Travelling On

We've done a lot since leaving Glasgow, many different activities every day and at a new place every night! Still doing business calls, combined with sightseeing.  Stirling Castle was very grand, magnificent carvings, tapestries and ceilings - great to see such places intact, rather than fallen into ruins as with many. Also visited the nearby Church of the Holy Rude, still looked after by its congregation - beautiful stained glass windows and a side chapel with a very old carved stone baptismal font - you could light a candle to remember loved ones. Then to the Robert the Bruce Monument at Bannockburn (a group of English tourists took the photo of us); on to the Kelpies - two enormous metal statues of these horselike water spirits, surrounded by the waters of the canal system in this area, quite beautiful; and to the nearby Falkirk Wheel, an amazing feat of engineering to lift/lower boats on the canal, 35 metres high. Very lucky, as it was operating when we arrived, so had a great view.

Visited the grave of Rob Roy MacGregor on a very wet morning - felt very Scottish! It fined up later, we walked a couple of miles through fields & forest to the remains of an old Roman signal station (only earthworks left), one of a series of 14 between two forts. The track runs over the top of the old Roman road. Very peaceful, pheasants running along the track in front of us & nearly stood on two chicks hiding in the grass.

We've bought a few whiskies to taste, and some Scottish-distilled gins (very big here, the best gin so far is The Botanist)), but visited our first distillery in Crieff - Glenturret which is said to be the oldest in Scotland. Tasted a few and decided on a bottle of their peated single malt.

We've been so impressed with the beautiful landscapes and rich crops on the fields along with all the stone - buildings, rooves and fences. Not so impressed with the narrowness of some of the roads we've got lost on, and meeting large tractors towing agricultural equipment! Graham's driving skills are being honed.