I am going to do these 12 days as a block.
We left Inverness on 28.07.2017
and travelled to Leuchars to stay with Sam’s cousin Donald. Donald and Sam spent a lot of time together
as children and young teenagers before Sam came to Australia when he was 15. Donald very kindly looked after us until the
following Tuesday when he took us to Katy and Joe’s, Katy is Donald’s
sister. Sam spent a lot of time with
their family.
Donald lives not far from the University Town of St Andrews
where the famous Golf Course is situated.
It is a beautiful town very much like stepping back in time. It is also very busy as is all this part of
the country parking is scarce as hens teeth.
The following day Donald took us to Crail it is a fishing village Sam
remembered going to as a youngster it is very pretty place. We continued on along the coast to all these beautiful
little fishing villages to name a few, Anstruther so busy not a parking space
in sight, then Pittenweem, we continued along to many more fishing villages all
the while the secenery is quite breathtaking and around every corner there is a
castle or ruins of one, gorgeous manor houses and the color of the countryside
is beyond green.
We travelled through the centre of Fife through towns
including Cupar, a Royal burgh since 1328 then came to the north coast of Fife
to the town of Newburgh then travelled along the
absolutely beautiful south side of the Tay River Tay . Sam was very taken with a tiny village called
Balmerino.
On the Monday another of Sam’s cousins Margaret came to see
us with her husband Jimmy their daughter Cathy kindly brought them it was
lovely to see them they had come to Australia about 20 years ago.
On the Tuesday the three of us went to Katy and Joe’s in
Huntly, Donald did a lot of driving taking us through countryside one would not
see on ones own all breathtaking really.
We spent 8 very lovely days in Huntly being very
spoilt. Lots of laughter and some
partaking of whisky involved.
On the first day Donald took us to Strathdon where Sam had
lived as a child, his Dad was the headmaster of the primary school. We went past Candacraig House which was up
the street from where Sam lived, until recently it belonged to Billy Connolly. We continued into the mountains where there
is skiing in the winter. We were very
fortunate to see the mountains covered in Heather. We then continued to Speyside where there are
many whisky distilleries. There are many
gin distilleries now as well much quicker to get a return on gin than on
whisky. We also visited Dulsie Bridge over
the River Findhorn built in 1795 Robert Burns was said to have stayed at the
farmhouse known as Kings House during his Grand Tour in 1787.
On the way back to Huntly we went to see Edinglassie the
farm where Sam’s Dad was born. There
were nine children in his family six boys and three girls.
The following day we went to Ellon where Sam was born, the
hospital now being a Golf Club. We left Kimmy
(Donald’s puppy) to be babysat with Joes’ cousin Iain and his lovely wife
Wilma, a delightful couple. We then went
to Peterhead which is now the biggest fishing port in the UK, we visited the
old prison closed about four years ago, there was a gentleman there that day to
greet visitors, he had been a prison warder, he had been taken hostage in 1987 by some
prisoners who were hopeful of escaping, he was taken onto the roof (in freezing
Scottish weather) and kept there for five days, he was amazing told us of his
ordeal, no days off for him afterwards just back to work, gracious if that
happened to someone today they would be on stress leave and visiting the psyche
for the rest of their days. He is now 87
what a trouper I love someone courageous.
We then visited the old lighthouse and museum in Fraserburgh
meanwhile the sun shone most of the time a little rain now and again but it did
not stop us seeing all the delights Scotland has to offer. We went back to Ellon where Wilma and Iain
had a lovely dinner for us all such a lovely day.
On Saturday the five of us headed to the Cairngorms where
everyone skis we took the funicular, a new one now built about 20 years
ago. This is a very modern funicular,r
such scenery breathtaking. On the way
home we visited the Reindeer Complex I have to say I have not ever seen such
beauty we could touch them. They were
brought to Scotland in 1952 by an amazing man and his wife a huge undertaking,
with breeding programs in place they are of course protected, They grow new
antlers every year, whilst they are growing they are covered in velvet and once
grown the velvet falls off the blood supply to the antlers stops and they
eventually fall off and they grow anor set.
They are the prettiest animal I have ever seen. We called in to Aviemore
on the way home to a ski village yet anor lovely day.
I am going to let Sam take over.
On Sunday Katy and Joe had a family barbecue with all their children and their partners coming over to say hello, we had not met Katy's daughter Gail or her partner Jamie before. It was a lovely day and luckily the weather cooperated.
Donald (and Kim) headed home on Monday, who knows when we
will meet again but we will make sure we do.
On Tuesday we went for a number of walks through Huntly with
the highlight being a visit to Huntly
Castle
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