Scotland the brave

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Got up with toast and marmalade and headed out to Culloden Battlefield. Very interesting, and harrowing, of course, even if we have no connection to the Scots.

Then just 1 mile over to the Clava Cairns - ancient burial sites.

Then another mile to see a bunch of baby Highland cattle. So cute.

Then about 3.5 hours to St Andrews. But off course some of us had to find the loo, so we stopped for coffee around 1:30, in Pitlochry. Sort of followed the directions to the waterside cafe badly, and ended up at a swanky hotel - we asked if they served coffee and tea and if we had the right place. No, it wasn't, but they served tea to the residents. In we went, where we found a sun filled reception room filled with quite elderly people all having water from Waterford glasses and fine china. Lovely spread. We giggled so much, not knowing if we had gotten ourselves into an expensive situation or if this was free if we only endured "the tour" of promising to retire to this old-age home. We made David speak to the receptionist, saying thank you and ask how much we owed. "It was our pleasure." John says it was the Midas Fell touch again.

On to St. Andrews - glorious sun!! We wandered around the course for at least 2 hours. It was fun to see in person what we see on tv. Of course David remembered every hole of his 1973 game there with my father.

Trying not to eat so late, we stopped in a little town on route to Edinburgh, where no one spoke English. They were Scottish. Again, we giggled so much. In the fish and chip shop I asked if this was malt vinegar. No. "You mean you don't have malt vinegar?" The two ladies simultaneous said "no" with that long long Scottish brogue,a nd with such sorrow in their tone, as if they were immensely sorry for my loss. the man who was frying was from Cinque Terre. We were off the beaten path, no tourists in that place.

Then the challenge to find our AirBnB in Edinburgh, with the GPS that is WAY out of date. It didn't have Hawkhill Close, so I aimed for Hawkhill, which we found. Then we asked directions to the place. And, as usual, "how to get in?" Evidently Robin had been sent an email 2 days ago with details. Somehow we connected - thanks to David's phone, AND found a parking place in this crowded (flats) neighborhood. It's very spacious.

Praying that David can sleep better tonight, as now he has the cough I have - sinus drainage?

That last photo was taken out the window of this flat on the 6th floor. We got in just in time.

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