Kenmore

27 Jun 2010

I’ve just come back from a lovely stay at the Mains of Taymouth complex in Scotland.

First impressions were that once again the wife had chosen well. The accommodation was very clean and spacious. The Hot tub was an excellent bonus.

Day 1 The Journey

Four hours in a car with all the family plus the dog isn’t a pleasant thought but I was surprised how quickly it went, even when the GPS took us via Edinburgh city centre. Note to self don’t trust those bloody things, have knowledge of the route and a back up printed copy. Nevertheless we did the journey in one go and found it straight away. The journey was marred by the appalling state of the roads. Edinburgh city centre was particularly shocking as well as the ridiculous A1 which for most of the journey is single carriageway. I do not recall seeing so many potholes, badly repaired potholes and uneven surfaces as I did on this journey. It was bloody annoying and embarrassing, imagine what visitors think. I was in Holland a few years ago and their roads were fabulous.

Day 2 Shopping

It rained intermittently all day but it was very light rain so we weren’t stuck in the cottage. We all went into Aberfeldy to do some shopping, not my idea of a good start to the holiday but we’d be stuck without food so it was essential. I’d forgotten my binoculars (you always forget something don’t you) so luckily there was a outdoor retailer there who sold Barska binoculars so I bough myself a £30 basic pair which are fine for what I needed. Went for a walk later on along the river and spotted a pair of Oystercatchers and a Goosander. Then I enjoyed a relaxing soak in the hot tub.

Day 3 The Birks of Aberfeldy

The Birks of Aberfeldy is a poem written by Robert Burns. He was inspired to write it by the Falls of Moness and the birch trees of Aberfeldy. We started from the lower car park and went up the east side of the Glen returning via the west side. It was a good old climb up to the top but worth it for the view of the falls of Moness. In the afternoon I went for a solo walk (no dog this time) around the Loch side and back to the complex. A Deer fleetingly crossed my path whilst in the woods above the Loch. In the evening I went for a walk round Kenmore village and spotted a pair of Goldfinch and a Song Thrush. The weather today was fair to sunny.

Day 4 Pitlochry

Another beautiful day. We decided to go to Pitlochry today for a walk and a look around. The walk was very enjoyable and good for the dog. This was some of the most beautiful scenery around here and I got some lovely photographs. Pitlochry was a very nice village and there was one unusual shop Hawkshead which was dog friendly, even encouraging them in, brilliant. In the afternoon it was so nice that we just lazed around the garden sunbathing and in the hot tub.

Day 5 Scottish Crannog Centre

The weather forecast had suggested that it was going to rain for most of today and it was raining in the morning but only lightly. We decided to visit the Scottish Crannog Centre as it was just a 15 minute walk along the road through Kenmore village. Unfortunately no dogs were allowed in so I volunteered to look after Molly. After walking round aimlessly for 30 minutes I decided to go back to the cottage and drive back so I could pick them up. When I got back to the visitors centre the rain had stopped and it stayed that way for the rest of the day. By all accounts they had a good time and it was well worth a visit. In the afternoon I climbed up to the Black Rock viewpoint on Drummond Hill. It was a very steep climb but well worth it for the view and it was sunny by then. I got some beautiful photographs of the village.

Day 6 Dunkeld Hermitage

This is a National Trust for Scotland property. This was out of the Pathfinder Perthshire, Angus & Fife walks book and overall I found it a bit boring, too much of it was on or near roads so difficult to let the dog off the lead. When we eventually reached the car park it did improve. We followed the riverside under shade of trees making our way past what was until recently considered to be the tallest tree in the UK, before arriving at a delightful stone bridge and Victorian folly known as Ossian’’s Hall which overlooked an impressive waterfall. In the afternoon went on another explorative walk to Taymouth Castle and the Chinese Bridge. Was very intrigued with Taymouth Castle and was disappointed to learn that it was standing empty with work on its restoration stopped. Saw a red Squirrel. Another cracking day.

Day 7 Killin and Loch Tay

We decided to visit Killin today which is at the other end of Loch Tay. Drove along the north shore line first which was a pretty decent road, some lovely properties and some interesting derelict properties which would make cracking homes. Killin was pretty crap just walked up and down the main street. I was in a foul mood anyway due to the lack of enthusiasm from the kids so this didn’t help. We then drove back along the south shore line which was a shocking road, absolutely terrible. In went for a walk up Drummond Hill to see if I could find the TV mast. This was even more arduous that the Black Rock viewpoint walk but eventually I found it. I took 5 minutes for a rest because I was completely knackered then set off on the r eturn journey. In the afternoon we all went down to Loch Tay for a paddle.

Day 8 Home Time

After a lovely week it was time to go home. We all wished we could have stayed and would definitely visit again.