our Trip to Scotland for Spirit Dancer Canoe Journeys

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.June 22, 2010
We left Toronto for Gatwick on Thomas Cook Airlines. The plane had a delay from Oslo and was delayed two hours. We finally left at 2240. What a great airline inspite of the delay.. It is roomy with lots of leg room, friendly air hostesses and good food.
We picked up our car rental to find they had upgraded us to a Mercedes Benz SUV with a GPS. Thank heavens for being told what to do! Driving on the left hand side of the road is tricky but it is amazing how fast we learn.
Our first stop for lunch was at a small Scottish Deli in Pitalochy.We ate outside admidst all the charm of the old buildings and twisty streets. After lunch we visited the Fish Ladder where 5000 salmon a year climb to their spawning grounds.
Even with the GPS I managed to get lost finding the laneway to the laddersI wanted to drive as closely as possible so Kirk did not have to walk. We found a charming couple who made us laugh so directions turned into "Saturday Night Live". The GPS helped us find our way to Inverness and The Trafford Bank Guest House. It was a long day considering we had very little sleep on the plane and then driving for 5 hours.
What a beautiful guest house. We have th.e Tartan Room. Breakfast this morning was delicious with homemade jams, scones, homemade breads, bacon and eggs. Just like home!!!
We had a quiet relaxing morning and I wrote to everyone and just as I was about to send it I lost everything. So now I am doing it through the travel blog with my fingers crossed that it will send ok.
We took a boat cruise this afternoon on Loch Ness. We went down the Caledonian Canal and across the lake to the Urquhart Castle. Many a battle was fought here with the MacDonald's and the English over the centuries being the bad guys. We arrived back 31/2 hours later by bus. It was a great day and we learned a lot about the area and Scotland.
Hazel you are so right the Scots are a beautiful and very friendly people who are so willing to be helpful and love to laugh.
The beauty around us is breath taking with rolling velvet looking green hills with cows and sheep grazing and lots of lakes/lochs. The tempreture was 15" and over cast with sunny periods.
Last night we had dinner at the Kitchen Restaurant and to-night at The Rivers Inn. Both meals were excellent. If you eat between 5:30 and 7:00 you get a light menu both food and price. This suits us just fine.
Kirk is watching the soceer as I write this and then it is off to bed.
To-morrow we will visit some of the smaller towns in the area and will be driving on one lane roads with pull-offs to pass the on-coming car. This will be a new experience for me.
It is very quiet and relaxing here. It seems that no one is in a hurry especially while driving. If you could see how narrow the streets are it is a necessity and not a consideration. The end of a perfect day

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