Day 3- Highlands, Braemar, Balmoral

Started the morning with a lovely breakfast and then a ride through the highlands.

Paused for a moment outside the ski resort at Glenshee to take in the beautiful landscape and honestly just stand in awe for a moment.

Continued on to lunch in Braemar and had to pop into the very posh Fife Arms Hotel (upon the recommendation of a dear friend).

We enjoyed the sunny day with lunch on the terrace at Farquharsons. (The way the Scots pronounce that is quite funny.)

Found a tiny antique shop and fell in love with an oval shaped smoky quartz and gold ring mined from the Cairngorm mountains from 1970 made in Edinburgh. The setting is one of a kind and I am thrilled that it now resides proudly on my finger.

Our guide and driver, Murray, gave us a complete history of the area on our way to Balmoral Castle - the famous royal family estate. The grounds were stunning and there was a garden and maze dedicated to the beloved Scottish thistle. SO MANY FLOWERS!

We found a shady spot on a hill overlooking the castle and shared a wee dram of whisky on the softest grass you e ever felt.

Checked into our hotel and cleaned up quickly for a fun group dinner at Green Inn and then a public fiddle concert at the Balmoral Arms with highly acclaimed Paul Anderson.

https://paulandersonscottishfiddler.com

I met 3 lovely Scottish grannies whose daughters and nieces all do highland dance and one is even a judge this weekend in the U.S. for the ScotDance U.S.A. National Championship and is a featured choreographer for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Small world!

Another lovely day!Read more