Picking up again overlooking the harbour of Tarbert, that's the Scottish mainland of Argyll in the distance.
Just can't get over all the rhodos.
On the way to Glen Coe we see a small speck of snow on a mountain.
People take their holidays walking, hiking or cycling along the Highland Trail.
Coming in to the verdant valleys and monolithic mountains of Glen Coe.
Site of the Campbell's betrayal of the McDonalds Highland hospitality resulting in bloody murder. (Shame shame on my Campbell forbears.)
More snow at the summit.
Volcanic peaks.
The Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William
The UK's highest peak, the snowcovered Ben Nevis in the distance.
A better view from outside the bus at a rest stop.
The wild rose of Scotland (rosa rugosa), emblem of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
A simple but elegant bloom - a symbol of beauty that can survive the harshest climate.
Locks at Fort Augustus at the top of the Great Glen.
Glad to see it's Clansman with a 'C' not a 'K'!
The Great Glenn Way and the Great Glenn Fault along the line of Loch Ness.
View from our hotel room at the Palace Hotel in Inverness.
More intriguing chimney pots and roofs.
The room.
The view.
Very picturesque views out our dining room windows - a view across the river.
Another view further south.
A view straight out to Inverness castle.
Paula, Anne and Ed getting serious about dinner.
Ken's ready to eat too.
Some buildings down the main drag.
The castle a little closer.
Our hotel from across the river.
Sun setting with coloured light accents appearing along the bridge.
Chimney pots and pigeon.
The petite but beautiful Strathisla Distillery.
Just a wee drizzle has us hurrying in.
Our guide.
Pagoda chimneys in the light rain.
The water.
The warehouses.
Double points - a door and a chimney!
Biiiiiig chimney!
No pictures allowed inside.
My kinda place!
Ahhh! The proof of the casking is in the tasting.
The well which supplies the water for the whisky, has been here for over 500 years and owned for 250 years exclusively by the distillery. It's a very soft water flowing across the granite.
A view down the warehouse lane.
On to the quaintest, no glitz, distillery of the trip - Knochdu with its Ancnoc whisky.
Malt barley receiver in foreground then nice doorway with a kiln furnace in behind.
Our guide
More shiny brass - the spirit safe.
A fine example of a ball still.
Prettiest relief valve I ever did see!
Potent stuff, that cask strength!
Stencils and tools of the trade.
The distillery manager having a laugh with Ed.
We had great fun tasting their 12, 16 and 24 year olds. For me, the 24 was too much sherry and starting to lose its feet. The sixteen was delightful and I bought a bottle as its not available outside the distillery.
30 pounds cash and Bob's your (16 yr. old) uncle!
Knock Hill in the mist - the source of the water.
Back at the hotel. Paula's room must be up there somewhere at the front of the hotel.
Re-constructed crofter cottage - Pringles Woolen Mill Outlet.
On our way to the Glenmorangie Distillery we look across the Cromarty Firth at the rich farmland of the Black Isle.
We also passed by the Dalmore on the way.
And some oil rigs in dry dock or getting serviced.
Sandstone and windows and doors and pagodas, Mash tuns and washbacks and stills and receivers, These are a few of my favourite things!
Actually this part is dedicated to my best friend, Lew, as this is his whisky of choice and , if he could have, he would have been here with me,
Lovely oak and rhodo hanging over the water sluice.
It's a hard water rising up through the red sandstone and limestone.
Never a more serene or beautiful water source!
Spanish moss (a form of bromeliad or air plant called tillandsia) growing on the alpine currant bush near the water.
The oak, too is covered with moss and lichen (maybe that's why I'm 'lichen' the whisky!).
Lovely rock garden along the driveway on the way down to reception.
Nice door, eh Val?
Nice, ahhh, never mind.
Gleaming stainless steel mash tun.
The wort (I like this whisky, 'worts' and all!)
Stainless washbacks too!
Val likes windows too.
Double points - two windows in one.
Another window, of sorts, on the wash still allows the distiller to check the froth, reflux, etc.
A most impressive still room!
Twelve ball-type stills, the slimmest and tallest in Scotland (over 17 feet high) should produce a lighter smoother spirit.
A beautiful sight!
Interesting roof lines.
Bourbon casks.
Peter gets a close-up of a cask.
Special casks (the orange one is to mark the marriage of the daughter of the former manager, David McDonald)
A polite distillery lass holding the door for David.
The two per cent of alcohol evaporating into the atmosphere every year (the angel's share) around the warehouses turns the birch trees bark to black.
The spruce look a might funky as well.
Beautiful laburnum tree behind the warehouses - be careful, it's poisonous! (especially the seeds)
More doors.
Door to the aforementioned David McDonald's Still House
A window reflected in brass.
Rhodo, slate roof and chimneys.
Beautiful distillery. Now, if only they had given us a tasting in the first place, we wouldn't have felt like second class citizens.
The view over the warehouses and across the Dornoch Firth.
On the way back along the north shore of the Cromarty Firth we start to see the mountains of Easter Ross in the background.
And crossing back over the Firth we see once more the fertile lands of the Black Isle.
Back through Inverness we are motoring down the north side of Loch Ness.
Our first view of Urquart Castle from the bus.
The Castle.
Beyond that boat, on the far shore, hidden in the trees is the tiny village of Whitefield, possibly named after distant relatives of mine.
The war engine trebuchet - destroyer of castles.
The moat.
Hard to believe that arch to the right was knocked off the top in one piece.
My wife likes tunnel doorway shots too.
