A traveller's reflection: 2017 UK Trip: Pitlochry, Scotland

My Travel Journal

"There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road and through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode" - Elton John

I started traveling around the world since early 80s when I had the opportunity to combine business trips with vacations. Then later when my rezeki is in abundance, there were numerous other trips along the way for vacations, most of the time with hubby and the kids when the timing is right. I have also started to compile the journal and photo-pages covering almost more than 45 years of world wide travel. Some destinations I visited just once, others many times. Many of those places are the obvious famous places people would like to visit but some, the casual traveler doesn't even think to try. I have placed links to my travel at the side bar of my personal page, My Life Reflections, and will be updating them from time to time.

My wish is to continue my travel and complete circumnavigate the globe, insyaAllah…

Tuesday 9 May 2017

2017 UK Trip: Pitlochry, Scotland - The home of Fergus the Hairy Coo...

"Only the curious have, if they live, a tale worth telling at all..." - Alistair Reid

(Fergus the hairy coo at Ralia Highland Cafe)

Date: 9 May 2017 (Tuesday)

Route: Edinburgh - Pitlochry

Distance: 70 miles (1 hr 48 min)

Today we drove towards the north via the M90 then A9 Highway. The weather was sunny and cool while driving on the mountain road. We stopped at a layby by the highway for a short rest and a cup of steaming coffee.

(Coffee stop by the highway)

(Detour to visit a famous castle)

(A beautiful castle seen from the highway)

Blair Castle stands in its grounds near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland. It is the ancestral home of the Clan Murray, and was historically the seat of their chief, the Duke of Atholl. The castle stands in Glen Garry, and commands a strategic position on the main route through the central Scottish Highlands. The entrance fee into the castle and the Hercules Garden was £11/pax.

(A nicely written saying)

(The entrance to Blair Castle and Hercules Garden)

The castle is a category A listed building and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national listing of significant gardens.

(The ancestral home of Clan Murray)

(A majestic Scottish Highland castle)

(A bagpiper plays on the hour at Blair Castle)

(The main hall at Blair Castle)

(Highlanders artifacts on display)

From Blair Castle we continued driving towards north and stopped at Ralia Highland Café for a light refreshment.

Ralia Highlands Cafe was built in 2005 on the site of a redundant Tourist Information Centre. The owner of Ralia Cafe spent many years travelling up and down the A9 during his career in whisky and food manufacturing. He stopped at Ralia in often desperate for a cup of coffee!

This is a great place to stop for toilet breaks and refreshments for travellers.