Days 9-10: Dunkeld (& More!)
Sheep dogs, Pitlochry, & The Hermitage
After leaving our hotel in Boat of Garten, Day 9 started with a visit to a farm where we got to watch a sheepdog demonstration from Neil and his dogs. The animals were definitely a highlight for many of our group, especially feeding the lambs and playing with the sheepdog puppies! I was so impressed that even the 11-week-old puppies instinctively herded the lambs. We had plenty of time to pet the dogs and play with the puppies before Mark drove us into Pitlochry for lunch & some exploring. Pitlochry is also home to the Heathergems Factory Store, which is definitely worth a visit for jewelry lovers (an Alasdair recommendation). Their jewelry is made from compressed heather and dyes - so creative and unique!
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From Pitlochry, Alasdair planned a little treat for our group: a hike in The Hermitage outside Dunkeld. It was a leisurely stroll through some gorgeous old forests with lots of pine needles cushioning our footsteps and the trail ended at a beautiful waterfall. The area around the waterfall had many other hiking paths as well as some interesting nature features - like a tree stump with hundreds of coins hammered in (for good luck).
Dunkeld & the Crannog CentreOur second day in Dunkeld started with a bus ride or hike into Dunkeld for a tour with local guide, Tom. Most of our walking tour centered on the partially ruined Dunkeld Cathedral and the Dunkeld Bridge. We then had a little time on our own for lunch and some exploration of Dunkeld before joining Mark for a trip to the Crannog Centre. Sadly, the replica crannog built by the Centre burned down a few years ago, so we weren't able to see it, but the museum and living history exhibits gave us glimpses of what life was like living in and around crannogs - houses built on artificial islands in Scotland and Ireland 2,500 years ago.
(To view larger images, you can click on any of the photos to the right.) We returned in the late afternoon back to Dunkeld House Hotel for a bagpipe demonstration with the incredible Gillie! Gillie played several pieces for us, including happy birthday for a tour member, and explained bagpipes and her kit to us. The group was on our own for dinner. A group of us single ladies decided to eat in the Dunkeld House Hotel restaurant to celebrate our birthday girl, Saniye, but a few tour members took taxis into Dunkeld for dinner in town.
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Fun Fact!
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I saw our first sign in Pitlochry while we were exploring. It definitely caught my attention and gave me a big laugh in the end!
While we were hiking in The Hermitage, at the end of a bridge, I found the "Danger: Risk of Death" sign. (The full sign reads - "Danger: Risk of Death. A landslip has occurred ahead. This section is now extremely unstable and dangerous. It is advised you do not continue ahead.") While the warning is very nice, it does seem a bit nonchalant about warning that you could die if you continue hiking in this direction! |
The doggy was found during lunch in Dunkeld - we saw it from across the street in The Scottish Deli. Don't worry - it got a lot of attention from passerby and probably gets plenty of treats at home!
The picture of the hills has a bit of a story. Tom explained to us that the John Murray, the 4th Duke of Atholl, was a bit eccentric. For reasons unknown, he decided to fill cannonballs with seeds and shoot them onto the rockface in Dunkeld, which is why trees are growing in places they normally wouldn't. |
If you'd like to see more pictures of Dunkeld & surroundings (including some extra info), check out my slideshow below. Or, click the button to head to our final stops: St. Andrews & Edinburgh!
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