Blair Castle Part Two - The Ducks!

Yes, we are still at Blair Castle, this is the stately pile itself, home to the 11th Duke of Atholl, who actually lives in South Africa. The 10th Duke had no children so the estate passed to his cousin.

One of the highlights of our visit to Blair Castle was the Hercules Garden, I showed you the swans in the previous post and there are more birds to see this this post, but first a little of the garden itself.

 This is Hercules looking down on his garden

 and here is what he can see!

The bridge and lily pond

Brian on the bridge

Mama Duck was in the grass with her little ducklings

"Look at me, I'm so cute!"

Mr Drake & his reflection

Mrs Duck & her wake

Scruffy Duck heads for a bath

Meanwhile over in the bull rushes....

the water was bubbling like a cauldron - eek!  A closer look and we realised that the bubbling water was actually TADPOLES!!!  It's a long time since I've seen tadpoles and never in such quantities.

Mmmmm tadpoles for lunch...

Don't worry there were plenty left when she had finished.

We sat down on a bench for me to change the lenses on my camera and were spotted by this little lady.

Well hello...sorry no food for you.

Hrrumph, I don't know what things are coming to, can't get quality tourists nowadays.

These two weren't very impressed either!

Blair Castle Part 1

On Wednesday last week we visited Blair Castle.  We started with a walk on the Estate which took us past the farm and through the forest.  The views were nothing spectacular, so I'll not share them with you.

Three times each day, a piper plays outside Blair Castle, always good for  a photo opporunity!

There was also a peacock wandering around also posing for photographs. However, no photographs could be taken inside the castle.

This huge tree is in 'Diana's Grove' 

"Diana’s Grove, a tranquil wooded area adjacent to the castle affords a unique opportunity to enjoy some of the county’s finest and tallest trees in a space of just two acres. It is also the home of a Grand Fir, the UK’s second tallest tree at 62.70 metres."

We passed the ruins of St Bride’s Kirk " which has its ancient origins in Celtic times. After the nearby Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, the Kirk became the resting place for the remains of Viscount Dundee, (John Graham of Claverhouse, known as Bonnie Dundee)."

"Hercules Garden is a stunning 9 acre walled garden recently restored to its original Georgian design. Named after the life-sized statue of Hercules which overlooks the garden, it incorporates landscaped ponds, a folly, a Chinese bridge and an impressive orchard of more than 100 fruit trees. The glory of this garden in summer are the herbaceous borders which run along the 275m south-facing wall."

The Hercules Garden was full of ducks and a pair of swans with a signet.  They were all very tame so it was possible to get up close for photographs.

More photos coming soon.

Pitlochry: Tuesday - Aberfeldy

On Tuesday we went to Aberfeldy, marked on the map above, our main purpose was to visit a furniture showroom called Spirit of Wood.  We had been there when we were in the area a couple of years ago and wanted to go back to see what kind of dining room tables they had.  We are also looking at some other places but got prices and had a chance to see what they had.

After the showroom we went for lunch at the House of Menzies which was recommended by the Beauty Therapist.  If you want to see what we ate click HERE to go over to Farmersgirl Kitchen.

We then returned to Aberfeldy to go on a very famous walk known as 'The Birks of Aberfeldy', it is really called the Falls of Moness, but Robert Burns wrote a song called the The Birks of Aberfeldy extolling it's virtues and so it has become known.

 For those who are wondering just what 'Birks' might be, let me put you out of your misery, Birk is the Scottish word for Birch and there are plenty of Birch trees on the steep path up to the Falls of Moness.

Looking down on the falls from the bridge

 Brian at the bridge

Here are the falls, we crossed the bridge above them to come round to this viewpoint.

The viewpoint with a quote from the song.

Birks!

I loved these little mossy falls of water that ran down into the river below.

There is a little plaque to show where Burns is supposed to have been inspired.

And here is Rabbie himself, stuck to his bench perpetually working on his song, he has a new friend to help him!

What is he writing?

another friend for Rabbie!

The Birks Of Aberfeldy

1787
Type: Song
Tune: The Birks of Abergeldie.

Chorus.-Bonie lassie, will ye go,
Will ye go, will ye go,
Bonie lassie, will ye go
To the birks of Aberfeldy!

Now Simmer blinks on flowery braes,
And o'er the crystal streamlets plays;
Come let us spend the lightsome days,
In the birks of Aberfeldy.
Bonie lassie, &c.

While o'er their heads the hazels hing,
The little birdies blythely sing,
Or lightly flit on wanton wing,
In the birks of Aberfeldy.
Bonie lassie, &c.

The braes ascend like lofty wa's,
The foaming stream deep-roaring fa's,
O'erhung wi' fragrant spreading shaws-
The birks of Aberfeldy.
Bonie lassie, &c.

The hoary cliffs are crown'd wi' flowers,
White o'er the linns the burnie pours,
And rising, weets wi' misty showers
The birks of Aberfeldy.
Bonie lassie, &c.

Let Fortune's gifts at randoe flee,
They ne'er shall draw a wish frae me;
Supremely blest wi' love and thee,
In the birks of Aberfeldy.
Bonie lassie, &c.

Source: Robert Burns Country

Pitlochry: Monday - Black Spout Walk & Japanese Garden

We bought a little pamphlet of walks around Pitlochry at the Tourist Information Centre and decided to start with this 3 mile walk through the Black Spout Wood, taking you past the Edradour Distillery then back down through the wood, coming out at the Athol Palace Hotel.  I've marked the approximate location of our cottage with the large arrow and outlined the walk in black.

This is the Black Spout a waterfall 60m high (can you tell I have the guide beside me?) on the Edradour Burn.

Brian at the Black Spout

Me at the Black Spout

The view of Pitlochry from Edradour

As we came down toward the Athol Palace Hotel, we saw this giant pine cone!!!

Isn't it fabulous!  It is carved with a chain saw and looks very realistic.  I've seen animals and birds carved with a chain saw before, all very skilled but nothing that I would have wanted to take home, this one is just so much better, I'd love one of these.

As well as the pine cone, there was this pretty little Japanese Garden.

with these interesting metal swan sculptures.

In the afternoon we went to Beauty and Wellbeing 

where we  both had deluxe organic aromatherapy facials and mini-back massage, it was fabulous.  I couldn't recommend this salon highly enough.  Jane was very attentive and thoroughly professional.

Monday was also theatre night. Pitlochry is famous for it's Festival Theatre which has a series of plays running throughout the summer, you could see a different play every night if you wanted to.  We had booked to see "Kiss me Kate" but before we went to the theatre we went out for a meal to the Fern Cottage.

Brian had the Breast of Duck accompanied by a berry,sage and port wine sauce, followed by Steamed Chocolate Truffle and I had Sea Bass with a lemon butter sauce followed by the Chef's Cheesecake.  All very delicious.

The production of 'Kiss me Kate' was excellent, it was fast paced and quite raunchy, we had seen this show nearly 30 years ago and it was a much tamer version!  What most impressed us was that the actors were also the orchestra, apart from the piano player and the trumpet player all the players were also singing and dancing in the chorus or had parts in the musical.  

We discovered a couple of days later that the lead actor and his family had rented the lower half of the cottage where we were staying.  Not that we saw him much, he was either doing a show or rehearsing, his poor wife was a bit fed up and went off to visit her parents for a few days.

So a pretty busy day on Monday, but good to get those things in while the weather was still a bit iffy.