Aboyne to Inverness

 Friday 12th July

A nice dry but chilly morning to start our day, well I woke up initially at about 4am as it was quite light by then, but did manage a snooze afterwards.

First stop was the sign to lost, just a gimmick of a photo opportunity but right by a war memorial, I heard this before but apparently only six towns and villages in the UK that don’t have a WW1 memorial as everywhere else lost some of the inhabitants, pretty sobering statistics really! The children had painted flags on stones to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D day landings - a nice touch.


Also a grassy mound of glacial rock and gravel with an interesting history

The Doune of Invernochty. Pictish people originally used the doune, followed by Norman engineers in the 12th century who extended it to a Motte and Bailey design, there was a church that survived until 165


Then a place called the Watchers a steel art installation overlooking the glen.



They had a little wooden shelf fitted inside that was a wee stretch to reach but were sited to protect from the cold winds and was quite cocooning to sit there and watch the view.




Stopped at a town called Tomintoul for a hot chocolate and a wander around, it was extremely cold _ don’t forget this is mid summer over here. Interest banner advertising the Highland Games. Every 3rd Saturday in July… I think they meant every year on the third Saturday of July? 


Walked up to yet another Art installation overlooking another river Avon. 






Set on a hill by a small old quarry, most probably granite.




We then went to the Scottish Folk Museum, similar to the Welsh one, where housing through the centuries has either been built to match ruins, moved from elsewhere and rebuilt, or built to plans. the oldest site was used as a film set on Outlander.











There’s a schoolhouse with inkwells in the desks and instructions on how to form you letters when writing. A chapel, shepherds Botha and cottages. Most exciting were the Highland cattle - hope to wee more on our travels so I can get some better photos.



Then on to INverness, with a slight detour back to Loch Ness. The first person to see Nessie was St Columba in 564 AD when he sent his servant out to get a boat that had floated away, unfortunately Nessie swallowed the servant. St Columba sent another servant out and when Nessie was about to snivel him as well, St Columba struck his staff on the ground and told Nessie to not bother us anymore. Nessie slunk away and hasn’t been seen since. The sighing in the 1930s was found to be a hoax, and most photos are blurry. The lake is beautiful, very long and very deep in parts, and a little bit like New Zealand.





There is a Nessie in Inverness, on the roundabout turn off towards the lake.


Quite a large hotel tonight and tomorrow night, the KIngsmill, quite grand and carpet we sold at M&W



Bagpipes into our meal, by a young piper named Charlie. Huge bed to sleep in tonight.


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