Andre and Wendy: Laide

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Laide – Pitlochery

Started off with a great breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon at our bed and breakfast. Managed to get on the road by 9AM, an hour later than we are used to, but breakfast only started at 8AM here. A great stay at a lovely spot that we would be happy to visit again.

First stop is just out of town for some pictures as we leave town of a beautiful beach.

Beautiful beach leaving Laide

Next stop is Corrieshalloch Gorge, which we were told is the deepest gorge in Scotland. The falls are 45 metres and a nice walk around the falls, including a suspension bridge and a lookout over the falls kind of like a very small walk out that we few over in the Grand Canyon. A great stop to stretch the legs and see some different scenery.

Corrieshalloch Gorge

Next stop was at Rogie Falls, a much smaller falls that at the gorge, but still very pretty. Again a very nice walk. There is also a salmon ladder here but we are about a month early for the salmon to be running.

Rogie Falls

We drove through Inverness without stopping, looks like a very industrial city compared to the beautiful towns we have seen so far. We stopped to pick up some supplies for lunch at Tomatin as we were planning a picnic. We stopped Aviemore for an ice cream before lunch and to visit the information centre for ideas to spend the rest of the day. A cute town, very touristy, reminded us a little bit of Banff.

Viaduct in Tomatin

99's for everyone before lunch

Train station from 1900s in Aviemore

Lots of blue sky today!!!

We decided lunch would be at the base of the ski hill in Cairngorn. Funny to still see so much snow in the mountains, we were very surprised at how much snow there still was in many of the mountains. A great lunch of smoked trout, smoked salmon, smoked muscles that we picked up earlier this week, and then off for a walk part way up the mountain. Lots of people out walking around here, and some beautiful views of Loch Morlich.

Lunch in the mountains

Packed up after lunch and headed to Loch Eilean where we had read there were ruins of a castle on an island that we could walk to. A very short walk that was very pretty, a very young duck that was fun to watch, but where were its siblings?

Loch Eilean

Took a back road for a while, had enough of single lane driving, so headed back out to the highway to Pitlochery were we are spending the night in a very nice Inn, that they call a B&B. What a cute little town. A little like St. Andrews at home. Went for a walk along the river before dinner, then dinner at a nice restaurant. We are now back at the B&B, 10PM and still pretty much full sunlight.