Our last day in Pitlochry (Monday, Sept. 7)

Note from Smoky: Come to my Zenfolio gallery to see lots of pictures of Scotland. Some are used in this blog, but there are also lots of others.

From the conservatory where we have breakfast at Claymore Guest House we could see some fog in the hills. Graeme says "That's what they call a Scotch mist, actually a harvest mist. The dew is on all the plants. It will burn off in a while and be a beautiful day!" Graeme was right! It was a beautiful day. 

Blair Castle from road.

Off to Blair Castle after breakfast. We drove by the imposing castle yesterday. The grounds are quite large and lavish. Smoky had heard about all the weapons hanging in the entrance hall. He was drooling over all the photos he could take, but when we entered, the greeter informed us that photos were not allowed inside the castle except in the ballroom, which was the last room we visited. 

Blair Castle ballroom.

The castle was lavishly furnished with many unusual items and what looked like priceless antiques. For example, the handrail for one section of stairs was made from a narwhal tusk. Wikipedia says this tusk is an extension of a canine tooth! (See more at this website.) 

One room in the castle was dedicated to sets of dishes from all over the world. In that same room were cases holding handwork made by the wife of one of the lords of the castle. The handwork ranged from drawn lace work to embroidery to crochet with very small thread. Every piece I looked at was exquisite. 

The garden ducks loved this man (it could have been the
crackers he was feeding them!)

After the castle, we walked through the formal garden, a very large area with a pond, quite a few ducks and swans, many fruit trees and a variety of flowers. It was lovely, but it didn't hold a candle to Graeme's garden at Claymore Guest House. When I told Graeme that, he smiled and said he was not at all surprised!

Blair Castle -- imposing and grand and very well maintained!

Piper outside Blair Castle.

Before leaving the castle grounds, we wanted to find the old church. Now in ruins, St. Bride's Kirk, is still a lovely old building. One small room off the main larger room, which is called a mausoleum, has a memorial to the 6th Duke of Atholl plus one very interesting stone artifact on display. The room has an iron gate across the door to prevent entry.

St. Bride's Kirk, small alcove.

After a quick snack, we hiked to a lovely waterfall on the other side of Pitlochry. We had a very nice dinner at Drummonds Restaurant and Public Bar. Smoky had grilled salmon and I had fish and chips (again)! I may be getting hooked on fish and chips.  

After dinner we walked down to the recreation ground to hear the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band and see some Highland and Scottish dancing. This was the 50th year of the Highland Nights performance, which included singing, dancing, and piping. Jean Swanson's highland dancers performed several times, along with the Vale of Atholl Scottish Country Dancers, a group of older ladies, who showed us a traditional Highland Folk Dance. The Vale of Atholl Pipe Band was made up of members of all ages, the youngest being seven. We witnessed a lot of community enthusiasm throughout this program. The audience was encouraged to come down on the field to take photos at any time. And those folks watching from cars flashed their lights and honked horns to show appreciation.

Vale of Atholl Pipe Band performs in Pitlochry.

Vale of Atholl Scottish Country Dancers.

This couple and their dog sat in front of us at the Pipe Band 
performance. Occasionally, this dog placed its head on 
the man's shoulder. This dog obviously has an important role.

We left a little early since we needed to pack in preparation for our drive to Inverness on Tuesday.

I'll post photos as soon as I can.

--Shann