England and Scotland Day 11
England and Scotland
Day 11 - October 11, 2006 - Inverness /Cairngorms National Park/Pitlochry
Another sunny day in Scotland - so far… We had to get out and about early this morning, our luggage was to be out by 7:45 and then we had breakfast. This group has been so prompt which makes things much easier for Simone and Kenny to do their jobs.
We were all ready and on the bus at 8:45 excited for another day's adventure. The sky had begun to cloud, low, gray rain clouds - we all hoped for clear sky as we headed South to Rothiemurchus Estate.
Simone told us the concerns about the high cost of living here in Great Britain, especially about housing. A survey by the British government found that the first time home owner is usually 34 and that young people today cannot afford housing or the high cost of a mortgage.
We traveled along the Cairngorm Mountains or the Red Mountains, named because of the deep red granite found along this 50 mile range. The very fertile valley was green with sheep pastures and a small stream meandering close to the highway.
We made our first photo stop at the Carr Bridge, an old stone pony cart bridge - what a gorgeous setting over a rushing stream. The rain caught up with us just as we left the bridge and as we drove through the village of Aviemore and entered the Rothiemurchus Estate.
This is Britain's largest National Park. Designated in 2003, it covers 1,467 square miles surrounding the Cairngorm plateau in the Scottish Highlands. This mountainous wilderness boasts 46 peaks over 3,000 feet high dominated by the mountain that gives it its name, the Cairngorm Mountain at an elevation of 4082 feet.
Queen Victoria enjoyed some of her happiest moments here and confided in her diary that "all seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils."
We made a restroom stop at the Visitor's Center and then got back on the bus with our Forest Ranger, Lucy. We drove into the park where she talked to us about the Grant Family estate and the origins of this hunting preserve which has been in the family for generations.
Now instead of hunting the estate is dedicated to conservation and bio-diversity. Lucy pointed out the varied workings of this highland estate-from stewardship of the flora and fauna to the rearing of cattle, deer, and trout.
Although it was raining heavily, we hiked through this ancient Caledonian forest and learned the three components or native species; the Scots Pine, the Silver Birch, and the Juniper, all protected for posterity. Some of the oldest of the Scots Pine that have room to spread out are shaped almost like a deciduous tree, and are called Granny Pines, many being over 150 years old.
At 11:30 we hiked full circle to the bus just as it stopped raining. We saw dozens of pheasants in the fields, evidence of the coveted hunting in this area. When we arrived back at the visitor's center we had a chance to sample a few of the products they make on the estate. We were then offered soup and sandwiches.
At 2 PM we were back on the coach on our way to ride the Cairngorm Mountain Railway, a funicular which ascends over 1500 feet. On the ride up, we could see nothing because of the rain and sleet, but we did admire photos of the rugged "corries" (bowl-shaped mountain cirques) of the northern Cairngorms, which have been created and molded by 400 million years of geological forces.
Dominated by a mountain climate, the Cairngorms are an exceptional environment, internationally valued for their landscape and rare habitats. We went up to the museum and observation deck to look out into the clouds, but because of the weather we did not linger. We all caught the 2:40 train back to the base camp where Kenny was waiting for us in the warm bus.
As we continued to Pitlochry, Simone began telling us the story of whisky that was first distilled by the monks. Scotch whisky, also called the "amber nectar" or "water of life," has fortified many a soldier before battle and is also know as a cure for colds and other diseases.
During most of the history of Scotland, Scotch was taxed so heavily that most families had their own still and produced illegal moonshine. Finally the government lowered the tax but still prospered because of the huge revenue.
Our final tour of the day was our visit to the Edradour Distillery, which boasts of being the smallest in Scotland and is presently staffed by three men who produce just twelve casks a week. Our guide Allan welcomed us and gave us a 45 minute tour of the distillery.
We were given an ample sample of a 10 year old single malt to begin the tour. Luckily I had Gennie's also! We watched a short video of the production of this very hands-on operation. Edradour Distillery has been supplying whisky to the House of Parliament in London for the past 70 years, but Allan said he did not think it helped their decision making one bit.
We had a short drive back through the town of Pitlochry and then drove up to the Atholl Palace, a huge old Victorian hotel. We found out right away that there was no internet access. We have been spoiled by the service we have had up to now although it has been very expensive.
We settled into our small but very nice room with two big windows in a second floor corner turret. We spent a few minutes looking at the photos from today and then turned on the TV and found the Scotland-Ukraine game. Everyone in the country, specially our driver Kenny is hopeful they will do well and qualify for the European Cup.
We joined our group and enjoyed an included dinner. After dinner we retired to the sitting room and told each other stories and heard from Kenny that Scotland had lost 2-0. They just could not maintain their intensity from last Saturday night.
Atholl Palace Hotel -- Pitlochry, Scotland - - - Meals: B, D
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