Zoomed in on the town of Dores on the far side about five miles south of Inverness which is where there is a Nessy lookout station and apparently the Dores Inn has the best pub in Scotland (according to an alcoholic friend)
Pink rugosa rose.
Monday morning and we're off to Aberlour. Today I get the front seat.
I spy the Spey! On the way here I noticed we passed the Tormore Distillery and Alex pointed out we also passed the road to Cragganmore. In Speyside you can hardly spit without hitting a distillery.
A storybook distillery. (Almost as pretty as Edradour, they say)
The gift shop.
Our tour master, Dennis Hendry telling us the locals love having the warehouses nearby because the 'Angel's Share' goes up into the heavens, comes down with the rain and the grass comes up half-cut!
My son would love this - he could come to work and pretend he was playing Super Mario Brothers.
Plain stills with medium height and almost level lyne arms would indicate a medium bodied whisky.
The story of the water - always an important factor in the making of a whisky which is why they always guard their sources and purchase them outright if they can.
The tasting room here was too small for our group but some of us came back later to bottle our own.
Now that's a tasting, eh Gary? I see you're trying the bourbon cask matured dram. Seems to have mellowed you out.
The drams flowed and flowed and everyone was thoroughly entertained by the comedy stylings of Dennis Hendry - definitely the most fun we had at any tasting!
Here I'm filling my own bottle with a 15 year old from a sherry cask - almost mahogany in colour.
Filling out the label. 57.3 % ABV. Filled by Brian Whitefield - cool!
The finished product
Ed and I share the joy. Thank you Allen for taking the pics.
The village of Aberlour is beautiful, but we must be on our way.
Trying to get a quick shot of the sign for Glenfarclas on our way back.
The sign looks pretty chintzy but I sure do love the whisky! Too bad we couldn't stop there awhile. Glenfarclas and Cragganmore for next time!
Now heading south along the Avon (pronounced An) River.
We're turning right.
The river takes a turn too.
Got a quick moving shot of the Tomintoul distillery...
...and another quick one looking back.
Starting to drizzle a bit now.
I think Morag said this was the Dee River or maybe the Don.
Lots of heather covered hills.
Now this was a very cute and quaint bridge, but would we fit?
Looking doubtful.
Drew, you're a good man and a damn fine driver!
Proceeding extremely slowly.
Very little room on either side.
Looking down on my side I could hardly see any space.
So tell me, does this mean they move Balmoral Castle from August to March?
Where's Dr. Who and his Tardis?
The Dee River on its way past Balmoral Castle. You can't see the castle from the road but Morag has promised we'll get a quick glimpse of the top of the turrets looking back from a couple of miles down the road.
The turrets of Balmoral Castle as promised. This is the best I could do out at full zoom on a bouncy bus and a dreary day. I was hoping to see Liz and her Corgies or Princess Anne out riding or Chuck airing out his ears.
I think this may be in Braemar.
More heather and hills on our way down south.
Starting to green up now.
Passing the Bridge of Cally on our way for a short stop in Blairgowrie. (which Paula tells us is twinned with the town of Fergus ON)
On the main street of Blairgowrie. Great name for a hairdresser!
Back on the road. Morag said the beech hedge to the right is the longest hedge in Europe. Son of a beech!
Approaching the Fourth Bridge. (I forgot the other three.)
From the Fourth Bridge we see a beautiful railway bridge designed by somebody famous, was it Eiffel?
Loks like Eiffel's work to me.
The houses are dwarfed by the end of the railway bridge.
If this is Glenkinchie it must be Tuesday.
Just wanted to take a picture of myself in the door.
I wonder if this mini set-up would fit in my basement?
The ultimate distillery tour in miniature. Barley Receiving Room.
Maltings.
Kiln with pagoda chimney.
Mill Room.
Mash House.
Tun Room.
Still House.
Condeser and Spirit Receiver.
Cooper's tools.
Must be time for a dram. And we did have a few. I even tried a Royal Lochnagar (from near Balmoral Castle) which I had never had - lovely but a bit light for my taste.
Back to Edinburgh - Greyfriars Bobby.
Had a great lunch of Uist salmon pate on oatcakes, a kilo of Thai mussels with French fries and an Arran Blond beer.
In the museum. There's a brooch to hold your kilt!
A tribute to the steam engine and steam heated still.
The Monarch of the North!
Near the castle on High Street.
Looking east along High Street.
Now it's a Pedestrian Mall.
Home of John Knox.
I was going to eat here for auld lang syne, but they were closing.
Still moving east on High Street.
Walking up the steep hill behind our hotel, The Parliament House.
It's Wednesday and we are leaving Edinburgh but not before seeing the new Scottish Parliament Buildings.
Conference room.
I was thinking of wetting my whistle, but not with water.
Courtyard gardens.
Built into the side of a historic building.
The lintel stone from the old Parliament.
And now across the street to Holyrood Palace. Here's an out building that some say was Mary Queen of Scot's bath house.
You won't believe what street this is on.
Told you!
No pics allowed inside but here's some of the grounds.
The adjacent Abbey (the original use of the old part of the buildings.)
Nice vaulted ceilings!
On the way to Glasgow, I think my Whitefield relatives still live just north of here in Armadale and Bathgate.
The end of the trip. I was shopping along Sauchiehall and the Buchanan Mall. Can you see the cross street name on the building? Careful you don't catch the virus! If you do, a few shots of single malt will put you right! Slainte Mhor! Many thanks to Ed Patrick and the Companions of the Quaich, our guide Morag Brodie and driver, Drew Brown. Haste ye back!
