July 21 – Edinburgh

Edinburgh CastleEven this day we were up with the rooster. We wanted to be at Edinburgh Castle as near to opening time as possible (9.30). We äte breakfast, did morning chores, parked the car outside the camping site and took the local bus into Edinburgh Town Centre. We went through Princes Street Gardens and up to Edinburgh Castle. We were pretty early at the castle and there was hardly any queue waiting to get in. We started the sightseeing tour through the castle in the shop which lay directly inside the castle walls. Mons Meg, the One ö’clock gun, little battlement, Chapel the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Great Hall and lastly a look in the castle itself. The Royal MileThis took us up to lunchtime. At lunchtime Patrik took The Whisky heretidge Centers Tour which he didn’t think very special as he had already read a lot about whisky in the book (given out by the Whisky Heretidge Center) Lennarth had previously given him. Even though he was smiling over the whisky taster glass he got on the tour his disappointment showed through. While Patrik was on the tour the others were in the Old Town and had a bite to eat, so Patrik had to contend himself with a Spicy chicken Panini when he came out. We went to St Giles Cathedral where Gun wanted to see the Thistle Chapel. After St Giles Patrik managed to convince the others to go in The Royal Miles whisky where Patrik bought three whiskies, a Dailuaine, a Mortlach and a Clynelish for £68.
Royal Mile Whiskies tastingThen it was time for coffee at a Starbucks a little way down The Royal Mile. Then we walked the rest of the Royal Mile before we turned for home. On the way to the busstation Terese wanted to take out money, but the £150 she wanted to take didn’t come out the machine. Panic. Had the money been withdrawn from the account. It would be a later problem, to contact the Swedish bank. When we reached the car at the camping site we were all very tired, but we pleasantly sat ourselves in the car and drove towards Perthshire over the Firth of Forth Road Bridge. We drove past Perth on the City Pass and landed quite unexpectedly in Pitlochry, Lennarth filled up the car with petrol and bought some bread for breakfast. Patrik ran away to take photos of Blair Athol distillery. Here is where we are going tomorrow. We drive on to find a camping site. It doesn’t look too good as it seems all the Scots drive out to the Scottish highlands over the weekend, so all the camping sites are fully booked. Suddently we find ourselves on a lot of small roads up in the highlands on a road which actually just stops, but so long we don’t drive, we choose another road which takes us towards Aberfeldy which seems to be the nearest alternative for camping.

GlengoulandieHalfway we come across the village of Glengoulandie which consists of two houses and a camping site they have a pitch for us but only if we only stay one night. Of course that is what we would do. A little pleasant camping site right in the Scottish highlands, Lennarth was in seventh heaven. Later we noticed there was even a deer, they even had peacocks. A very enjoyable stop over it turned out to be.