Scotlannd - Day 5 - Traveling On

Bright and early we left Dundee and headed north.  It won't be long until we are as far north as you can go on the mainland of Scotland...but that is still at least a day away.

Our first stop today was about an hour down the road at Dunkeld Cathedral.  It is a beautiful cathedral that fell into ruin afer 1688 when the Catholics and Protestants were fighting over the official religion of Scotland. We wandered around the village and then back on the coach for our second stop of the day, Highland Folk Museum.

I have to admit, so far this was the least interesting.  It was an outside venue that was supposed to replicate life in the 1700's or so.  I enjoyed the walk in the woods, as always, but there just wasn't much to it.

Aviemore was our lunch stop for the day.  Lunch was a little late for me and I was starving.  Found a nice sit down restaurant attached to the train station and had a soup and salad.  Then I made the mistake poking my head in a shop that had a great sale going on.  Had already figured out I didn't have enough clothes with me, so I went on a teeny tiny splurge!

From there we headed to the best part of the day...the sheep dog demonstration.  I can't get over how much control the sheepherder as over 9 dogs at the same time, and the control that the dogs have over the sheep.  I would think the poor sheep would be totally stressed out, but we were told they were not.

They start training the dogs to voice commands at 1 yr and whistle commands by 2 years.  At the end he was shearing a sheep the old fashion way, with manual scissors.  At the very end we got to hold and play with 12 week old puppies.  If only I coud sneak one home in my suitcase!

Our layover for the night is in the tiny village of Carrbridge.  This hotel is ancient and my room is kind of like a monks cell, but it is one night, clean and the bed will work perfectly.  Across the road from the hotel is a 15th century bridge.

I have no idea where we had dinner, but it was about a 45 minute drive from the hotel and some kind of pub.  Food was great and the company fun.  Our coach was parked next to an outside bowling green.  I asked to have a try at it and a very nice Scottish gentleman explained the principle quickly and I was able to have 2 throws...not bad.