The Highland Games

Days 13 & 14

Our last two days put us in the Cairngorms National Park region in the town of Aviemore. We used this location as a base to travel north one day and south the next. The drive north on the first day was sunny as we drove through the countryside, which again reminded me of Kentucky. We found a nice little bakery in Grantown-on-Spey where they served locally roasted coffee – it was one of the best lattes of the trip. I chatted with a couple of firefighters as I waited and asked them about the weather in winter. They confirmed that they have multiple feet of snow at a time and roads become impassable. I guess it does snow a bunch in the Highlands.

 Our first stop was in Aberlour. The next time you purchase some Walker’s Shortbread, take a look at the back of the box and note where they are made. Yes, we were in the little town where they are headquartered and have their factory. Unfortunately, they don’t give tours, so disappointing, but they do have a factory seconds store! The smell of butter baked biscuits filled the air, and, needless to say, I stocked up on shortbread from the store. Kim bought a box of hairy cow shaped cookies.

 The second stop of the day was at the Glenfarclas Distillery. Those of you who know me well know that I’m not an alcohol drinker, so why stop. Well… Adam booked the 4 of us on a tour. The engineer in me is always interested in learning more about how things are made, so we tagged along. Glenfarclas means “valley of the green grass” and this is a family owned distillery that has not been gobbled up by the big guys. This fact was a plus when it came to the tour. Small groups. Up close to the equipment and processes in such a way that it would make the big companies' safety department cringe. I learned quite a bit of interesting engineering stuff about the process. I got to see huge copper candy kisses , the stills and barrels of aging liquid older than me. Distilleries are so numerous here that our guide told us there were about 70 distilleries in the area. That’s a lot of lighter fluid!

 The next day (Saturday, Sept 9) was our last day in Scotland. Today, we had tickets for the very last Highland Games of the season. The Pitlochry Games was on our way to Edinburgh for our flight home the next day. It turns out that the Games are basically a fusion of a track meet, parade, county fair, and festival – fun stuff! Bagpipe bands paraded down main street, shots and hammers were thrown, cabers were tossed, and young girls performed traditional Irish and Scottish dances. Tartan skirts, I mean kilts, were worn by all. This was a great way to spend our last day in here.

 This has been a wonderful trip. I’m glad Kim and I finally were able to do this. We have been planning for a couple of years. Having Adam and Carrie along made it twice as wonderful. I think we all made a pretty good travel team. Now, I need to start planning my next international trip to see more of this beautiful world God has made for us. Where should I/we go next?Read more