch Katrine, Scotland


Drop Cap nother day which didn't know whether to rain or shine. We drove to the Trossachs, through Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, (beautiful) and set off for a steamship ride across Loch Katrine. This loch is Glasgow's Water Supply, accordingly the boat uses non-pollutant fuel etc and we were told not to drop anything overboard. The water board administers the whole area and monitors all lochside activity, consequently the water is very clean, needing only very minimal chlorination treatment. It is very pretty, though we were very cold out there in spite of the sun which decided to shine and made it very pleasant.

Loch Lomond photograph

On the bonny banks of Loch Lomond, Scotland




Drop Cap fter a picnic in the forest we went off to drive along the side of Loch Lomond "by yon bonny banks"etc. It was a lovely drive home. We had to get some supplies in so we went on to Callander, a very pretty town which we will see more fully on Wednesday when we come to see the Rob Roy Centre. This is the heart of MacGregor country, and everywhere has a story of the cattle thief Rob Roy. His grave is in Balquhidder, between Lochearnhead and Callander. We'll visit that on Wednesday, too. Tomorrow, Glamis!

Loch Lomond photograph

Loch Lomond, Scotland


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Tuesday, 15th September, 1992


Drop Cap oday turned out beautiful, in spite of a wet and windy dawn. We first drove to St.Fillans and Crieff via a really lovely little road that didn't rate a number but which hugged the shore of Loch Earn all the way. It was lovely! After raiding the bank at Crieff we set off for Glamis and its castle, thus completing the Macbeth trilogy, Inverness, Cawdor and Glamis. It was interesting, incidentally, at Scone Palace on Sunday, they had a corridor of kings from the very earliest times with historical data and genealogy etc and Macbeth showed up well. He had, apparently, a better claim to the throne than Duncan and his wife had an even better claim. He was not a murderer, he defeated Duncan in battle, reigned SIXTEEN prosperous years and was mourned. So there!

Glamis photograph

Glamis Castle, Scotland


Drop Cap nyway, Glamis castle is really great, with or without Macbeth. It was the childhood home of the Queen Mother, who is the current earl's great aunt. Princess Margaret was born there. It is full of interesting things and is reputed to be the most haunted castle in Britain. Our guide said that he personally had not seen any ghosts but that he only worked in the daytime. He seemed to be a believer, however, because he said several people he knew who worked there and were the most hardheaded sceptics had seen things! We had lunch at the Castle, then wandered through the Italian gardens, very pretty, and went on to Glamis Village, where the Museum of Angus Country life is located. This collection is housed in 5 17th C cottages, with the interior walls knocked down and had an incredible display of artifacts.

Drop Cap ur feet were giving out by the time we had finished and so we set off again by a very roundabout route home via Pitlochry, Aberfeldy, then another lovely but name and numberless road, right along the side of Loch Tay. The forests were dark and beautiful and the Loch sparkled. We came off this road at Killin where we suddenly found ourselves beside the Falls of Dochart. This foaming immensity of rapids roared away into the Loch through several spans of an old bridge. It was absolutely incredible and worth the rain. We met a couple who told us that the last 3 times they had come it was almost dry. It's an ill rain that brings no one good. It was a lovely day!

Wednesday 16th September 1992

Drop Cap oday we had designated a rest day with not much driving so of course it turned out a really beautiful day. There is at least one thing about living in this country - it makes you appreciate fine weather!

Rob Roy's grave photograph

Grave of Rob Roy MacGregor, Balquhidder, Scotland


Drop Cap e went first to Old Balquhidder Kirk where lies the grave of Rob Roy MacGregor, his wife and two of his sons. The church is a shell, although there is a newer one close by. The graves are very old - and it is quite a fascinating place. The Clan Gregor Society have built a cairn and a structure like a cast iron bed base around the MacGregor's graves although the gravestones show many other MacGregors, Fergussons and others.

Drop Cap hen on to Callandar to visit the Rob Rob Exhibition to decide if he was "hero or rogue". The audio visual was very good but left us with the impression that he was just a highland yobbo! The Ned Kelly type - you know "it wasn't my fault, they made me do it". Interesting though.

Drop Cap fter lunch by the river we drove to Crieff and the Glen Turret distillery. This is the oldest malt distillery in Scotland. We did the tour and had a dram - very strong - and had afternoon tea. Some shopping and home nice and early.


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Thursday,17th September 1992

St Andrews photograph

Mac in the Cathedral ruins, St.Andrews, Scotland


Drop Cap oday dawned mistily and although it didn't actually rain, it looked as though it were thinking of it. We drove to St.Andrew's on the east coast, via Dundee, crossing the very long Tay Bridge at Dundee, toll 80p. St.Andrews is an attractive seaside town. It is the site of Scotland's oldest university, all housed in lots of ancient buildings along the lines of Oxford and Cambridge. It also has a very picturesquely ruined Cathedral (where the bones of St.Andrew the Apostle are supposed to lie) and an equally ruined castle by the sea. We went through the Exhibit at the Visitor's Centre and had our picnic on a seat in the Castle grounds. We had thought that it was so tumbledown that there would be nothing to see but broken stones, but it was surprising how much there was. There is a sinister bottle dungeon in the base of the sea tower from which there was no way out.

St Andrews photograph

Ruins of St Andrews Castle, Scotland


Drop Cap h yes, there are golf courses here too. The Old Course, The New Course, the Jubilee Course, etc. We gave them a cursory look, they seemed nicely sited right on the beach front. We bought some golf gear for Christmas for Paul and Neil and headed for home. There was a quite interesting parking system in the old part of St.Andrews, you found your parking place then bought a parking voucher in a local shop filled it in and displayed it. It seemed to work quite well.

Tomorrow is our last day in Lochearnhead, then on to Edinburgh.

Friday,18th September 1992

Oban photograph

Oban from the Ferry Pier, Scotland


Drop Cap ur last day in our dear little cottage. Another very misty day. We headed west this time to Oban, a fishing port and ferry terminal. It was an attractive town, very geared to tourists with lots of quite affordable crafts and knitwear shops. We went to the Caithness Glass Factory and this time were able to watch the craftsmen making paperweights. Fascinating. I bought a little vase for Katie and a scarf for Pat and a badge for Neil and me. We had lunch at McCaig's Tower, a strange construction like a copy of the Colosseum on top of a hill overlooking Oban, great view but too misty to photograph.


Drop Cap e went on then to circumnavigate Loch Awe, a perfectly beautiful run through woods beginning to turn red and gold and a loch absolutely still, reflecting its banks and braes. We called at Inverary Castle but it was closed so we didn't stop. Then on towards Loch Lomond to have afternoon tea at Tarbet at a lovely coffee and craft shop.It was extremely tempting and I bought a Celtic pendant that almost matches my ring and a poster of castles and abbeys.

Drop Cap ome to pack and do some cleaning before dinner at what our landlord has recommended as the best restaurant around here. We'll see.

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