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Day 5 - Inverness to Edinburgh
Today we traveled south towards Edinburgh with plenty of stops along the way. On the way to our first stop we saw snow on the roadside and light flurries on the windshield, not the king of weather we were hoping for. Dalwhinnie distillery is sited just below a small loch fed by a fresh water stream. The pristine water is used on the distillation process. The product is a single malt Scot's whiskey that is reported to be smooth and lightly smoked. I say reportedly because it still tastes like medicine to me. Still, Duncan's tour was interesting. We are in the "silent season" when operations are shut down for two weeks maintenance. The upside of this is that we were able to hear the commentary. The fundamental process is simple but the artistry is in the subtle tweaks along the way. Absolutely all the byproducts are used or recycled. There is even a plan to recover co2 in the future.
I thought it was interesting that the original aging took place in American white oak bourbon barrels where the whiskey gains it's color. A select portion is then aged further
in sherry barrels from Spain.
The day continued wet and chilly and we headed further south. We stopped at a lookout named Queen's View, said to be Queen Victoria's favorite. The old girl had good taste. After driving up a steep, narrow, curvy road we were rewarded to a beautiful view of the Loch Tay, lovely wild flowers and a charming little bird who must have had a nest nearby.
Next we drove to Blair Castle the ancestral home of the Clan Murray and the Duke of Atholl. On the way I saw a strange sign. A yellow rectangle reading RED SQUIRREL AREA with a small triangular sign on top with a ! inside. My imagination went wild as I wondered whether there were dangerous critters. Would they attack? Do they travel in herds? Actually, this is one of the last areas where the indigenous red squirrels can be found. The American grey squirrel has taken over and the reds are almost extinct.
The castle was begun in the 13th century with additions and modifications done in the 5th, 16th and 18th centuries. It is now part of the Scotland Historical
Trust.
As with the Castle of Inveraray the rooms are moderately sized and could be comfortable if warmed to a pleasant temperature. What was of particular interest to me was the wonderful furniture made of rare woods and inlaid with ivory or mother-of-pearl. Some marquetry pieces were so intricate that I can't imagine how they were done.
We continued our drive to Edinburgh on the A9, according to our driver the most dangerous highway in Scotland. As we approached the city, we crossed the Firth of Forth on a bridge built in the 1960s. It is considered obsolete now, if not dangerous, and a new bridge is being constructed to the right. Looking out to the left, we can see the railroad bridge, built in the 1880 and still in use today.
It was lovely to arrive in our hotel and get settled in for a three day stay. I actually unpacked my luggage and then enjoyed a hot bath to get the chill from my bones. Enjoyed a chat with our tour mates in the bar before meeting Ken and Laura for dinner.
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