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| 0730 |
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Up and getting ready for another giant breakfast.
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| 0930 |
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On the road to Urqhuart Castle, a short drive from Drumnadrochit.
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| 1030 |
pictures!
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We just finished touring Urqhuart Castle, a ruin on the banks of Loch Ness. Holly is happy because today we are doing nothing but Castle tours! One thing that's hard to get from the pictures is the steepness of the embankment the castle is built on. We were winded just trying to walk up it... I can't imagine what it'd be like to have to attack it!
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| 1045 |
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A view of Urqhuart from across Loch Ness
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| 1122 |
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Holly and I were just commenting that we had been eating all this bacon, but hadn't yet seen and pigs! So here we are driving down the A9 when I spot a farm and pointed. Holly screams PIGS!!! as I pulled over into a passing place for a picture. You can't really tell from the picture but these hogs were HUGE!
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| 1200 |
pictures!
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Elgin Cathedral, east of Inverness in the town of Elgin was as stunning as in the pictures I had seen before. We were grateful there were only a very few other people visiting, as we got to enjoy the quiet and solitude here.
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| 1300 |
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We walked into the town centre and picked up some Fish N Chips... foolish Americans that we are, we decide to take it back to the car and eat it there because the shop is full. What a disaster. 15 minutes later we decide: NO MORE FISH N CHIPS!! EVER!!! The grease and salt is just too much. It's really a disgusting feeling. Anyway, here's a picture of what I think is a courthouse-type building. I don't remember what they're called, but I remember reading about them in one of my books.
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| 1400 |
pictures!
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Down the road, we enter castle country and make our first stop at Balvenie Castle.
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| 1445 |
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Along the A941, we pass the Steers Cooperage, I believe this is one place they make whisky barrels. There's a LOT of barrels there
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| 1621 |
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Corgarff Castle - A good bit of this 18th century fort has been recontructed.
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| 1722 |
pictures!
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Glenbuchat Castle - I wish we had more time to just hang out here for a while. This castle is completely unstaffed and we are the only visitors. It remains in unreconstructed condition. we parked our car just before reaching the castle and walked up the path through a small field where some lambs were playing. We hesitated for a few minutes because some rams who were watching over the lambs were eyeing us territorially. But we moved past them and up to the castle door. The door is closed but not latched and we creaked it open and went about exploring. Lots of fun!!
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| 1800 |
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Some rams and their lambs
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| 1808 |
pictures!
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Kildrummy Castle - this castle is HUGE !! and I can see where it's reputation for power must have come from.
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| 1815 |
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On A97 - we spot another pheasant, but this one we get a shot of - several have strutted in front of our car, but this one is just standing in the field.
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| 1830 |
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The forestry commission has planted some sections of forest where the deforestation was complete. This is one of those plots where you can follow walking paths of differing difficulty. We didn't follow the path for very far.
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| 1855 |
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Muir of Dennet Nature Reserve - Somewhere out there is a ancient stone circle and Loch Kinard
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| 1930 |
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Tonight we are staying at the Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar. We have a very nice room, at a special rate of £23.50 / person. It is much warmer tonight, because we finally have a GAS RADIATOR in our room!!!
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