Coshieville House Bed & Breakfast Aberfeldy

Hereth begins my life in Scotland! For the moment I am staying in a tinsy little place named Blairhoyle (yeah, you might have to Google that one), that maybe isn't worthy of being called a "place", it is just out in the sticks, but its rather ...

Liz & Alec, who gave me a lift last night, turn out to be heading back to Kingshouse this morning so offer me a lift straight back to the start of my walk through the winding valley of Glencoe. The sky is already looking ominously dark so it's on with the waterproofs and I batten down the hatches with my rucksack cover before venturing out across Rannoch Moor.

The rain starts almost as soon as I hit the moor. It's relentless and the headwind ...

... me on the road just seconds before I get there. Aargh! It's an hour to the next one so I plod back to the bar. It turns out one lovely couple are staying down in Glencoe and offer me a lift. This is a very kind offer as the youth hostel in Glencoe is actually two miles from the bus stop and I take it up immediately!

Entering my room at the hostel, I hear "hello again". It's Helen, an Australian teacher, who I met at the youth hostel in Inverness ...

A surprise - wasn't expecting to see this type of detail in a non-fancy church. Looks like a farmhouse on the outside, but on the inside a very detailed painted ceiling.

I would guess that not too many people actually make it out to this site.

... which actually wasn't a well but in fact a tall monument to the incident. Lynda told us any years later they actually found the skeletons of the decapitated bodies... nice!


Traveling up through the ginormous mountains we stopped briefly up at Glengarry Point where we looked down into a large valley of lochs – it had been raining all morning so there were many waterfalls cascading down the mountains, wow breathtaking!

... background. First fridge magnet brought of the Cathedral!


Across from the cathedral Lynda explained Uncle Dave's ashes were scattered by the River Tay and on the edge of the Cathedral as this was one of his favourite spots. Plus we learnt Lynda is a dog rescuer! River Tay has a particularly strong current so a dog she was dog-sitting (few months prior) was very lucky indeed.

... have to work regular jobs I'm sure...

I also really liked the game where they threw the heavy weight up and over the high bar. Just imagine taking a 50-lb sack of potatoes and throwing it over a bar 15 feet high – WITH ONE HAND. (That's the rule...) The very colorful announcer said he heard the high bar weight game described as “Throwing a 6-year-old child over a double-decker bus.” Pretty accurate, but don't try that at home.

The other thing ...

... into the highlands), and there was no shoulder to ride on. About 1/2 way up, we were pulled over by the police who politely told us that we should really not by cycling here (although it is allowed). Just too busy and dangerous on the road. But he told us of an old abandoned rail line that would go in our general direction. Giving directions back into the town we had just climbed out of, we wet off in search of the old ...

... the Trossachs. Saw Loch Venechar and had a walk through the woods there. Then to Loch Katrine just to peek...they have scenic boat tours round the loch and an option to rent bikes for the return 14 mile trip. Up and over the Duke's Pass which was very twisty & turny with narrow roads, a bit stressful. Steve drove today. Then we found ourselves at the David Marshall Lodge and ...

... the highlands and lowlands, as well as its near impregnability due to the sheer rock face, surrounding marshlands, and easily defendable river. The castle was the home to many Scottish Kings, inluding James IV, V, and VI as well as Mary Queen of Scots during the 1500's. It was here that Mary was forced to abdicate her throne during the Scottish Reformation due to her Catholic leanings. Her son, James VI took her place and went on to ...