Pitlochry

Found a wonderful chain of supermarkets and cafes that do good and cheap breakfasts, Morrisons, so they got our business today in the town of Banchory.

The plan for the day was to head inland from Aberdeen, and explore the forests and rivers throughout the middle of Scotland. The region from Aboyne to Braemar was really pretty - green, wooded forests and lively rivers. We stopped at Balmoral Castle, the Scottish castle of the royal family, and went past Braemer Castle in the process.

After Braemar, the road climbed up through the snowfields at Glenshee (no snow to be seen), through the Cairnwell Pass, and down into the valley on the other side, so it was open and barren again, much like the northern highlands.

Arrived in Pitlochry in time for lunch. Quite a tourist town, and definitely catering for lots of visitors. Every tour bus in the vicinity was there, and the town was rather busy. The buildings looked well restored and maintained, so there is a fair bit of money coming through.

From Pitlochry we detoured to Blair Castle in Blair Athol, the home of the Duke of Athol, and the only private army in the world. Unfortunately, the 10th Duke died in 1996 and left it all to a distant cousin in South Africa who doesn't want it, so there's a leaderless army wandering around the moors somewhere.

On to Killiecrankie, the site of the first battle of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites against the unprepared English (which they won), before they pushed their luck too much a few years later on at Culloden (and got creamed).

Up the road to Queens View, a lovely lookout over the river and hills. Unfortunately, the weather had closed in so all we saw was a lot of very attractive mist.

Dunkeld was our afternoon tea stop, and we had a look at Dunkeld Cathedral, which had abbots and bishops until the Reformation, and endless committees since adopting the presbyterian system after the Reformation. Half the church is in ruins, and the half is still in use as the town's church.

Our lodge for the night was at Caputh, only a few minutes down the road from Dunkeld, and not far from Perth. Homely and well equipped but so remote that they didn't even bother giving us keys.