Pitlochry

We enjoyed another delightful breakfast with Great Uncle-D, then tried to help him with troubleshooting an issue with his solar voltaic energy system. We weren't able to fix anything, but we did help verify a couple of items to look into.

In short order we rearranged our luggage, leaving the motorcycle gear behind, and freeing up space for the items we need in the Faroes.

For our route to Pitlochry, we decided to avoid the busier narrow coastal roads, and take the middle road just passed Kilmartin. The road was single track with multiple passing areas, luckily we only needed to stop for a few oncoming vehicles. The drive north was quite relaxing with stunning views of Loch Awe and surroundings hills. Large sections had been logged, but lots of pockets of old Oak groves dotted the way. You know it's a wet area when thick moss is growing on the Oak, which has ferns growing from the moss too...

Eventually we reached the A85 just east of Tynuilt. Heading further east, passing along the northern end of Loch Awe, we came upon a gorgeous old church. St Conan's Kirk was only built in the 1880s and expanded in the early 1900s. The exterior architecture appeared more Medieval, and apparently it's interior is quite eclectic in a multitude of styles.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Conan's…

Continuing on, we eventually passed through the town of Kenmore at the top end of Loch Tay. The sun was magnificent, so we stopped for a walk across the single track multi-arch stone bridge. Another quick stop just up the road in Aberfeldy to get a few grocery items. The town was very orderly, and the buildings were either rough or blocked stone. We also passed the Dewar's Distillery as we left the town.

Finally arriving in Pitlochry we settled into our hostel room. It was quite unique and colourful, literally. This is our first hostel stay this trip. We were motivated by the amazingly high prices for last minute bookings in this tourist area. We benefited from the use of the kitchen area too 😋

Needing to stretch the legs after a long day of driving, we went for a walk to explore town, stumbling upon a marching bagpipe band! Turns out they have a Highland Night every Monday during the summer. We paid our admission for the 1.5hr show, hoping to win a bottle of scotch with our lucky number in the Program. A hotdog snack tied us over until a later dinner. The bagpipe marching band won third place in the World Championships this year! What a treat! We were entertained with a variety of dances, folk songs, and of course bagpipe music. We weren't the lucky winners of the bottle, but enjoyed supporting their club.
https://thevale.org/highland-nights/

Luckily we found an Indian restaurant that was still serving, for our later than expected dinner. It was scrumptious!Read more