Big Retirement OE

In Stirling we stayed at the Stirling Highland Hotel, we got there by walking uphill on cobble streets for 15 minutes, I am getting fitter by the day.
We are in Stirling to pick up our rental car but also because it is close to Perth where our Scottish son Hamish Mitchell lives. For those of you from Wyndham you might remember Hamish staying with us for several summers when he came to learn how to shear. Neil and him used to get up to quite a bit of mischief. He went on to become the captain of the Great Britain shearing team and has competed in Golden Shears etc. He is now a Dog Trial Judge who is asked to travel over the world to judge dog trials. Hamish & his daughter Johanna, who stayed with us last summer, came into Sterling and had dinner with us. JJ, Hamish’s wife is Norwegian and is getting back today from scattering her Dad’s ashes with daughter Christine and son Norman, looking forward to seeing them. Hamish & JJ manage and work on a 1100 acres sheep and beef farm near Perth.
We picked up our car after finding the correct Arnold Clark Rental car company, there were 3! All on the same street so it just meant walking a bit further, we needed the exercise anyway. Got going but the radio played over the SatNav instructions and couldn’t turn it off so back to the company where they sorted it but there was no off button on the radio 🙀 so have to keep turning it down.
Off down the road we went, got on the highway, spotted some little villages and decided to get off the motorway, ended up in Dunblane. Went into the museum and watched a video on the history of Dunblane. I knew I had heard the name before and of course there was a massacre in 1996 when Thomas Hamilton killed 16 pupils and one teacher, injured 15 others before killing himself. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in British History.
It also the birth place of Andy Murray, there is a display dedicated to him in the museum. Andy and his extended family still live in Dunblane, Andy and his wife Kim own Cromlix Hotel, an exquisite Victorian mansion and estate set in acres of secluded Stirlingshire countryside near Dunblane.
Across the road from the museum is The Leighton Library, Scotland’s Oldest Purpose-Built Independent Library built 1687. It was founded on the collection of Robert Leighton, Bishop of Dunblane, he donated 1200 books in different languages to the library. I had a very enthusiastic volunteer explain it all to me in detail 😆 It was actually fascinating. How the cheaper books in this collection had become black with age and they used skim milk to remove the grime and reveal the leather cover and title.
Then a quick trip to the Dunblane cathedral before setting off toward Perth. Got waylaid by the Glenturret Distillery, thank goodness I can’t drive the rental car or we might still be there.
Went out for dinner with Hamish at the local, The Bein Inn, Hamish had a meeting as they are holding Scottish Dog Trial Championship at this farm and he is chairman of the organising committee.
A wonderful day of history, interesting people and catching up with loved ones.Читать далее