IRELAND and SCOTLAND - Day 18 - October 18, 2023

WINDY COLD DRIVE TO PITLOCHRY - Day 18 - October 18, 2023

Yesterday’s clear skies were gone this morning as we drove south through the fields and glens of whiskey country.

We chose the A95/A9 route that runs southwest along the River Spey in the northwestern corner of Cairngorms National Park. The open fields and rolling hills of the  Speyside area are a little bit like the Napa or Sonoma valleys, with distilleries (rather than wineries) dotting the countryside. And, the occasional castle.

As the road turns southeast, it begins to climb up into the Grampian Mountains. At one of our quick rest stops, the wind was blowing so hard you could barely stand up straight.

We descended into woodlands along the River Garry (the same river we saw back near Fort William) and along the River Tummel. The trees here are beginning their change into fall colors.

The village of Pitlochry is nestled along the River Tummel and is close to a popular tourist attraction called The Enchanted Forest. It is a woodland area decorated with LED’s and projected laser images at night. In the fall, entrance to the forest is booked well in advance. We’ve already seen nice woodlands for free on this trip, so no problem missing a crowded event.

Speaking of crowds, we are definitely getting closer to more populated areas as we head south. Pitlochry was busy with tourists when we arrived this afternoon. The next two days, we’ll be within the Edinburgh metropolitan area and back in the big city.

Our B&B, The Craigatin House, is an old stone Victorian house formerly owned by a doctor. We’re up on the top floor, reachable by three flights of winding stairs. Nice view of the colorful mountains.

We’re a quarter mile from the village, so this afternoon we walked over to see the ‘famous’ Pitlochry hydro-electric dam and fish ladders (for Atlantic salmon). I think even Huell Howser would have had a real hard time working up enthusiasm for this site. But, that’s water over the dam…

After dinner, Karen and I walked into the village, which was coming alive with large groups of tourists and local families. In the middle of town, there was a long line of people waiting to board large buses to ride over to the Enchanted Forest. On the street corners, vendors were selling rope lights and other trinkets to help complement the forest experience.

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