Well, to the north of us, at least!

We set of late Friday morning towards our first stop over, Dunkeld. Arriving there around lunchtime, we took our bag to the cosy room we were given in the Atholl Arms Hotel. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, even though we were two hours earlier than the arrival time. But no problem, we could get into our room already. Fab!

As we entered, the smell of paint wafted along the corridors. The place was being upgraded. Given that some online reviewers had complained about the apparently dated decor, it seems a change is in the air. Our room was indeed a little dated, but comfortable, with more than enough space to move past each other without squeezing our tummies in. The ensuite bathroom was a ballroom! You could easily do a waltz in there! Pink walls may not be everyone’s cuppa tea (I’m sure that room is next on the list for the painting job!), but hey – we could at least have a ball.

So, after initial good impressions we were off outside. Walking down the main road to the far end – not very far as Dunkeld is small – we ended up at a village green. Well, usually it should have been green but that day it was white. Glisteningly icy white. Taking tentative steps, we dubbed it the Dunkeld Ice Rink! Skaters on, and we could’ve done some dancing on ice.

We slid across to Dunkeld Cathedral. An earlier monastery there housed the bones of St Columba from the 9th century before they were moved to St Andrews. The current, partly ruined cathedral was built between the 12th and 15th century. Outside it reminded us a little of Rosslyn Chapel, with different styles vying for supremacy. However, inside the part that serves as the town’s church today, it was basic yet light and inviting. Behind the altar, most likely for space reasons, stands the tomb of Alexander Stewart, the notorious Wolf of Badenoch.

Yes, we’ve had more snow – not really surprising, it’s winter after all – and Scotland promptly ground to a halt this morning. 

Hubby let Tiger out early this morning, maybe around 5am, and woke me to say it was snowing. He knows I love snow so for once I let him get away with waking me. When the time came for me to get up it was with much delight that I saw our garden, roofs and car covered in a lovely 2-inch layer of the white stuff. It looks so much nicer and brighter than the muddy greenish-brown hue of a mild, wet winter.  So for me, the day started off well.

Driving up our private road was interesting, to say the least. Ice lurking underneath fluffy snow made it more hazardous but then, if you stay slow and in 2nd gear (very important!!), you’ll do just fine. Unline some sad guy who managed to end up in the field with the front tyres of his car. Guess he’d tried 1st gear and whoops! Our factor pulled him out with his pickup. Bless!

On approaching the main road we saw a looooong queue of cars heading westwards. So hubby had to walk to the bus stop. It was quicker that way, especially as I passed his bus at the end of that queue a mile later, going the other way. Unfortunately, people driving too slow meant that there was a queue going my direction, taking me 15 minutes (I finally overtook the waiting crowd to turn off!) rather than the usual 3 or 4 mins. But hey, the scenery looked lovely. I wonder how many other drivers noticed it, though.

The main roads were fine (I thought) and I ended up in work without any further problems. But not without passing a few stranded cars. Poor sods! You can sometimes be as sensible as you like but when your car hits black ice, that’s you in the ditch.

So now the sun’s out and it’s all melting but more is forecast for the next few days. I wonder how we’ll be able to cope with another two or three inches. More chaos?

And there’s me thinking Scottieland should be used to it. Hmm…

… and we just have to follow!

Tomorrow we’re going to head north. First to Dunkeld, which we passed several times but never stayed. Some leisurely walks and explorations, luvvly meal & drinks await us there. There should be plenty to discover, much more than we can cram into one day.

Saturday we’re heading north to the shores of Loch Ness.

Reflections on Loch Ness

It’s time to visit the outlaws again, after we had to postpone our planned post-Christmas visit in late December due to too much snow. Even for us, so that really means there was tons of the white stuff! We might get some on the way there but it should all be easy to handle. After all, I’m a pro!

Saturday night we’re going to take the outlaws to a restaurant in Beauly – mainly because almost every foody place in Drumnadrochit is shut! Until March!!! Either they all have a hugely successful summer season with all those boatfuls of American and Japanese visitors (with the odd party of Germans thrown in), or it’s plain dead up there in the winter. Guess we’ll see…

Expanse of Loch Ness

Sunday we’re making our way back home. The boys are cared for so we’re in no rush. Still, it’ll be sad to leave the gorgeous landscapes behind for another year. Ahhh…

In recent months, I’ve built up more regular contact with my relatives in the US again. After many years of the odd email to my Aunt Carol (or Shari, as she’s also known) , squeezing lots of information into a couple of paragraphs, we have all moved on into the social networking world, making it much easier for us to keep in touch. My cousins and I chat online and joke with each other. I see photos of their current lives, and they share mine. It’s fantastic, taking part in their lives again despite the thousands of miles separating us!

When we were kids, the two younger cousins, Tania & Tina, used to write to me, and my mum helped me draft my replies as my English back then was still very basic. I still have photographs they sent me of their family in the same album I put them into around 30 years ago. God, am I really that old??

The amazing news is I’m now in touch with my older half-sister, Tracy – first time in our lives. So happy about that. We’re swapping emails, catching up on the many years we missed out, and I hope to meet her later this year. I also hope to have contact with a younger half-sister, too, one day. Fingers crossed.

So now we’ve started planning for a trip across the pond, part-holiday (New York [shopping!!!] & San Francisco), part family reunion. Sadly, we won’t manage to meet everyone but at least it’ll be a beginning. I’m sooo looking forward to it! Can’t wait!

OK, I shouldn’t really moan about it. It’s just greedy. I know, I know. But I want the snow back!!!

We’ve been so lucky these past four weeks, with a solid layer of snow since before Christmas. Our garden, the fields around us, at times even the tiniest branches of the trees were transformed into a crystal white winter wonderland. This was the longest time I’ve had snow in a couple of decades. And I seem to have been one of the few who actually loved the recurring flurries of snow, dumping more and more of that white stuff into our gardens. But see for yourself – is that not beautiful?

Snowy Plants

Many folk complained about the constant disruption, but with a bit of common sense, care and attention, it’s not really that big a problem. We managed to get to work every day. Parents made it to the nursery next to us, either by car or on foot. Horse owners came daily to care for their animals, many of which remained out in the fields, wearing their coats to keep the cold out a little bit. And the postie made it to our house with the van throughout the time. Only the binmen stayed away, claiming they might slip. Awwww! Hmmm… the word ‘excuses’ springs to mind.

Having snow at Christmas made the holidays special. Walks in the snow (even with thick flakes falling to the ground), watching the skiers on the short slopes of the Pentlands ski school, making angels in the snow, snowball fights – it was bliss! The scenery looked much lovelier, much more homely. Properly wintry. I loved it.

All covered in snow

So today it’s back to the usual UK winter – gales and rain. Oh, wonderful. Not! I’d rather drive more carefully on snowy roads than go walking with the rain trickling down your coat and the gales blowing the drops like pinpricks into your face. No, don’t like this at all. Think I’d like to move somewhere with decent winters. Hubby prefers it that way, too. Better cold and white, than mild and wet. Just have to think of a place where we could work, enjoy snowy winters and dry summers.

Any ideas?