Day 18: Cairngorms National Park

Two weather systems were clashing overhead today. When the sun was out, it’s hot with blue sky; the rain arrived, it’s cold and windy. We decided not to climb the mountains today. Instead, today is all about culture and history!

Blair Castle and garden had 750 years of history. The 12 dukes that governed the estate had long and complicated relationships with the English government. The history of this castle tightly intertwined with the history of British for centuries. It’s certainly the perfect place to visit today!

We certainly enjoyed the bagpipes performed as we walked in. The quality of the audio tour was excellent! I especially liked the grand drawing room and the ballroom. It’s nice to see how well everything is persevered in the castle.

A beautiful grove next to the castle has some massive sequoia trees. A stream flows through it with wildflowers on the banks. A picnic area on the front lawn offered us the perfect spot for lunch, with bagpipes music in the background. Although we did have to guard our food containers against the gusty winds.

The garden is very interesting, not what I had expected at all. A large lily pond with a Chinese bridge in the middle transported me back to China a bit. A mix of carefully cultivated flowers with wild native plants makes this garden very unique.

Continuing our culture and history tour, we visited Highland Folk Museum. A group of well restored buildings walked us through the history, all the way back to 15th century. Well worth the visit!

We are heading to Aberdeen area tomorrow.Read more